The Consumer Affairs Agency's digital debate begins

 ■ The Consumer Affairs Agency's digital debate begins

A study group on how consumers respond to digitalization. 

We've been in contact with the Consumer Affairs Agency in terms of measures for youth to use the internet, games with gacha mechanics, and e-sports regulations, but this was my first time participating in the conference. I acted as vice chairperson. 

It is meaningful to think about the relationship between digital and consumers at this time. After 20 years of digitalization and 10 years of smart tech, the next big wave is coming to Society 5.0. There will be challenges for consumers in the digital and smart age, and challenges for consumers in the AI / IoT / data era. Since they have different characters, we will discuss them separately. 

I would like to introduce my comment. First, there's the the problem of using platformers' services. This is based on literacy education and user learning issues. Everyone will become digital users. Everything in life depends on something digital. The technology and system for that are important, but in the end, the knowledge and wisdom for consumers to protect themselves matters the most.

Digital textbooks will be institutionalized so that all children will learn using digital means. The government is also taking measures for youth safety nets. However, the younger the generation, the more digital knowledge they have to start with. The problem is on the adult side. The measures on that side are weak. 

NHK repeatedly broadcasts programs trying to prevent wire fraud, but it is necessary to provide more easy-to-understand information like this. At the same time, it is necessary not to uselessly emphasize disadvantages and fears. 

In Japan, IT implementation in schools is the lowest in the OECD, and while directions are to finally install PCs for each person with the supplementary budget for economic measures, the biggest reason why it has not progressed for 20 years is a feeling of anxiety about digitalization. 

The reason why the spread of the sharing economy is delayed is that "anxiety" still outweighs it. No country is as safe as Japan, but no country is as uneasy about this as Japan. This environment is largely blocking the course for the country. "Digital" and "Smart" are profitable even if there are evils in them. First of all, it is important to avoid harm while enlightening consumers so that they can fully enjoy its benefits. 

Regarding AI, IoT and data, rule-making is an important stage before education. Until now, digital has been involved in communication between people. From now on, machines will communicate with each other and will analyze and process automatically. This means that a world that humankind has never faced will arrive, and there is still no correct answer anywhere in the world for it. 

The problem is that AI is invisible. Behind the scenes, AI evaluates people and is used for corporate recruitment, financial credit, and crime prediction, and is excluded and discriminated against. User data is also used for elections. Constitutional scholars have also begun to question the situation, which is expected to be related to democracy and popular sovereignty. 

However, as a technical necessity, it is still entering our society. It is important to have the determination, knowledge and wisdom to master AI. It was discussed yesterday at the Intellectual Property Headquarters of the Cabinet Office, that both users and businesses feel "anxiety" about the use of data and AI. It is necessary to create rules and implement them socially so that they can be used with peace of mind. 

First, clarify the rule that personal data belongs to the user, and legitimate services that implements this will appear. These are also being discussed by the IT Strategy Office of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Intellectual Property Headquarters, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. I would like consumer administration to get involved and work on it. 

The government has prepared AI utilization guidelines for businesses, but it is necessary to create guidelines for consumers as well. Moreover, as unexpected AI and services will appear, it will be necessary to be prepared to revise and develop on them. 

Read More

Smart City CiP, a whole picture

 ■ Smart City CiP, a whole picture

At KYOTO SMART CITY EXPO, we made a presentation about the smart city of Pop Tech CiP Smart City. It's a content innovation program concept that creates a base for digital and content integration in Tokyo, Minato-ku, Takeshiba, and the Bay Area. 

CiP is a cool Japan bridgehead opening in the city just before the 2020 Olympics. It gathers cutting edge content, IT, IoT and AI to create a digital test-bed. The area is accredited as a National Strategic Special Zone and will introduce deregulation like never before. They want to create Dejima in the 21st Century. 

Before the city opened, many projects were already in operation. 

We are creating a special archive zone. As a foundation for this, we are promoting "Artist Commons" activities that assign IDs to artists and link content and live performances. The music industry plays a central role, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The other day, it was rolled out as an incorporated association. 

We have created the "World Otaku Research Institute", at the top of otaku research. 20 million otaku from around the world participate in Japanese pop events such as Japan Expo in France and Anime Expo in the United States. The organizers are from leading universities in various countries such as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Beijing University. We decided to create headquarters for this activity. 

Softbank HQ will also move into the building where CiP will move, making it a technology experiment site. Cleaning, security, convenience stores and restaurants will be unmanned, robotic, and smart. At the festival held at Takeshiba the other day, there were many robots serving beer and takoyaki, salesperson robots, security robots, and others. 

There will be electronic and digital signage. Relaxing the outdoor display regulations, large screen displays around the city will be shown around the city. A huge 4K and 8K public viewing will also be prepared. We will be representatives of both the Digital Signage Consortium and the 4K/8K Video Distribution Advancement Mechanism, so we will be concentrating their power. 

There is also a special radio wave concept that enables communication and broadcasting fusion to provide communication services using broadcast radio waves. We wondered if the world's first IoT broadcasting station that emits radio waves for robots could be created. We are in consultation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications about this.

We also want to implement a mechanism that utilizes data coming from those areas, so-called information banks. We are consulting this with Softbank, Tokyo University, RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, etc. Experiments are being conducted on both technologies in various places, but there is no city that has completely integrated them. We're thinking of doing the whole thing together. 

We will also create a base for education and human resource development. KMD moves in and cooperates with Singapore NUS, London RCA, NY Pratt, etc. I will also invite my alma mater, Stanford University. iU will utilize this as a satellite. 

We will also be promoting children's education. We will hold programming WS, animation, game, robot creation WS, etc. with CANVAS, pioneers in digital creation and expression activities. We design learning that breaks down the school barrier for anyone from children in college, high school and junior high, to adults. 

Tokyo is a capital looking out to the sea. The United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy, and other G7s countries don’t have capitals with a sea exit. Not even China or Russia. Japan, a maritime nation, once moved its capital from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo) in order to take advantage of its sea routes. Water was the center of its industry and culture. Now, Tokyo is not making good use of its sea. Let's redevelop that. 

There are several seaside cities that serve as models for smart cities. In the East Coast, there's Boston with MIT and Harvard, and in the West Coast there's San Francisco with Stanford. Singapore. Barcelona. 

We want to cooperate with these cities. We have signed an agreement with the Minister of Culture of Catalonia, where Barcelona is located. 

An area for events and R&D will be developed beside Haneda Airport and will open at the same time as Takeshiba. There are plans to hold joint events directly with Takeshiba, and to make it possible to come and go by drone. There are pop towns such as Akihabara and Ikebukuro. There are also large-scale redevelopments in Shibuya and Shinagawa. We want to connect with everything. 

We want to turn CiP into Hatsune Miku. She was created by combining the technology of Vocaloid with the expression of cute anime characters, and everyone participated in the social network called Nico Douga, raising it together with everyone's power. 

Hatsune Miku is the crystallization of three three powers of tech, pop, and the people. This would be such a city. 

Read More

Can Japan stand as a forerunner in educational informatization?

 ■ Can Japan stand as a forerunner in educational informatization?

This is the sequel to the symposium commemorating the establishment of the "Educational Information Promotion Law". 

The sponsored Higher Education Association has 31 organizations participating and 8000 companies under its umbrella. Mr. Ishido gave a report on the WG team for AI, cloud, copyright, blockchain, VR, and programming, and explained the WG that thinks about ideal schooling beyond the boundaries of high school and university. 

In the discussion, in addition to the representatives of the bipartisan parliamentary members, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Mr. Yoko, major of Taku City in Saga Prefecture, Mr. Morishita of Mitsumura Publishing, Mr. Jinno of COMPASS, Mr. Koide of Google, and Mr. Otomi of Amazon also participated. 

Textbook companies that have been involved in this field for many years, representatives of a technology promotion company, and GA of GAFA gathered together to exchange opinions between government, industry, and academia. 

Mayor Yoko is also the chairman of the National Council of ICT Education Chiefs and says, "We have presented solutions to the shortage of local governments' financial resources and human resources". "Future issues are support measures for promoting the spread of low-priced devices all over the country, and reforms for procurement, regulation, and cloud utilization are necessary."

Mr. Morishita of Mitsumura Publishing introduced the actual usage situation in the group, saying that "the integrated use of digital textbooks and digital teaching materials (videos, readings, works, QR, etc.) is effective". Diet members also pointed out that things such as videos that are currently being treated as teaching materials should be made into regular textbooks. 

Mr. Kamino of COMPASS talked about the "Future Classroom" project the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is carrying out at Kojimachi Junior High School, using AI-type tablet teaching material 'Qubena'. "The 62 hours of the 1st grade unit in junior high school can be shortened to 38 hours, and the remaining 28 hours can be used for STEM learning and 2nd grade units." This shows remarkable results. It is an era of technology for education. 

Last summer, Google formed an organization in Japan to invest in ICT for education and is working on inexpensive terminals. They showed their enthusiasm by remarking that "Chromebook is adopted by 70% of US education sites and 50% of the world's education sites, and we would like to provide a platform that guarantees security at a low price."

　

Cloud description from AWS:

"In addition to being used by educational institutions around the world, 19 of the top 20 educational startups in the United States use AWS." Cloud virtualization technology is used to separate internet connections, increase security and provide programs for acquiring cloud skills was also introduced. 

The speakers agreed that Japan's educational informatization has been delayed, but there is room for growth. Mr. Morishita of Mitsumura Publishing reported that "the penetration rate of digital textbooks has exceeded 50%, while the number of PCs is 2.17 million for 838.7 million students."Discussions were held on the necessity of introducing BYOD and the use of the Cloud as a prerequisite. 

Mr. Kamino of COMPASS said, "Edtech companies are rapidly emerging in China and India due to population growth and low quality of education, while Japan and the United States have high quality of education, and the type of things required from it are different, making it difficult to compare to China and India."As an industry, it is important to look at the global market. Until now, such discussions have been insufficient. 

Will Japan stand as a front runner under this law? 

Mr. Kamino: "If it starts now, yes, but if it waits 5 years it'll be too late". 

Mr. Otomibe: "It is important to create an environment where students can use what they want to use when they want to use it and private citizens can participate."

Mr. Koide: "The following three years will be win or lose. If you invest 1.3 trillion yen, 13 million students will have acess to PCs."

Mr. Asano, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: "It is important to raise children who understand both the why and the how of using technology."

Mr. Morishita: "Schools, homes, cram schools, etc. will cooperate with services that share learning history data of textbooks, teaching materials and educational services." We look forward to new technologies for AI and big data. 

Representative Moriyama: "It is important to balance the importance of real experiences such as temperature and pain, with education using ICT."

Representative Nakagawa: "It is important for us to move forward while developing human resources in the field and creating an environment where ICT equipment can be used."

　The private sector will do its best. The support of government officials can also be looked forward to. Let's hope for the best. 

Read More

Significance and issues of the Educational Information Technology Promotion Act

■Significance and issues of the Educational Information Technology Promotion Act

A symposium commemorating the enactment of the Educational Information Promotion Act was held in Akasaka, Tokyo. The significance and issues of the law passed in the Diet will be discussed at the round-table of government, industry, and academia. 

In 2018, "digital textbooks" were institutionalized due to revisions such as the School Education Act submitted by the government. This law is another engine in which the computerization of school education has greatly progressed through comprehensive measures such as the formulation and implementation of promotion plans by local governments. 

It was formulated by the bipartisan Parliamentarians' League of Parliamentarians Aiming to Promote ICT Utilization in Education, in which 83 people, which included experienced ministers from the ruling and opposition parties. We also participated as private advisers in this work, drafted a bill, submitted it to the Diet, and passed it. 

It was originally a proposal by the Digital Textbook Teaching Materials Council DiTT (now the Higher Education Association) to enact the Act on Promotion of Educational Information Technology in June 2015. There were many twists and turns in the drafting of the bill and the adjustment of the ruling and opposition parties, but in the end it was passed unanimously in the Diet. 

The table participants included Diet members Endo, Nakagawa, Moriyama, Ishibashi, Takatani of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Asano of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Yoshida of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. 

The bill was introduced by Mr. Moriyama, a member of the Diet. As a former legal expert bureaucrat, I coordinated with ministries, legislative bureaus, and ruling and opposition parties. I explained the purpose, definition, basic philosophy, national responsibilities, promotion plan, basic measures, etc., and pointed out that "the issue is how to make good use of this". 

What is the significance of this law? "It is important not only to instruct but also to improve the abilities of each child. I want to position ICT education as one of the three pillars of English education and science education," said Mr. Endo, chairman of the Parliamentary League (former Minister of the Olympic and Paralympic Games). 

What are its issues? Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr. Nakagawa, says there may be two of them. "Paper textbooks are free, but how to consider the cost of digital textbooks? There is also a hard difference between cities, towns and villages. Costs are covered by local allocation tax, so it all depends on the judgment of the local government. How to work around this?"

Then, the issue is the cost of "textbook software" and hardware such as PCs and networks. What kind of budget expenses and what kind of burden will the national government, local governments, and households share in preparation for digital textbooks and ICT environments? 

Certain economic measures are the answer to this. With the supplementary budget, 231.8 billion yen was put aside for each person. The results of the Advancement Measures Act seem to be already showing up.

Representative Ishibashi brought up the effects of legislation. "1. The elimination of disparities between local governments and schools, 2. The promotion of financial measures and budget execution, 3. The reduction of introduction costs." It is expected that counting with the support of the law will make it easier to take financial measures, promote spread and reduce costs.

He further emphasizes that "the normalization of true digital textbooks" is important. "For now, we have turned paper textbooks into digital textbooks, but in the future we will aim to use the digital textbooks themselves as certified textbooks. This is the starting point."

This is also important. Digital textbooks were institutionalized by compromising on using paper textbooks in PDF format. It shows that there is a great deal of meaningless anxiety about digital. The advantages of digital such as videos and links cannot be fully utilized yet. I hope children get to reap the benefits of them as soon as possible. 

I also inquired with people in charge of three related ministries. Mr. Takatani, chief of the Ministry of Education, reiterated the fact that schools are lagging behind in ICT internationally and that regional disparities are large. He expressed his intention to improve the ICT environment by utilizing the cloud and using inexpensive terminals. Furthermore, he announced that he would work on the utilization of advanced technology and educational big data. 

We have had fierce exchanges with the Ministry of Education, but due to changes in the department in charge, there have been significant policy changes corresponding with the timing of this institutionalization, cooperation with the enactment of this law, and also positivism towards cloud and AI usage. Really reliable. 

Mr. Yoshida, Chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, explained the budget measures for demonstration projects such as regional ICT clubs. However, it seems that our presence has diminished comparatively due to the fact that the Ministry of Education is driving this policy. It is necessary to have a prospect of how to get out of the demonstration stage and make it a national infrastructure. 

From an industrial perspective, I think that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's entry into EdTech as a growth strategy is stimulating both ministries. As civilians, this is welcome. While explaining the initiatives of the Future Classroom, Mr. Asano displayed the prospects of expanding the movements of school education, private education, industry and university through innovation. 

I was surprised that Mr. Asano emphasized that ICT should be used as "stationery". Let's make it a natural thing for everyone. Even if the government does not distribute it, it is already possible for households to bear the burden of BYOD, such as vertical flutes and abacus. Isn't a PC better than buying a school bag that costs 60,000 yen, isn't it? 

Mr. Ishido reminisced that "the predecessor of the movement to promote digital textbooks was the 'digital school bag'". Digital textbooks were created matching Masayoshi Son's "electronic textbook" concept, which remarked "wanting the impact of a textbook." That was 10 years ago. At that time, it was already calculated that the distribution of all PCs would cost 855.9 billion yen, 2% of the fiscal expenditure. If this is achieved with this budget measure, both the system and the budget will be aligned, and I think that our work will be pretty much done. 

With this legislation, it was pointed out that "it is important to have an awareness of investing into this as a consensus of the people". I agree with this. The government official also showed enthusiasm to "make the world's most advanced education in the age of AI a reality". Mr. Ishido concluded that this would be "preparation and determination". 

Read More

5G X content. Is Korea the future?

 ■ 5G X content. Is Korea the future?

The day before Verizon America's service launched, three Korean telecommunications carriers (SK Telecom, KT and lg U+) launched 5G services. These companies have the tenacity to go for World Firsts. Japan started a year later, so for Japan, Korea is the future. What kind of content does 5G produce? Is there anything Japan and Korea can do together? We held a symposium to discuss this. 

It was called the "Korea-Japan Content Business Forum" @ Yotsuya. 

The organizers were the KOCCA Institute of Content Promotion and the Korean Government.  Since Korea is the host, it was a Korean-Japanese event. Precisely now, when the politics of both countries are unstable, is the time to talk about technology, culture, and business. 

Mr. Hwang, representative of Japan for KOCCA, received his PhD in my seminar. Also present were Yang Jong-Un, general director of the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Lim Jin-Soo of Samsung Electronics Co., and Im U-Yol of e-sport PUBG. 

As the moderator, I held a panel discussion. 

According to Mr. Lim, 5G users reached 2 million in August. South Korea is moving ahead. However, Mr. Yang said "the reality of 5G is yet to come". In Korean media,  there is no content or user experience that can only be acquired through 5G, and it will be many years before this affects users. 

If so, the name of the game is the contents that will make their appearance from now on. "Three characteristics of 5G are its ultra-high speed (20 times faster), ultra-low latency (10 times less latency), and ultra-connectivity (simultaneous connecting 10 times as much equipment per area). Things such as ultra-high speed 360 degree VR holograms, ultra-low latency cloud gaming, and ultra-connected smart cities + IoT (Internet of Things)."

What we'll be focusing on first is:

- Games: Cloud gaming

- Media: 4K live streaming

- AR: Education using AI

 

Game structure modifications, 4K personalization, and education markets. It all looks very strategic. 

From "PUBG"'s Mr. Im: "With 5G and cloud-based with ultra-low latency, e-sports will change from being PC-based to being mobile-based. Taking advantage of the super-concatenation, groups of 100 players will be able to play at the same time, and enjoy 4K multi-screen multi-view on their smartphone."

Does Japan, which is chasing South Korea in terms of e-sports, aim to be capable of this from the beginning? By the way, as an e-sport, PUBG exists in a genre called Battle Royale, for  which Mr. Im says "we must give thanks because it is based on a Japanese movie".  

Oh, is that right? He must mean Kinji Fukasaku's "Battle Royale". 

Mr. Yang Jong-Un directed the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. I personally was amazed at the many drone dances showed at the opening ceremony. "We used 5G super-consolidation. It seems likely we'll be able to play augmented reality online games face-to-face with real-time holograms in 5G."

By the way, all three of them have mentioned "super-consolidation".  In Japan, ultra-high speed and large capacity, followed by ultra-low latency, are talked about as a characteristic of 5G, but the function of ultra-connectivity, which increases the number of simultaneous connected devices per area by 10 times, has not yet attracted as much attention. If the strength of 5G lies in M2M (machine-to-machine) IoT rather than P2P (peer-to-peer) communication, it is worth making a note of this. 

Is there anything that the two countries can do together? 

Mr. Yang: "Linking K-Pop and J-Pop."

Mr. Lim: "Producing game contents."

Mr. Im: "Cooperation in technology, such as the development of 5G networks."

Pop music, games and technology. These are strengths for both countries. It is important to compete, but it also is important to have a plan to face the world together. 

Regarding the first 5G experience in Korea, there are also those who regard or mock the most particular things, such as floods of complaints from users due to communication quality and coverage issues immediately after the start of the service. However, I admire resilient spirits. I also think Japan has lost its will to make solid commitments. 

The country still fussed over details about 20 years ago, when it was pushing to become the e-Japan of the IT Revolution, whereas now it is losing to South Korea, which is developing a broadband network as a part of national policy. It designed the world's best archipelago of optical fiber, achieved it, and then reeled in the relief of achieving that. Doesn't it need that kind of guts anymore? 

This time, South Korea will take the lead in introducing 5G from the public service field. Since 2020, public services utilizing 5G will be implemented in fields such as education, agriculture, and medical care. 

This makes me curious. It will not only be used in network development but also in the public field. It will aim to create core users, policy-by-policy. 

It's a strategic development. 

I think Japan should create "usage policies" that allow the public sector to make use of advanced technologies ahead of time, and create and expand core users in a policy manner, whether it is 5G or AI; however, this does not fall in line with the government. Maintenance means that in terms of usage, so long as the sense of crisis does not rise too much even (even as we're falling behind neighboring countries)... 

The Symposium sought to think about such things. 

Read More

A New Stage of Intellectual Property Strategy Begins

 ■ A New Stage of Intellectual Property Strategy Begins

　A Concept Committee has been formed at the Government and Intellectual Property Headquarters, in which I will be participating as a committee member. In my 10 years as chairman of IP committee deliberations, I have refrained from expressing my own opinion whenever possible. The following are my notes on what has been said as the new stage has begun.   

On Public Deliberations 

　At the outset, the chairman announced that in principle the deliberations would be open to the public. He asked that the secretariat be cautious about applying the Chatham House Rule, which conceals the speaker’s name, which was already announced before the committee was established. This seemed appropriate to me.

　The importance of this policy was recognized due to discussions of anti-piracy measures last year being open to the public, with minutes including real names being historically significant. One of the aims of these deliberations is to raise IP strategy as a greater priority and so it is crucial to make information available rather than suppress it. 

Discussion Point 1. Promotion of Digital IP Strategy

・GAFA appears to dominate our data-driven society but the data has not yet been accumulated and distributed, and the amount of useful IoT data will increase explosively. Building infrastructure for data distribution (PDS, data transaction markets, information banks, etc.) is vital to IP strategy, the challenge being to integrate IT and IP policies. 

・Open data should be dealt with by the government rather than encouraging the private sector to shift to a data-driven society. We should advocate strongly for openness of national data so that it can be used by the private sector and so local governments across Japan are aware of it. This is often treated as an IT policy, but we should consider moving it to the top of our IP strategy as well. 

・In order to develop human resources in the field of data, it would be useful to prepare recurring education courses for working adults. However, designing such courses within the framework of each university sets some limits, so a better approach might be to push beyond the boundaries of universities and companies to design and provide educational courses that combine researchers and practitioners in flexible and more efficient ways. 

Discussion Point 2. IP Strategy and Making Use of Local Resources 

・I agree with the IP strategy’s problem establishment framework: “Post-Oripara to Osaka Expo 2025.” Especially as a strategy related to Cool Japan, I think a five-year action plan is better to strengthen overseas relations, inbound measures, regional revitalization through tourism, etc.

・Takeshiba CiP is promoting the accumulation of information and IT within special zones for Pop Tech. As well as Tokyo, similar base plans can be seen in cities such as Nagoya, Kyoto, and Fukuoka and collective events are also being held in cities such as Sapporo, Kobe, and Naha. I think it could be interesting to connect these cities through a conceptual draft for a Pop Tech archipelago. 

Discussion Point 3. Content Strategy/Cool Japan Strategy

・As for overseas expansion measures, policy tools such as the establishment of the Cool Japan Fund have been made available along with the effect of government announcements, with good results thus far. More evaluation is necessary. On the other hand, regarding the relationship between IT/hardware and content/software in terms of profit return measures, the nature of the conflict continues to evolve, as seen in debates over piracy, and reconciliation of this conflict is an important goal. 

・We have exhausted our collective wisdom regarding Cool Japan. It is now better to review, evaluate and confirm the policies that have been proposed in the past. For example, Takeshiba CiP, Haneda Airport, and Tokorozawa were discussed as models of integrated bases, but all are due to open next summer through development promoted by the private sector and municipalities, which has no relation to the national strategy.

　Additionally, while it was proposed that the music industry undertake initiatives such as an agent association and archive maintenance, these are being promoted by the voluntary efforts of that industry, which is also outside the national strategy. As a result, in order for the private sector to continue to believe in the Cool Japan strategy, I think it is necessary for the recently launched “core organization” to prove fruitful. 

・The copyright system is currently undergoing major revisions involving flexible rights restrictions, with measures against pirated editions about to be put into place. The most important issue still remaining is how to handle the integration of communication and broadcasting, particularly the problem of online distribution of TV programs, which needs to be dealt with immediately. This is difficult to coordinate with the Agency for Cultural Affairs on its own, so stronger cooperation between IP Headquarters and other relevant ministries is required.

Discussion Point 4. Societal Implementation of the IP Strategy

・In emerging industrial fields such as the sharing economy, soft law and joint regulation approaches have been adopted, with the government also creating restraints and favoring the traditional vertical division of business laws and regulations. 

　Last year’s debate over piracy was a conflict between the constitutional demands of IT (secrecy of communications) and intellectual property (property rights), making coordination across many ministries a necessity. Especially within this field, the number of issues that cannot be solved by vertically aligned and horizontally divided government offices will continue to increase. 

　For this reason, I believe it is time to envision a ministry that focuses on IT and intellectual property. (Keidanren) has also proposed a Ministry of Digital Affairs. The biggest change in 20 years since the restructuring of the ministries and agencies is probably the increased importance of IT/intellectual property and AI/data and the horizontal divisions between them. 

・In the past 10 years, I have become concerned that while private committee members have led discussions at government meetings, the number of statements coming out of government offices has decreased. Obviously it is important for private experts to share their opinions freely, but is it really acceptable that policy is made solely based on this after being tuned up within the government. 

　Depending on the issue, there could perhaps be a way for government, which has the highest degree of expertise and information, to hold discussions and then based on that for the private sector to express their opinions. Why not set up a committee for open meetings where the managers of relevant ministries and agencies can debate one another over policy? (The key principle here is that Kasumigaseki should open up the policy talks that are currently being held behind closed doors). 

Read More

10 Years Since I Began Wearing Kimono

 ■10 Years Since I Began Wearing Kimono

It has been 10 years since I became a man who wears a kimono. At the government’s Cool Japan conference, when the discussions turned to fashion, it was mentioned to me, “Everyone just wears suits no matter what we say,” and it hit me, “Why not change this?” and it began my transformation away from the typical suit and bow tie. 

As a man who wears kimono, NHK asked me to appear in “Kimono Men.” I figured it would be full of Kabuki actors or masters of traditional Japanese arts like tea ceremonies and ikebana. “No,” they told me. “Those people tend to wear suits and such normally. When it comes to kimono, it’s always your name and Mayor Kadokawa of Kyoto that come up.”

My grandfather was Nishijin woodcarver, so I had long been familiar with kimono, but I only ever wore it on New Year’s Day. When I changed my mind, it became a daily occurrence. I only took kimono off to change into pajamas for bed. 

I bought lots of kimono, mostly used ones online. If you look around (older gentlemen selling off their things, etc.), you can find incredible items that you can’t believe you are really wearing for a fraction of the price. You could buy ten for the price of one suit. Actually I shouldn’t give you details. I don’t want the prices to go up!

One problem, though, is that because the threads are old, they sometimes tear here and there. Because I live in a modern way, I hang them up on doorknobs or coat hangers. Mending is required once a week, so at faculty meetings, I am always mending something. I was actually a top student in home economics way back in elementary school. At last it is useful! Many thanks to my teacher. 

On my feet, I wear boots. This elicits no reaction in Tokyo, but I heard some old guy in Kyoto grumble, “Doesn’t match.” Demanding, aren’t they, these sticklers for kimono rules? Until June, I wear an awase (lined kimono) and from June onward, a hitoe (unlined summer kimono), usually made of Oshima tsumugi weave, which is known as silk “omeshi,” though anyone calling it that isn’t wearing it anymore. Back in the old days, I think things were a lot more laidback. So why not just go for comfort?

Kimono is an unusual object in Japan these days, isn’t it? In Paris, London, or NY, wearing a kimono does not bring all that much attention, but instead blends into the traditional dress of other cultures from Africa, India, the Middle East and others. “Is there some event on today? Are you a tea master?” In Japan, such questions are always asked.

These days, if invited to Korea or China, however, it might be advised to avoid traditional Japanese clothing for the sake of one’s own safety. In that case, I won’t go. It’s a bit strange to say that it’s most acceptable in the West.

It can be a bother even in Japan. When walking around Kasumigaseki, a man wearing a kimono is prone to be stopped by the security and asked what he is doing there. A man in a haori and hakama provokes suspicion. When I go to the official residence for meetings and such, I always check the streets time and time again. Why shouldn’t our own traditional clothing be considered proper formal wear?

I am not doing anything remarkable here. I’m just wearing a kimono. I mostly eat Japanese food and drink Japanese food, but I’m not some aficionado of Japanese culture. No tea ceremony, no ikebana, no calligraphy, no poetry or dancing or shogi. 

Is there anything I can do? What about rakugo comedy? Do you want to become my disciple? For that, Tsukitei is the spot.  

Read More

Why is the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Charge of Broadcasting Administration?

■Why is the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Charge of Broadcasting Administration?

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is going through turbulent times. It was formed 20 years ago during a restructuring of ministries and agencies through a merger of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Management and Coordination Agency. It is evident that having communications and broadcasting together under one umbrella with the post office is a problem, which also begs the question how administration of these different areas should be organized.  

20 years ago, before I left Kasumigaseki, my job involved merging the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. While I was responsible for communication and broadcasting administration, not the post office, I have also kept tabs on the administration following the restructuring. 

Since the restructuring 20 years ago, I have been advocating for further restructuring. 10 years ago, I openly advocated for a Ministry of Culture when I became concerned about the Democratic Party’s vision for a Japanese version of the FCC. 

The set proposal for IT Headquarters + Intellectual Property Headquarters + Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Communications and Broadcasting) + Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry IT information + Agency for Cultural Affairs is similar to the “Ministry of Information, Economy and Social Affairs (Ministry of Digital Economy) proposed by the Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) in May 2018. I make no claims to any copyright because the proposed ministry name is different, but my proposed name is better. 

Prior to that discussion, why was the communication and broadcasting administration of the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications restructured into an internal subdivision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Telecommunications. There is virtually no one still active in the government who knows what happened 20 years ago. It’s like a statute of limitations. Even my own memories are starting to fade. Now that questions are being asked again in government offices, I think it is a good idea to share my thoughts and memories, to make them a matter of record.

Let’s travel back to 1997 during the Ryutaro Hashimoto cabinet. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, which resolved the partition of NTT, was adamantly declaring that the next step should be an overhaul of NHK. On the other hand, the Cabinet decided that its key focus should be the restructuring of ministries. As the principal assistant of the General Affairs Division of the Secretariat, I saw a big storm coming on the horizon, so I volunteered to take charge of the ministry restructuring project as general manager of the whole ministry’s operations. 

The Administrative Reform Council discussed the restructuring of ministries and issued an interim report in August. 22 government ministries would be reduced to 12. At that time, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications turned communication and broadcasting administration into an independent committee and relegated postal business to a service agency and privatized it. Both administration and business were therefore cut out of the government and so the restructuring of the ministries and agencies led to the effective demolition of Japan Post. 

Concerned while writing the interim report, I though “That’s how it is” and resigned myself to the fact that we would be turning NTT into an enemy and preparing for NHK. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry would continue its 15 year war with IT and the Ministry of Finance its 100 year war with Postal Savings. I felt crushed. The mirror reflecting us is blurry. It’s been a losing battle. Confirmed. The position was just how to keep fighting the good fight.

On the day of the interim report, two executives from the communications administration gave me a call. “It’s your responsibility (secretariat). You need to resign immediately.” That’s the way it is. Another top official said, “Heaven helps those who help themselves.” Hmm. Noted. Do not let yourself panic or sink, do the things that help you, and then decide to move forward or backward. 

Opinions within the ministry were neatly divided in three. The director level was with the Ministry of Industry and Communications merger with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, trying to position communication as industrial policy. The section manager level was for the Ministry of Transport as the “Ministry of Transport and Communications,” trying to position communication as infrastructure, a resurrection plan for the Ministry of Communications. Younger members under the assistant section chief went for the newly established “Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications” based around the view that communication is a horizontally divided original policy genre. 

However, the two previously mentioned communications administrations (which later rose to top government offices) shared the opinion that the only way to succeed would be to surreptitiously slip into the internal bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. I agreed with this. “We’ll take the initiative ourselves to slip this into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. You from the secretariat should wave the flag of transportation,” was what they said at the time. 

In any event, it was necessary for the secretariat to assert its position within the government and work together as an organization. First, at the director’s orders, we consulted with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. However, it proved problematic for the other party to go straight to the secretariat of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and so I asked the late Akihiro Sawa, the general manager of the general affairs department of the Institute of Technology (currently AIST) to contact them via a covert messenger.

Mr. Sawa’s answer was clear. “The communication and broadcasting administration are fine, but if the postal service is involved, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry will refuse. It’s like dealing with some huge religious organization.” I brought this back to the ministry and the merger plan with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry fell apart. The words “religious organization” proved persuasive to the executives at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. 

The next move was to seek a merger with the Ministry of Transport, which led to many discussions. The Ministry of Transport, which had already been instructed by the administrative reform council to merge with the Ministry of Construction, was seriously considering the merger. As it seemed sound politically, the top brass at the LDP launched a signing campaign and so I followed their instructions to collect signatures of lawmakers, gathering approximately 300. 

If such an initiative were to come to life, the heart of the Hashimoto administration would not have been happy. It was a rebellion but among “guerrillas” in the postal service there was a faint expectation that even if we incurred their wrath, their solution would not be to crush the service again. I didn’t really have a view, but I tried. 

The political settlement came in December. As a result of discussions between Prime Minister Hashimoto and Hiromu Nonaka, who was a big shot at the postal service, as well as telecommunications executives working behind the scenes, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications was separated into two internal subdivisions. 

We only had one room at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications but we thought it would be better to expect a large presence. Before I began at the ministry, there was only one communications administration room, neither a department nor a bureau, with just two departments. These became three departments that year: communications, broadcasting and policy. With just one room, building for the future was possible.   

However, the settlement could only be reached via reducing the previous 3 departments into 2, with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications being brought in from the fringes of Kasumigaseki to the center within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In comparison to the plan to remove it from the government, it turned out to be a tough battle to win. 

It was not just a tug of war; the points to be decided regarding policy theory were important. Giving independence to telecommunications broadcasting was really a plan that would involve the administration giving away their authority. This worried me greatly. Would it really be okay to eliminate political control in this area? Maybe Japan’s politics or administrative bodies had not matured sufficiently for this. Mr. Nonaka agreed with me. 

Independence from political and government authority, as with the American FCC or the FTC, gives bureaucrats freedom. There is no need for industry policy or government back-room negotiations. For these reasons, there were voices within the department advocating independence. I thought this was dangerous and persisted in opposing the short-cut proposal for independence. 

As a result, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications cut in and settled the merger between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Management and Coordination Agency. Because I was working against the administration, I ended up falling on my sword. Yes, that’s right. I submitted my resignation, but my bosses (maybe around 6 of them) did not quit, so the government office was in trouble.

At the time, I was left with no choice but to ask the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications for permission to resign as assistant section manager. Shozaburo Jimi, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, was amused and gave me some shochu, which I drank right away. 

After the restructuring, Yoshihide Suga, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, re-expanded the 2 communications broadcasting departments to 3, which has continued to this day.  

After the move into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, I have been satisfied with how the communications broadcasting administration has been doing. However, the importance of IT has outstripped the Ministry’s capacity, making it a top policy priority along with data strategy that spreads horizontally across all administration departments. This is seen in the fact that the Cabinet Secretariat and Cabinet Office have increased their numbers in response to IT policy. 

Based on all of this, what it is to be done in the next administrative restructuring? Shouldn’t we get working on setting the agenda sooner rather than later?

Read More

Government Bureaucrats—Speak Up!

 ■Government Bureaucrats—Speak Up!

Nowadays, within both the committees and study groups of the government, the bureau directors communicate with committee members at the government offices. When I was in the government, that was assistant section director’s job. Assistant, section director, deputy director, bureau director—it seems like positions within government offices have dropped in rank by three levels in comparison to the private sector or positions within the private sector have risen three levels. 

When political initiative and leadership was called for within the Democratic Party administration 10 years ago, the bureaucracy remained tight-lipped. Neither the Diet nor the committees had any answers, which caused considerable confusion. After the Liberal Democratic Party returned, the prime minister’s office took the lead with the number of bureaucrats increasing slightly, but higher lever bureaucrats are called and still not much was said. 

10 years before it became a political initiative, there was a concerning incident in 1998: the Ministry of Finance bribery case. Four government officials were arrested, suicides occurred, and the minister, vice minister and director resigned. Through the enactment of the Civil Service Ethics Law, Kasumigaseki’s hands were effectively tied with division established between the public and private sectors. Around this time, the bureaucrats began to fall silent. 

However, there are still problems. National power has declined while financial pressures have inescapably increased as AI and other technologies have entered a new dimension, with the world in conflict. The bureaucrats once derided as “too powerful” now remain meek and cowed. I believe they need to wake up and exercise the power they can.

When chairing a council meeting, private committee members are often asked for their opinions, but there are often situations where I would rather hear from the bureaucrats (i.e. the secretariat), as they are really the expert group in their particular field, having gathered the most information. We all know that your average academic can’t compete. 

Right now, though, bureaucrats are too busy preparing materials to be handed out at council meetings, spending all their time and effort producing fancy looking documents. At a council meeting I attended recently, an academic pointed out a minor typo in a document and the bureaucrat apologized. Isn’t this stupid? Pointing out typos should not be the job of bureaucrats or scholars. 

This kind of thing creates unnecessary “busy-work” that wastes time on both sides, raises compliance hurdles, and results in bureaucrats withdrawing and becoming even more reticent. This needs to stop. Government bureaucrats, I implore you to speak up and tell us what you really think. None of the recent policy issues can be solved vertically; they require discussions about horizontal divisions across ministries. 

I’m sure that bureaucrats have no problem making their voices heard inside Kasumigaseki. They put their heads together night after night, sharing ideas and information, and shaping policy. Results are then shown to the council and the committees, after which private committee members make a few quick comments and it becomes policy. These internal discussions inside Kasumigaseki should be out in the open. 

GAFA measures are provided by IT headquarters, Intellectual Property headquarters, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the FTC. Anti-piracy measures are provided by IT headquarters, Intellectual Property headquarters, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency. E-Sports promotions are handled by IT headquarters, Intellectual Property headquarters, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education, the Consumer Affairs Agency and the National Police Agency. I would like to see a forum created where bureaucrats can discuss and make policy.   

The current mechanism involves bureaucrats absorbing the results of open discussions of outside experts and then formulating policy internally within Kasumigaseki. Previously, outside experts would comment on the results of open discussions by bureaucrats and then formulate policy. Doesn’t this seem like a far more productive and efficient way of doing things than the current method, rather than searching for typos in PowerPoints? 

Why not have a few deputy managers discuss some relatively light issues on the Internet? For example, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education could discuss IT education policy (though this could slide into collective mockery of the Ministry of Finance…). 

Read More