The CiP Digital Special Zone ”Digital and Contents”

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a plan to construct a digital and content zone in the bay area of Minato Ward, Tokyo. Here is the second part of the launch announcement. It concerns the fields targeted by the CiP.

2)Digital and Content

Japan’s AV culture, which is represented by comics, animation, games, and J-Pop, composes one wing of global pop culture. Focusing on these areas is a given for a digital and content accumulation base. No explanation is required in enhancing production functions, cooperation, and transmission.

However, these will not necessarily play a leading role in 2020 content.

These fields have changed completely in the past five years. It’s “smartification.” Devices went from TVs, PCs, and cell phones, to smartphones, electronic signage, and other multiple screens. From packages to networks, as well as cloud migration, the world has become one marketplace. Social media service growth is striking.

The content business has become a borderless business due to multiple windows and the cloud. Spearheaded by overseas distribution of animation, the connection between live music performance evolution, the export of broadcast programs, food, fashion, and so on, is garnering attention. With social services, participatory communities formed, social games became one great industry, and everyone is creating content.

The three components of device, network, and service manifested in multiple screens, the cloud, and social media. Japan missed the bus to these global phenomena; however, we should not chase after it, but set our sights on the following stage.

The curtain is opening on the next act.

We must consider the new device environment that overtakes multiple screens. Square screens were overtaken by wearables and computers, which have become the norm. With 3D printers, content is becoming not more flat but more three-dimensional, not focusing on images but on objects. M2M (Machine to Machine) and the IoT (Internet of Things) are advancing. Cars, consumer electronics, and robots all connect to these through transmissions. Computers are embedded in all things, and all things are media.

The next generation of the cloud network will be constructed. Big data will be shared through the 5G communications network, A.I. will be enclosed therein, and networks will process work that is beyond people. No matter where you go in a city, even if your devices are turned off, it will be a ubiquitous computing environment where information passes before your eyes. Media will be minutely embedded in secure information cities.

Services will also leap forward. This does not only pertain to future content and social media.

　E-commerce has grown to account for 5% of all retail sales, but there is no doubt that it will expand into the remaining 95% to become the heart of lifestyle and economics. A good portion of education will become content, and much of medical care will be digitized. In the 2020’s about ⅕ of the cost of education, which climbs to ¥20 trillion annually, will be invested in the digital marketplace. What percentage of the ¥30 trillion medical care cost will be similarly invested?

The administration also affirms these things. The open data that that makes administrative affairs into content is advancing. The total annual budget of local governments is ¥80 trillion. What degree of it will be digitized? There is the latent potential for it to be a great sum. As communication and community progress, new services will continue to unfold.

The prospective view of the CiP considers that kind of era, that kind of situation. We want to provide such devices, networks, and services for the 2020’s.

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The CiP Digital Special Zone “Creative Force and Digital Elements”

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a plan to construct a digital and content zone in the bay area of Minato Ward, Tokyo.

Keio University is participating in Tokyo land project management along with Tokyu Land Corporation and Kajima Corporation.

The plan has been: establish our nucleus, the “CiP Association”; advance research and development; cultivate human resources; support business startups; enact business matching; and open the zone in 2020 just prior to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The launch announcements are divided into five parts: 1) creative force and digital elements, 2) digital and content, 3) a 4-function hub, 4) R&D and human resource cultivation, 5) a business base and government cooperation.

1) Creative Force and Digital Elements

Over 100 years after the introduction of the Meiji era slogan, “enrich the country, strengthen the military,” Japan lost the war and shut down its military fortification.  It then vigorously strived towards a national enrichment policy of industrial development. This achieved success as a marvel of Asia, and at the start of the 1990’s, Japan was considered the most internationally competitive country in the world.

However, in the following 10 years it fell to 20th place, and did not escape this tunnel in the 15 years thereafter. The vivacity of that national enrichment initiative faded. Still, the Japan after “enrich the country, strengthen the military” retains honor. It shines as a major cultural power.

Japanese pop culture can boast of high global popularity: the content digitally sent overseas verify Japan’s creative power. Pop culture bolsters traditional culture,  classical theater, etc. Also, Japan’s 70 years of postwar pacifism, the order and etiquette displayed in the 3/11 Tohoku earthquake disaster, etc., altogether exhibit what is known in international political theory as “soft power.”

Of course, the technological strength and craftsmanship cultivated by the business world did not vanish. Those tangible strengths and the intangible strength of content and the like are comprehensively the resources of modern Japan.

　”Which country is most creative?” Adobe Systems Inc. surveyed advanced major countries, giving Britain 9%, France 11%, and Germany 12%. The US received 26%, while Japan towered above all these with a leading 36%. Similarly, in their survey of the “most creative city,” Berlin received 7%, London 8% Paris 15%, NYC 21%, and Tokyo 30%. The world recognizes the creative might of Tokyo and Japan.

However, the survey also asked, “Is your own country creative?” Japan was overwhelmingly at the bottom. We do not realize our own creativity. Surely we are not fully demonstrating our power.

In the Tokyo Olympics fifty years ago, Japan displayed growth and revival. What kind of showing will Tokyo and Japan make in the next Olympics and Paralympics?

Digital will be the main indicator of advancement in the new age. The universe and oceans, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and virtual realms have emerged as humanity’s final frontiers. The digital sphere, which composes the virtual realm -- namely IT (information technology) and content (expression) -- also has much room to grow and develop. Further, Japan has already shown its strength on these technological and expressive fronts.

For about the past ten years, the government has been championing a content foundation and Cool Japan, anticipating the content industry’s growth. Japanese pop culture took hold overseas with comics, animation, and games. However, it has not achieved sufficient results as an industry. For several years the content marketplace has been stagnating with a foreign industrial sales percentage greatly inferior to that of the US.

We should make a concentrated investment in digital and content fields and put effort into overseas expansion.

The CiP composes plans to construct a digital and content industry accumulation zone in Takeshiba, Minato Ward, Tokyo. C - Contents, i - innovation, P - Program. We will reinvent society with content. Or perhaps C - Creative, i - innovative, P - Pop. We will gather domestic and foreign resources, make a concentrated investment, and become the place to produce and disseminate new industrial culture.

That said, we do not aim to be Hollywood or Silicon Valley. The strength of such places is their concentration of the foremost artists, geeks, and business elite. In contrast, in addition to advanced technological and expressive might, Japan possesses many punctual and industrious workers. Furthermore, it is an industrial cultural power of chaotic participation, production, and consumption, including the comic market, Niconico video, karaoke, cosplay, mascot characters, B-class gourmet, and more. We will leverage this to become a breeder reactor.

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The CiP Digital National Strategic Special Zone

The CiP (Contents Innovation Program) is a project to create a special zone for digital accumulation in Takeshiba, Minato Ward, Tokyo. The incorporated body that is the nucleus, the CiP Convention, was launched last year.

I assumed position as board chairman, and am beginning to establish related businesses, organizations, communications activity, broadcasting, music, animation, games, systems, trading companies, advertisements, publications, schools, and venture capital.

The zone will open in 2020. The prime minister has already authorized this National Strategic Special Zone.

The CiP focuses on research and development, human resource cultivation, business startup support, and business matching. It intends to create technology and cultivate human potential, actualize these in industry and livelihood, and expand business globally. It will research the resulting projects. I would like to depict the shape of that cycle. It is a production cycle of research and development, human resource cultivation, business startups, and business matching.

This digital and conceptual post-2020 zone will be a compact cluster that produces business, education, and culture. Tokyo Bay will be its front door, and it will directly connect with Haneda Airport, a doorway to the sky. We want to make use of the sea and sky in creating this special zone, and make a concentrated investment in technology and design resources. In this 1.5ha (161459 sq. ft.) space we will construct a 39-floor business building area, and provision a 8,000 m² (86111 sq. ft.) joint-use facility with laboratories, studios, and more. We want to utilize the surrounding area to form a business fusion space.

We wish to become the Tokyo hub that connects every city. As we turn to and advance toward the Olympics, digital will be the redevelopment key for every place. We wish to connect these places. We intend to link Sapporo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Okinawa, which are putting strength into modernization. Boston and west coast universities, London research facilities, Parisian events, projects in Singapore, Seoul incubation facilities...we want to become the hub of all these.

It will be a copyright special zone, a radio wave special zone, an electronic signage special zone, a robotics special zone, and a superhuman sports special zone. We want to include visionary businesses that were not possible until now.

It is a great battle.

Many projects have already begun. Most are cooperations with the advancements of other organizations, but we also intend to ignite a chemical reaction by becoming the hub of these projects.

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How to Deal with the TPP Copyright Provisions

I am evaluating the TPP, but I do have great concerns about its copyright provisions.

The TPP copyright chapter establishes protection period extension and removes the requirement for a formal complaint from the holder for prosecution. The US desires both, and both signify increased protections for providers. This correlates to a reduction in user rights.

Japan had built a copyright system that struck a balance between users and providers. Compared to the US and others, its structure thoroughly considered the benefits to users and consumers. This will crumble.

We can conversely take the perspective that the decision benefits holders, but the crumbling of the provision and use ecosystem also correlates to long-term cultural weakening. Is this even truly good news for providers? A calm analysis is required. And what kind of domestic regulations can deal with this crumbling balance? It is a serious situation.

Up to now, I have asserted that the lack of a formal complaint requirement for prosecution is more critical than copyright term extension. It means that even if the copyright holder does not prosecute the person who committed illegalities, law enforcement authorities will crack down on the criminal by their own determination. 

The copyright term extension would mean that comics, animation, and games sold currently would become available for public use 50 years after their authors have passed away, which is of little use to creators in the present and benefits the US business world, where older works sell readily. In either case, the consumer gains nothing. Nevertheless, there is not much economical impact.

On the other hand, disallowing laws that require a formal complaint from the victim is a thing that has sustained Japanese pop culture through the implicit fertile breeding ground of shared culture between pros and amateurs, and if we consider this reality, I decided that destroying that ecosystem is a fundamental problem.

Regarding the TPP and disallowing requirement of formal victim complaints, certain forethought was also incorporated but, now then, how can domestic system safeguards be provided?

Recently a meeting was held at the Office of the Prime Minister. Aside from Prime Minister Abe, also in attendance were Cabinet Minister Aiko Shimajiri of Information Technology Policy and Cabinet Minister Hiroshi Hase of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Concerning copyright, they declared that they would act so as to avoid the atrophy of derivative works.

I was also in attendance, but I was surprised by this unanticipated statement. It revealed that the government had earnestly grappled with the TPP IP negotiations and come to weighty decisions.

Conversely, consideration of this matter had already begun at an Agency for Cultural Affairs copyright council, and we also discussed our course of action hereafter at the IP (Intellectual Property) HQ committee of which I am chairman.

Discussion is not limited to safeguards; dynamic discussions of systems and policies are also sought. With this decision as the impetus, I want to develop even larger institutional IP theories.

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Evaluation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership

There was much opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in Japan, but I will still attempt to evaluate the contents of the agreement.

The 31 rules of the agreement relax foreign investment restrictions on transmissions, financing, retail and public enterprises, etc. More than a few items benefit and are of importance to the Japanese economy.

Japan relies on trade for survival and strategically should oppose increases in foreign market transparency. It is safe to say that the government negotiated well.

Japan decided to lift tariffs on 98% of 9,018 goods. I noticed that mass media, politicians, and others argued that this will only make it difficult to protect our weakened agricultural sector. Almost no mention was made of the beneficial application that good food will be cheaper to import.

Analysis of the TPP should consider not only GDP and producers, but also increased consumer surplus. We can also find significant points on that topic in the TPP.

I was concerned as to whether it prioritizes our national interests. Intellectual society has been thrust into the midst of agricultural and industrial societies, leaving Japan no choice but to subsist for the next 100 years on intellectual property. At the onset of the creation of these international rules, it seemed that the advantages of IP consumers would be diminished in favor of protecting agricultural providers.

Of course, the Japanese government also understands the situation. In this agreement, despite the problems with agriculture and IP, they seem to have endeavored to acquire benefits for many economic industry fields.

First transmissions. Procedures and rulings were made transparent, and foreign investment restrictions were relaxed. In e-commerce, it was determined that tariffs would not be levied on digital content, and restrictions requiring internal server establishment for online sales were removed.

In financing, foreign investment restrictions were relaxed. Convenience store and retail branch store restrictions were repealed. There are also large government service and public enterprise market openings. These measures also cover important industrial areas pertaining to the growth of Japan.

In intellectual property, the created copyright system closely resembles that of the US. It strengthens the rights of the holder (the provider). It reduces consumer surplus. Even outside of business, from the perspective of a country with excessive imports like Japan, this benefits the US.

However, there are also good points in this section: the introduction of preventative measures for Internet piracy, the prohibition of equipment that evades access control, stronger control of bootleg editions, and recompense claim rights for providers.  These measures will also have a great positive effect on Japan’s business world.

The US could be expected to first attempt to demonstrate the merits by pushing for the  creation of a treaty with participating nations, but at the same time, I hope for us to pinpoint the demerits and properly establish a domestic copyright system.

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Two 28-year old female directors

　“Suzaku” directed by Naomi Kawase and “Silent Voice(Qu'un seul tienne et les autres suivront)” directed by Léa Fehner.

“Suzaku” won La Caméra d'or award in 1997 Cannes Film Festival. She was the youngest newcomer to win the award. “Silent Voice” was a 2009 film, and it was released in Japan at the end of 2012.

　Both of the films were the directors’ real debut work at age 28. I saw both of the films many times, but I compared the two again. While being tranquil, veteran, and finished products, I get burned by the passion of these works to cultivate the future of film.

　These are both deep pieces, but I will not go into details. I will only extract the difference and common points between the two films.

“Suzaku” is a quiet village in the back of Yoshino, Nara that is surrounded by blue mountains. While people smile softly, they are slow of speech. So, the harmonious sound of piano is clear. “Silent Voice” is waves of noise. Profanity, screaming, and violence.

　However, neither of them have any narration nor explanation; they are plays carried on only by dialogues. There is no unnecessary line. However, it does not mean that they try to make you understand by the video. On the contrary, they do not show, tease you, and leave it to the audience to figure it out. They are classy.

　The former is a story of a family slowly being broken. It is a heartbreaking, sad, and charming separation. On the other hand, the latter has three unrelated stories that start crossing at a prison. However, both of them have extremely skillful editing that connects those. The tasteful combination of time difference and spatial difference make you groan.

　

　And the castings. The former is mostly made up with novices. On the other hand, the latter is packed with professional actors. However, there is no pretty star face. Everyone has a face with tasteful quirk from North Africa, Eastern Europe, Germany, and France. Their acting is outstanding.

　The biggest common point is the fact that both of them were 28 years old female directors when they directed their real debut work, like I mentioned in the beginning. Ms. Kawase became the world’s Kawase after Cannes. I hope that Director Fehner will follow suit.

　So, these days, is there a possibility of becoming a film director in your 20s? It was possible in the past.

　John Ford and Leos Carax were 22, Yasujiro Ozu, Yuzo Kawashima, and Francis Ford Coppola were 24, Charlie Chaplin, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Nagisa Oshima, and Steven Spielberg were 25, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles were 26, and Jean-Luc Godard and Luis Buñuel were 28. Film directors used to debut young.

　Since then, especially in Japan, it is not that easy to become a film director at such a young age.

　What about now? You no longer have to knock on the door of the film studio, become an apprentice, gain experience, and climb up the ladder like you had to back in the day. Even an elementary school student can produce a film with a camera and a computer.

　Then, are there more opportunities extended to people in their teens and 20s? Or did the film industry become more competitive and the hurdle got higher?

　How can we birth the next Kawase and the next Fehner?

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I am a groupie of Dufy.

　I first encountered Raoul Dufy in Kobe in 1983, if I remember correctly. I went to see the exhibit that came to Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

　The space configuration with target lines, color, and the light were misaligned with blue and red scattered around. It was transparent and had a unique rhythm. It was moving, even though it was a painting. It was bursting. It had snapping sounds. When I saw the happy painting style with the lines, colors, and lights that I have never seen anywhere else before, I believed for the first time in my life that “Ah, I like this painter.”

　10 years later since then. Because of my staying in Paris, I went to many places. Musée d'Orsay, Pompidou Centre, and Musée de l'Orangerie. I cannot remember how many times I stood in front of the giant mural “La Fée Électricité” at Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Every time I visited the galleries in the city, I recognized that being wealthy meant buying the artworks. 20 years has passed and those dreams are still far out of reach.

　

　I also went to his hometown of Le Havre. The suppressed colors of his young era were of Normandy. However, the lights in Nice that painted many landscapes, the lights in Vence that painted the townscape, and the shine of Côte d'Azur in southern France brought out the true value of Dufy.

　There used to be “Musee Dufy (Dufy Museum)” on the beach in Nice. In 1990s, I visited there several times. It has been moved to “Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon (Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon)” since then. When I went to Nice recently, I went back to worship his works. It is free admission.

(A mural in Lyon)

　And the specialty of “Lyon Museum” here is the cafe with Dufy’s mural. Rather, it is Dufy with a cafe. Open the window, hang out with the sunlit Dufy, and sip on your tea. This alone is worth coming to Lyon. At least for me.

　There are many of his works in Japan, too. “Open Window, Nice” is at Shimane Art Museum at Lake Shinji. There are good pieces at the Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki as well. National Museum of Western Art, Bridgestone Museum of Art, and Pola Museum of Art. I have been to most of them.

　I went to take a peek at the Dufy exhibit at Shibuya Bunkamura recently, and I was surprised how many pieces I have never seen before. I felt that I needed to see more. So, I went to the Dufy exhibit at Osaka Abeno Harukas, even though the exhibited works were the same as the ones in Tokyo.

　NHK Nichiyo Bijutsukan (NHK Sunday Art Museum) had a special program on that exhibit. I thought he was expressing joy through colors. However, Mr. Katsuhiko Hibino said Dufy was asking questions with the colors. Yup, maybe he is right.

　Mr. Ken Mogi praised Dufy’s blue as something that connected everything. The firm method that dyes the sky, living creatures, and furniture in blue may include such message. His paintings are pop, simple, and down-to-earth. It accepts any interpretation with a wide-open laugh.

　However, Dufy learned the freedom of paintings by Matisse, tried free expression, and struggled. I guess it is easier to live inside of the box for ordinary people like me and a prodigy like Dufy.

　Since he tried to remove his expression boundary and establish his own style, there must have been many challenges. We are fortunate to enjoy that struggle as growth and change.

　His studio remains in Montmartre in Paris. I will go visit in the summer.

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