Cool Japan: Nakano Koenji

■Cool Japan: Nakano Koenji 

NHK Cool Japan "Nakano Koenji" edition.

"Live House"

Young musicians and artists choose cities with low rent and low living costs.

At the same time, I don't want to move away from the city center, where information is sourced.

Nakano and Koenji are perfect places.

When people of these kinds of races come together, individuality and culture are born, and they begin to attract many different kinds of people.

This creates a virtuous cycle as it attracts foreigners and the number of accommodations catering to them increases.

Hostels are wall-less, sharing economy-like places, and they also serve as a receptacle for such new values.

"Secondhand clothing store"

There is probably no other town in the world with 150 stores gathered together.

I usually wear second-hand kimonos and I love second-hand clothing, so I thoroughly search for cheap, high-quality items.

The charm of second-hand clothing is the unique items you find there, making them a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Koenji is a town of individuality where mass production doesn't suit it.

You can search there and find a unique item that you like. It's fascinating.

"Restaurants"

I like the friendliness of the many shopping streets.

It's not a chain store, but rather a tightly packed collection of independent shops.

It's full of individuality. This is also the charm of being a one-of-a-kind item.

They offer a wide variety of cuisines from around the world, including Japanese, Western, Chinese and Asian cuisine, and the quality is very high.

We make it even more delicious than the original.

The great thing about Japan is that there are no bad stores, even if they are cheap.

"Broadway"

I'm interested in plastic models. I want to go.

The reason why Nakano and Koenji have such a strong affinity with subculture is because they are close to the city center and have low land prices.

This is largely due to the fact that there are many anime production companies and many young comedians, musicians and other people who are sensitive to subculture live there.

With this in mind, a secondhand bookstore specializing in manga opened in Nakano Broadway in 1980, and at the time it was just a six-story store.

It gradually expanded, and then specialty shops aimed at enthusiasts began to open one after another around the store, until it came to be known as a mecca for subculture.

Its geographical conditions and accumulated history have nurtured this miraculous city.

There are also plans to turn the former Nakano Sun Plaza site into an even larger Otaku City.

The number of inbound otaku will continue to increase.

Just right.

It's not too big a city, but it's not too rural either, and it's compact.

The food, music and art are all high quality,

The warmth of people still remains.

A lovely town with just the right amount of charm.

Read More

Intellectual Property Planning Content Strategy Working Group

■ Intellectual Property Planning Content Strategy Working Group

I served as chair of the Content Strategy Working Group for Intellectual Property Planning .

We introduced the discussions that were considered by the Keidanren Creative Economy Committee.

Keidanren commissioned Human Media, led by his ally Ono Uchie, to conduct a survey that has compiled an overview of the current state of the content industry.

the past 11 years, China has shown outstanding growth of over 20%, while the US, UK and South Korea have all grown by 6%, while Japan has grown by 2%.

Japan's growth forecast is also the lowest among 53 countries.

On the other hand, in terms of IP revenue, 12 out of the top 25 in the world, or half, are from Japanese content.

1st place is Pokemon, 2nd place is Hello Kitty. Anpanman, Mario, Gundam, Dragon Ball, One Piece, etc.

It is an IP powerhouse, but it is not making the most of it.

Keidanren is said to be placing emphasis on manga, anime, games, music, and movies, and is considering taking measures to promote 1. production capabilities, 2. overseas expansion, and 3. inbound tourism.

This should be in line with the intellectual property plan we put together.

it suggests establishing a comprehensive government organization similar to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

The Japan Business Federation once proposed a "Ministry of Information Economy and Society," and this is the same idea. I agree.

However, since the intellectual property plan is a government document, there will be no consensus. We will not make any proposals to the government.

During the discussion, Committee Member Fukui Kensaku made the fundamental point that in addition to the fragmentation of government ministries and agencies being a hindrance, the budget is small and fragmented, and tax measures are weak.

This is due to the weakness of the policy compared to South Korea, which has a government budget, and the United States, which has a private donation-based system.

, added that the government budget is 8 billion yen, which is on par with that of mid-sized European countries, while South Korea and Germany have 30 billion yen and the UK has 10 billion yen. Is this sufficient or insufficient?

since the content policy was launched , but how do you evaluate the government's stance?

WG should not only plan policies but also evaluate and verify them.

Additionally, Commissioner Uchiyama pointed out that the situation and discussions are the same as they were 10 years ago.

It may be that Japan's policies are now playing catch-up.

It may be worthwhile to use the Korean state-led model and the American private sector-led model as benchmarks. I will abandon the "Japanese model" dream I once had.

The main points of discussion are

1. The impact of AI-generated explosion

2. Platform orientation

3. Building a creator-driven economy

was emphasized.

1. Regarding AI, the Intellectual Property Headquarters led the world in extensive discussions and amended the law, making it OK to train AI without permission, but it is now prohibited if it unfairly infringes on rights.

The reality has finally emerged and the situation has changed. How to operate it is an important issue.

2. Platforms have the power to decide the life or death of content. While there are growing calls to return profits to content and creators, they are also important in terms of providing production opportunities and securing sales channels to the world. We need to be prepared for how to deal with this issue from a policy perspective.

3. Regarding the creator-led economy, compensation as a means of returning compensation is no longer functioning properly, and the key point is how new technologies such as Web3 will function.

Read More

Cool Japan: Udon

■ Cool Japan: Udon 

NHK Cool Japan: "Udon" edition.

Following ramen, the era of udon has come.

It's healthy and has more toppings and soup options than soba.

And in Japan there are many different kinds of udon, from hard to soft, hot to cold.

"Local udon"

Cold noodles are a unique Japanese culture in that they can be made with plenty of water.

There are many different types of udon, including hot and cold noodles.

I'm from Kyoto and I love tanuki.

In Tokyo, tanuki means fried tempura bits, while in Kyoto it means chopped fried tofu and ginger on top of thickened udon noodles. In Osaka, tanuki means kitsune soba.

There is that much diversity within just the tanuki.

Tokyo has a strong soba culture, and udon was just one of the dishes on the menu at soba restaurants. However, about 20 years ago, Sanuki udon became a hit, and udon specialty stores began to appear in Tokyo, and then spread throughout the country.

"world"

Unlike soba or ramen, udon is more like rice or bread and does not have a strong noodle flavor.

This means it can accommodate a variety of flavors and soups.

As people come to understand the appeal of udon, it is now expanding into the world.

I was also surprised by the extremely long lines when I tried to go into an American store of this VTR chain.

in Vietnam, the home of pho , and 50 stores in Indonesia, and the restaurant is expanding throughout Asia.

Since it can be incorporated into the food culture of any country, it is likely to become more and more popular.

"Frozen"

The craftsmanship and relentless pursuit of technology are typical of Cool Japan.

The best thing about it is that you can just thaw it and eat it.

It seems more suitable for freezing than ramen or soba.

Easy and delicious.

It may even spread to the rest of the world.

This program often deals with food, and many of the items featured are imported or foreign products that were developed in Japan, such as ramen, gyoza, curry, and sandwiches.

In comparison, udon is a purely Japanese dish. I'm glad that it's being recognized as such.

Read More

The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

■The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

An unprecedented worldwide hit. We interviewed him before the film's release in Japan.

◯Why is it a hit?

1. Characters ranked 8th in world IP revenue (1st is Pokemon)

2. A fan base spanning 40 years and three generations. (That's why Abe Mario appeared at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics.)

3. Visual and musical footage featuring legends Shigeru Miyamoto and Koji Kondo.

4. The evolution of CG technology that can express the world of games. (It's different from the live-action version of Mario in 1993.)

◯What ecosystem will games create?

・Pokemon also comes from the game. The game itself is just under 2 trillion yen, but character merchandise and other products make up a total of 10 trillion yen.

・Nintendo alone has Zelda, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Kirby, and Splatoon. For PlayStation , there's Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Resident Evil, and many more.

-There are many uses for smartphones, streaming, metaverse, web3, and stage.

◯How widespread is Japanese content?

・Half of the top 25 IPs in the world in terms of revenue are from Japan. Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Anpanman, Gundam, Dragon Ball.

- Popular culture that can be enjoyed by both adults and children, and expression that is not bound by religion or class, in other words, freedom. - Good art and music classes so that anyone can draw, in other words, education. These two are the infrastructure.

◯What are the challenges?

- Securing human resources capable of doing business in the global market and how to deal with international platforms (GAFA and Netflix).

・Demonstrate IP power by making full use of explosive new technologies such as AI, metaverse, and web3.

Will Mario be a hit in Japan?

・Yes I will.

(I said it decisively, but I was nervous until it landed. I'm glad it hit.)

Read More