Cool Japan: Ships and Cats

 ■ Cool Japan: Ships and Cats

The “Ships” episode of NHK’s Cool Japan

Japan has relied upon the sea and its rivers. Our lifestyle and economy has been supported by ships. Tokyo is an unusual capital city in that it faces the sea. Looking at this fact through a cultural lens from the perspective of an outsider leads to many new discoveries.

The mysterious world of swan boats, barges and boat racing

The United Kingdom, another maritime nation, is said to mainly think of its waterways as a source of power and has actually hindered the passage of ships. Japan did not develop markets like Europe; it focused upon water. Japanese people sang, danced and ate near the water or on ships. This led to the development of a culture of ships.

The artisanal expertise of creating wooden ships accurate to the millimeter 

The expertise of shrine carpenters underpinned the manufacturing of ships that were made without any nails, and whose complex structure required wooden parts to be assembled together with accuracy measured in millimeters. 

The joined-block construction technique was employed in the Heian Period to manufacture large numbers of statues of Buddha. The head, torso, legs and arms were carved simultaneously, then assembled together at the end of the process. This block technique has long been a specialty of Japan. 

Busy luxury cruises

In the West, doing nothing — sitting by oneself beside the pool reading a book or gazing out over an azure sea — is the ultimate indulgence. That's the last thing we would do. We are a culture of making do with what we have — we came all this way, it would be a waste to do nothing. It is a philosophy of taking advantage of an opportunity. It may take a little longer for Japanese people to enjoy the indulgence of doing nothing.

Ships are tools for work and life. The development of ships, their design and culture and their use for entertainment is fascinating. Their status as the acme of artisanal expertise is very Japanese. I hope people come from overseas to attend the Tokyo Olympics on Japanese ships.

The “Cat “ episode

Japan has world famous cats, including a certain blue robot cat and that other cat character with a white face and a red ribbon. Perhaps no other country loves cats in as many unique ways as Japan.

The Cat Boom

This may have something to do with the aging society and a culture that is friendly to people acting alone. Cats are at the top of the list for people who like animals but are unable to walk a pet every day by themselves. There have been booms in the popularity of cats, but they occur at times of recession. When the future is uncertain, perhaps we turn to cats for the relief and comfort they provide.

Cat books and magazines

The progenitor of popular literature, “I am a cat” by Natsume Soseki, plays with the perspective of its feline protagonist. Cats are so popular that a bookstore at Jinbocho in Kanda dragged itself out of trading difficulties by shifting to become a store that only stocks cat books. Some data shows that cats are worth ¥2 trillion to the economy per annum, illustrating the strength of our love for felines.

Cat Island

The most outstanding example of ‘catonomics’ is Cat Island. Revitalizing the local economy is fine, but this sleepy island has experienced much consternation as a result of the sudden influx of tourists after they were thrust into the limelight. I ask cat-lovers to be considerate.

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Cool Japan: Ninja and Blades

 ■ Cool Japan: Ninja and Blades

The “Ninja” episode from NHK’s Cool Japan

I have taken a friend from overseas to the Ninja Restaurant in Akasaka. Ninja have been revisited as something cool that can be used to attract international tourists. They are strong, cool and mysterious. This is a theme that I have proposed. 

Ninja Events

The Japan Ninja Council was formed in 2015 in an attempt to raise the profile of ninja, bringing together a group that originally viewed each other as rivals. Five prefectures with links to ninja joined forces with the cities of Iga and Koka to publicize themselves around the world. I have also been involved.

Ninja training

The number of international visitors to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu in Iga City has increased five-fold in ten years. Tourism strategies that go beyond offering beautiful sites to see and delicious food to eat, and offer experiences — such as hard-core ninja training — are becoming more important.

Ninja manga

Ninja are more than mere fictional heroes. They are a historical fact. This is why manga about ninja are not just about fighting, but have a depth that derives from their historical context and their humanity. It is a broad genre. There are serious works, such as The Legend of Kamui, and more enjoyable works, such as Nintama Rantaro. Make sure you read them!

The “Blades” episode 

When I go overseas dressed in Japanese clothing I am often asked by immigration officials if I am carrying a sword. I often wonder how they thought I had managed to board a plane with a sword, but it illustrates how the image of Japan is intimately linked to swords. Recently, Japanese blades — ranging from chef’s knives to nail clippers — have become a mainstay of the souvenir trade. I wonder why this is the case?

The diversity of Japanese chef’s knives

These knives cut beautifully. Japanese cuisine values beauty, but not just in terms of appearance. Sashimi that is sliced beautifully has not had its cell structure crushed, making the food more delicious. There are many ways to cut vegetables and fillet fish, and a whole range of knives have evolved that can cut beautifully in line with materials and the dish involved. 

The mysterious religious rites for chef’s knives

There is a unique way of thinking in Japan that objects have a spirit. This is especially the case for objects such as knives, which are worn in with use over many years, to the extent they almost feel like an extension of the body.

The genius of leading scissor artisans

Surgeons rely upon the skills of artisans who spend fifteen years patiently perfecting their technique. These artisans do not ask for public recognition, but are content to be valued by doctors. Nevertheless, becoming an artisan is one of the most popular professions children want to become when they grow up. The value of making something with one’s hands has been recognized.

A German blade company manufacturing in Japan

Smelting, smithing and sharpening metal to create a blade that is almost a work of art is a profession underpinned by Japanese stoicism. With international collaboration on marketing and sales, this could be harnessed to create things beyond just blades. 

While blades themselves may be lifeless, they are recognized internationally for their overall connection to a range of things, such as food culture, the artisan spirit and technical prowess. We should value this.

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Cool Japan: Umami and cleaning

 ■ Cool Japan: Umami and cleaning

The “Umami” episode from NHK’s Cool Japan

It was only with the discovery of umami receptors on the tongue in the year 2000 that it was scientifically proved that “umami” was a distinct flavor. Now that Japanese cuisine has been registered as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, there are probably more people overseas who are interested in knowing more about the secret to creating Japanese flavors. 

The umami of dashi stock and ramen

It is thought that bonito and other fish have been used for dashi stock since the Jomon Period, 16,000 years ago. This transformed into the use of ingredients such as dried bonito flakes. Japanese people to this day are very particular about umami from fish, and will add it to ramen broth, even if it can be made from pork bones or a chicken carcass alone.  

Dried bonito flakes and kelp

In French cuisine, it takes over ten hours of simmering to create fond de veau. However, creating stock with kelp or dried bonito flakes takes at most tens of seconds, or perhaps even instantly. Japanese water is soft, making it easy to create a dashi stock. However, it takes time to create the basis for this stock. Kelp takes several years, while dried bonito flakes take months.

Umami and hospital food

There is a hospital in Osaka which provides salt-reduced food through using umami. The Kansai Region has the richest umami culture. It has deep roots to this day. One doesn’t want to sacrifice flavor even if reducing the amount of salt in food has health benefits. Umami, however, provides a way to widen one’s culinary horizons while remaining healthy. This is something that could be trumpeted to the world.

The delightful theme of this episode is that flavor — which is a culture that has been fostered for over 10,000 years — is something that has not only been recognized around the world, but is also healthy and quite remarkable. 

The “Cleaning” episode

The fact that Japanese people value cleanliness is another part of Cool Japan that has been recognized around the world. Visitors from overseas in the Edo Period invariably commented on Japan’s cleanliness. It is a part of Japan’s living culture. 

Spring cleaning

Spring cleaning at the end of the year is as important a part of preparations to welcome the gods of the new year as decorating the house with pine branches and rice cakes. Perhaps this is a remnant of the idea that it would be rude not to clean everything considering one is welcoming the gods. 

Japanese brooms

Brooms are intimately linked in folklore to gathering in the spirit and dispelling evil.  Even today, cleaning is the first thing done in the morning as part of ascetic practice. Brooms appear in the Kojiki and were used as tools for religious ceremonies in the Nara Period.

Cleaning every day is perhaps influenced by our way of living, whereby we use the same room to do everything — from removing shoes to eating and sleeping. Moreover, perhaps the earthquake has sparked a rethink of our use of energy, with many trying to be more environmentally friendly and conserve electricity. 

Automatic train-wash machines

Combining culture and technology is one characteristic of Japan. The machine that maintains the pristine white livery of the shinkansen bullet train is a result of Japan’s culture of cleanliness and perfectionism combined with cutting-edge technical expertise. This was no doubt something that was refined as a result of Japan having a harsh environment — both in the mountains and at sea — and its humid climate.

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Cool Japan: Cafeterias and home cooking

 ■ Cool Japan: Cafeterias and home cooking

The “Cafeteria” episode from NHK’s Cool Japan

There is no other country in the world with as many international restaurants as Japan. No country has as many French and Italian flags fluttering in the streets. Tokyo has three times the number of Michelin-starred restaurants than Paris. There are many reasons for this.

Communication

Japanese restaurants place importance on entertainment and communication with the customer. The benches at sushi restaurants are calculated to be of a width that makes communication with the chef as easy as possible. 

Showing the cooking process

The three pinnacles of Japanese cuisine are sushi, tempura and soba. They all trace their roots to standing-only roadside stalls where food is prepared right in front of customers. This has the effect of building trust with the customer about what ingredients are used and how they are prepared. Japanese outlets of an American fried chicken chain were the subject of much chatter as they are the only ones where the cooking process is made visible.

Chain restaurants

Japanese diners expect that the flavor at a chain restaurant will be the same no matter at which restaurant they eat. The flavor of the food is rigorously standardized in the central kitchen. There are chain restaurants in most countries, but a characteristic of Japan is our effort and innovation, which makes it possible to make not just fast food but also cuisine such as Japanese and Italian, which have many complicated dishes.

Restaurant magazines

There have been guidebooks on cafeterias ever since the time of pilgrimages to Ise Shrine in the Edo Period. We have long believed the information written in these guidebooks. Comments, which can be left online by anyone, are of course useful. But information derived from professional research is trustworthy and worth the price tag. This has ensured the popularity of guidebooks.

The ‘Home Cooking’ episode

Perhaps it is due to the negative business conditions, but eating at home is experiencing something of a boom. This is something that has developed with a long history. Japanese cuisine prepared at restaurants is popular around the world. Despite my doubts about whether home cooking can really be ‘cool,’ this is a theme I would like to suggest. 

Overflowing supermarkets

Since the Kamakura Period, Japanese home cooking consisted of one soup and three vegetables. From its very origins it was extremely varied. It also incorporated things from around the world. The evolution of the distribution system brought in new ingredients which were used in cooking. Moreover, everyone cooks. This is all supported by careful service provision at supermarkets. This is certainly ‘Cool Japan.’ 

Websites for posting recipes

Only in Japan could these websites be so popular. There must be no other country in the world where housewives are so concerned about what to make for dinner. What’s more, Japan has one of the highest rates of internet usage, with the world’s largest per-capita amount of posted information. Everyone shares information, improves upon it, and creates their own food. This is very Japanese. 

School cooking classes

Cooking involved a lot of tasks — selecting ingredients, cutting them, putting them together, serving and cleaning up afterwards. It is quite tough. It is a way to come to an understanding of how one’s country’s culture and ingredients are made and how hard parents have to work to provide what students feel comes as a matter of course. Learning in this way allows for the discovery of things that children wouldn't normally notice.

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Cool Japan: Manners and Club Activities

 ■ Cool Japan: Manners and Club Activities

The “Manners” episode from NHK’s Cool Japan

There is no such thing as a global standard for manners. For foreigners, some manners must be impenetrable and confusing. It is not a matter of right or wrong — manners are merely different. Let’s take a look at manners that are thought to be strange. 

Waving goodbye to someone until you can no longer see them

This is seen as part of hospitality and showing concern for the other person. One must not assume that it will be possible to meet again. Each and every meeting and farewell must be taken seriously and the feelings one has for the other person should linger. 

Not crossing legs while seated

The standard for Japanese people is seiza — sitting upright on the floor with legs tucked underneath. There is also a belief that you should not sleep with your feet pointed at an important person and that it is rude for one’s toes or the soles of the feet to be pointed at someone. However, it was only in the Edo period, with the introduction of tatami mats, that seiza became the proper way of sitting. 

No drinking before all superiors have arrived

This is a rule around fitting in in a hierarchical society, no doubt influenced by Confucianism. Drinking must start with a toast and end with a proper recital of ippon jime clapping.

No talking on mobile phones in a train

Trains are a public, social space. Noisy announcements in these public places aren’t an imposition, but private conversations certainly are. This rule relates to consideration for others.

All these — waving until you lose sight, not crossing legs, avoiding phone conversations on the train —  relate to consideration and hospitality. Perhaps it has been taken so far that it seems strange, but isn’t it strange in a cute way? Perhaps strange is fine.

The “Club Activities” episode 

Videos of Japanese bukatsu, or club activities, are quite popular online. Searching for ‘bukatsu’ brings up a large number of hits showing videos from schools across Japan. This is because internationally popular manga and anime like Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk, The Prince of Tennis and K-On! include a lot of content about club activities.

Strict club activities

Japanese schools are not merely for studying. They place importance on building character, valuing friendship, operating as part of a group, manners and greetings, collaboration and discipline. They are a place to learn not just about horizontal relationships but hierarchical relationships as well. Teachers, who have to teach these things in addition to the curriculum, have a tough job!

Town revitalization club activities

This is pure love for one’s hometown, rather than something aimed at making profits. These activities are spurred on by a desire to do something for one’s local area. Students are also aware of the issues and crises faced by their local community, including depopulation and aging. By interacting with people in their local community through club activities, they deepen their affection for their local area. In some cases, this has given rise to hit products. How wonderful!

Sumo lifestyle

Schools promote themselves through sport, often leading to people trying to gain entry across school district boundaries. But only a select few can make a living in professional sport. Teachers ensure that students are able to support themselves even if they don’t make it as a professional by ensuring they study and build their character. What a solid system.

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Thinking about education in the age of AI

 ■ Thinking about education in the age of AI

There was a symposium called “Thinking about education in the age of AI.” So, what is education in the age of AI? Japan’s best researchers and members of the business community came together to exchange opinions on this question.

Three participants were luminary leaders in the field of AI research.

One was Dr Inui, Team Leader at RIKEN and Professor at Tohoku University.

Another was Dr Saeki, NICT Center Leader.

Another was Dr Takamura, Team Leader at AIST and Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Dr Inui commented that he would like to contribute to education by creating AI technology that can understand language. Fostering intellect, judgment and expressiveness requires revisions through feedback. AI technology that can automatically revise and grade will give students more opportunities to write. He says that a workable technology that could support lessons and homework may be available within several years.

Dr Saeki commented that it is possible to develop education-oriented AI that can, for example, assist listening skills to distinguish between the pronunciation of R and L, produce  automatic translations or conduct conversations on social media. However, this requires learning data, human resources and funding. He hopes his research output can be proactively harnessed.

Dr Takamura said that it should be possible to apply AI to detect mistakes and provide corrections, create problems and educational materials as well as create automatic explanations. Technology to automatically correct grammar in English essays has been achieved and it is possible that this could be expanded to other subjects. This requires a massive amount of data and verification is important. For this reason, he has asked for the cooperation of educators and learners alike. 

However, for AI researchers, research on education seems to have been a lower priority than applied research into automobiles, manufacturing and finance. Reasons for this include a separation between researchers and educators as well as a lack of data. However, we are beginning to see the usage of AI falling behind in the same way that the education sector fell behind when it came to usage of IT and digital technologies. This is something the education system must be aware of.

Conservative educators are likely to say that AI and big-data are unnecessary for education (in fact some do actually say this). This is the same argument that was made in the recent past that IT and digital textbooks are not required.

This has led to Japan’s usage of information in the education sector being at the level of a developing country and the educational environment for children falling behind. I do not want to see this situation repeat itself.

With this in mind, there has been an active exchange of opinions regarding issues and possibilities for using AI in the education sector. Problems that remain with collecting data on educational activities include the disclosure and distribution of research data conducted nationally, standards and skills of educators and the protection of private information.

Others voiced the opinion that we must come to a common and clear understanding of the definition of the term ‘AI’ as well as a clarification of what it can and cannot achieve. Furthermore, others have pointed out that we must develop technologies in consideration of how they will be introduced to areas other than adaptive learning and based upon how we want to teach children in our ideal education system. 

Many have expressed their hopes for the promotion of open innovation such that schools are not merely conceived of as limited communities, but rather as an attractive field of research in which industry, governments and academia can collaborate and push forward technological innovation.

Japan, which has come late to the party in terms of use of IT in the education sector, is running a serious risk of being left behind in terms of AI as well. We would not be able to recover should this happen. The time for action is now.

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Open data - third in the world

 ■ Open data - third in the world

I am a group leader for one of VLED’s committees.

The Cabinet Secretariat IT Strategy Office, MIC, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Keidanren, NTT, KDDI, Fujitsu, NEC, Hitachi, IBM, Microsoft, Dentsu, etc.

At the Council for Investments in the Future, Prime Minister Abe announced that he would “forcefully pursue” open data and nominated the time until 2020 as a period for intensive implementation. He went so far as to say in a policy speech to the Diet that “the default is that government data should be disclosed and open to the private sector.”

The Government’s IT Strategy Office reviewed what data it held, discovering 955 statistical data sets. Of these, it released 46% as open data, and a further 40% as partially open data.

On the other hand, the goal of reaching 100% implementation for local governments within two years was set. However, as of the end of last year, only 17% had been achieved. According to MIC, when it asked local governments why they have problems with working on open data, 62% replied that the benefits and outcomes are unclear, and 48% replied that they lacked human resources. I understand that they are conducting training for local government officials as well as serving as an intermediary and source of consultation between local governments and businesses.

I heard about a smartphone app that shares school lunch menus. Mothers can check the app at the supermarket to ensure they don’t make the same menu for dinner. What an eye opener - this is data that mothers can check on their smartphones every day. Creating an open data policy that has users in mind is important.

Some have complained that this app does not take into account what the father had for lunch; other female participants said that their children should eat what they are given even if it is the same as they had for school lunch. The difficulties are obvious. Open data is not simple to achieve.

In international data openness rankings, Japan scored 14th in the OECD in 2014, but had risen to third place in 2016. South Korea is 1st and France 2nd.

In 2012 when I began working on these matters, I threw down the gauntlet to reach top spot. We are now in sight of that goal.

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Telecommunications and broadcasting convergence 2.0: Issues and future trajectory

 ■ Telecommunications and broadcasting convergence 2.0: Issues and future trajectory

Issues can be divided into 1) business issues, 2) technical issues and 3) systemic issues.

1) Business issues

Issues include: how businesses approach the internet; they are not yet conducting live streaming and cannot see a path away from being a business that relies on advertising income; viewing histories are not being used; the issue of copyright processing has been neglected; the business is not keeping up with the fact that the internet is evolving into the realm of big-data and AI.  

2) Technical issues

The limits of terrestrial broadcasting are there for all to see. There have been innovations, such as the division of one digital channel into multiple slots for use as 1seg, but this has lost steam. We have not seen it being used effectively for multiple devices. There is no role for terrestrial broadcasting in the up-and-coming trend of 4K8K.  

3) Systemic issues

A legal framework that allows for combined services and the division of tangible and intangible aspects has been put in place, but examples of this framework being put to use are few and far between. Telecommunications services for the provision of newspapers, etc., via broadcasting bandwidth and new businesses in IoT broadcasting are envisaged. However, a detailed system has not been constructed as such visions have not yet become reality.

I will now introduce three examples to illustrate the trajectory of the field. These are 1) a version of radiko for TV, 2) Osaka Channel and 3) FLATCAST.

1) A version of radiko for TV

Editing and transmission costs can be significantly reduced by developing an IP-based radio-wave and cable-mediated multi-network. A joint-platform for TV networks has been formed. Big data on viewing histories can be fed into AI to direct viewer behavior.

2) Osaka Channel

Yoshimoto Kogyo and NTT Plala launched this smartphone streaming service, which mainly provides Yoshimoto-related programs that were broadcast on terrestrial commercial networks in the Osaka region. It also provides some original content. The monthly fee is set at ¥400. This is a model whereby a production company and a telecommunications business have made a TV platform.

3) FLATCAST

This is a demonstration project in which high-quality video is broadcast using the optic-fiber network. Broadcast video is streamed to multiple devices via IpV6 multicast from Tokyo and Osaka, etc. This uses secure technology such as blockchain, etc.  The Keio Research Institute at SFC took the lead, with cooperation from broadcasting and telecommunications operators, advertising agencies and IT operators, etc.

While not limited just to these, this requires an expansive business design that would be difficult for an individual broadcast network. I would like to see technical demonstration by telecommunications companies and international businesses, as well as requisite deregulation. However, before moving on to technical and systemic issues, I would like to see broadcast networks that are pursuing this route display a mindset of entrepreneurship. This, however, is not simple.

I believe it would be best to sketch out a new vision for media that can deal with ‘convergence 2.0’ in which the media structure and the sector as a whole is changing significantly. I look forward to seeing the design of bold deregulation measures based upon that vision.

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