iU vs. Minerva Schools

 ■iU vs. Minerva Schools Hideki Yamamoto is the author of “Minerva Schools at KGI: The Most Desired Destination for the Global Elite.”This is the oft-discussed punk university that students enroll in instead of universities like Harvard and Stanford.I am observing it as a benchmark for iU, which aims to open in 2020.Although it shares a lot of similarities with iU, there are also points where the two differ.Let’s look at the similarities first1. All classes are conducted online at Minerva. Lectures are prohibited, as the model involves flipped...

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“The Internet and Freedom for Us” Revisited

 ■“The Internet and Freedom for Us” Revisited I wrote a book called “The Internet and Freedom for Us” around 1996.At the time, the old order was firmly in place. A triangular hierarchy existed in each of the fields of government, major corporations, mass media, and universities.Japan still had the strength to be considered one of the 3 powers, along with the United States and Europe. National borders were also unyielding.I tried to capture the internet, which appeared as something that could upend this situation, in its proper scale.It appeared...

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“The Internet and Freedom” Q&A

 ■“The Internet and Freedom” Q&A I did an interview about “The Internet and Freedom for Us,” the book that I wrote 24 years ago. I would like to list my responses.○During the dawn of the internet, what kind of issues occurred and what kind of regulations were in place?Around the time that I wrote this book, which was the mid ’90s when the internet was starting to become popularized, I became the first person in charge of the internet in the Japanese government and made it clear that my role was to promote the internet, while focusing on...

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What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 2

 ■What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 2 The first point was1. The significance of consumer surplus and total surplusNow I would like to touch on2. Capitalism will be modified to become a data-driven, knowledge-producing society2. The Modification of CapitalismThis book explains that the sharing economy can advance the conversion of goods into services, reduce producer surplus, and shrink the economy and that it tends to inhibit employment and investment.I agree with this sentiment. It would be dangerous to capture the sharing economy within...

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What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 1

 ■What Is “Digital Capitalism?” - Part 1 I read a book called “Digital Capitalism” put forth by Nomura Research Institute (NRI).The directionality is off for policies because conventional economic indices have become outdated due to changes in long-term structures caused by digitalization.This book takes what has been in my mind without being able to be expressed successfully for over 10 years and profoundly describes it in a straightforward manner based on theories and data.The book explains the following 2 points.1. The significance of consumer...

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15 Years for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters

 ■15 Years for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters I would like to share notes from the talk I gave as part of a project by “Jurist” magazine.○Recent Developments for the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters・The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the Agency for Cultural Affairs; and the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications had been central for the content and Cool Japan policies, and there had been a rather passive stance being shown, but nearly 10 ministries and agencies, including...

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Will Esports Become Serious?

 ■Will Esports Become Serious? Esports were a demonstration sport at the Asian Games in Jakarta.Because Japan won the Gold Medal for “Pro Evolution Soccer,” the Japanese flag was raised at the center while the Japanese national anthem was played.It will become an official sport at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.I took the podium at the “Gekito Esports!” symposium.First, I would like to share some notes on what I spoke about.Previously, I had stated that Japan is a developing country in terms of esports and that it faces 2 major issues.1....

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Launch of the World Otaku Institute!

 ■Launch of the World Otaku Institute! “The Current State of Research on Otaku Culture and the Necessity for an International Research Institute” was the kickoff event for the World Otaku Institute.The idea is to create a headquarters for otaku researchers around the world.It will be established as a hub in the Pop & Tech Special Zone CiP.It aims to be a city that can only exist in Japan by combining Silicon Valley and Hollywood while being a poppy, fun place where creators, users, gamers, otaku, YouTubers, and cosplayers all gather.It...

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I hope to trace out a national strategy for AI in education

 ■ I hope to trace out a national strategy for AI in education The Learning for Tomorrow association held an open working group on AI in Education. The meeting began with general agreement that the world does not yet have anyone who has a birds-eye grasp of AI in education. There was discussion of examples, such as the development of a joint curriculum by Recruit Holdings, Tokyo University, and Tokyo Gakugei University as well as the use of IBM’s Watson Chatbot in classes.One thing that surprised me was discussion of the fact that China’s...

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Blockchain and Education should start cross-pollinating

■ Blockchain and Education should start cross-pollinating The Learning of Tomorrow association held a talk event entitled “Blockchain and Education.” This association, which promotes the use of technology in education, has established working groups in AI, programming and blockchain.At the opening of this talk event, the Learning of Tomorrow association announced that it is working on:1. Research into blockchain technology applications in education2. Fostering human resources in blockchain technology3. Increasing the technical functionality of...

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