Perspectives on the Japanese Media and Content Policies

285 Pages·2020·7.691 MB·English

by  Minoru Sugaya

Advances in Information and Communication Research 2
Minoru Sugaya Editor
Perspectives on the
Japanese Media and
Content Policies
Advances in Information and Communication
Research
Volume 2
Series Editor
Hitoshi Mitomo, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University,
Tokyo, Japan
This book series focuses on socioeconomic aspects of information and communication.
Information and communication technology (ICT) is now indispensable as an infrastructure
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EditorinChief
HitoshiMitomo(WasedaUniversity)
EditorialBoard
JohannesBauer(MichiganStateUniversity)
ErikBohlin(ChalmersUniversityofTechnology)
ShuyaHayashi(NagoyaUniversity)
TakuoImagawa(MinistryofInternalAffairsandCommunications)
ToshiyaJitsuzumi(ChuoUniversity)
KenichiKawasaki(KomazawaUniversity)
SeongcheolKim(KoreaUniversity)
MikioKimura(JapanCommercialBroadcastersAssociation)
Yu-liLiu(NationalChengchiUniversity)
TingjieLu(BeijingUniversityofPostsandTelecommunications)
HiroyukiMorikawa(TheUniversityofTokyo)
AkihiroNakamura(YokohamaCityUniversity)
FumioShimpo(KeioUniversity)
SuphatSuphachalasai(ThammasatUniversity)
HidenoriTomita(KansaiUniversity)
TakashiUchiyama(AoyamaGakuinUniversity)
MinhKhuongVu(NationalUniversityofSingapore)
Moreinformationaboutthisseriesathttp://www.springer.com/series/16002
Minoru Sugaya
Editor
Perspectives on the Japanese
Media and Content Policies
123
Editor
Minoru Sugaya
KeioUniversity
Tokyo,Japan
ISSN 2524-3322 ISSN 2524-3330 (electronic)
Advances in Information andCommunication Research
ISBN978-981-15-4703-4 ISBN978-981-15-4704-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4704-1
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Preface
Media and media contents have had a dynamic influence on human affairs around
the globe politically, economically, and socially. In this era of globalization and
atmosphere of societal uncertainties, the roles played by media, the functions of
media and the contents of media rather than decrease should increase.
Technologically speaking,thepenetrationofdigitalizationindaily-lifematters and
the pronounced impacts of the Internet, continue to rapidly restructure the envi-
ronment in and around media, a notable facet of this is the almost complete dis-
appearance of the difference in penetrating power between broadcasting and other
forms of contents distribution. Moreover, amateurs now are empowered to create
their own digital contents and can easily access distribution windows using tools
more powerful than those in the hands of professional broadcasters. From an
industrial perspective, online-platforms are surpassing the platforms of historic
media companies and are actively promoting mergers and acquisitions as well as
globaldeployment.Thissituationisnotendemictootherpeoplesandotherlands;it
is equally applicable to Japan. With the changes and uncertainties we are facing
today induced by ‘borderless media,’ policies must by necessity change and
become very much the objects of everyone’s sharply focused attention.
Theappropriateandadequatepoliciescannotbeneitherconsiderednorrealized
withoutdiscussionofaglobalperspectiveinthedigitalandInternetera.Inorderto
do this in Japan, a global awareness of Japan’s policies as well as intensive com-
munication with global scholars and researchers is necessary.
Inthiscontext,ontheoccasionofthe35th anniversaryofTheJapan Societyof
Information and Communication Research, we have the ambitious intention to
review industries and the policies and contents of Japanese media in a structured
manner.Becausetheinterestsandscopeofmediaandcontentsareextremelybroad,
thischallengingobjectiveisadifficultonetoachieve.Still,wehopethatourefforts
will contribute to a keener insight into the situations and policies of media and
contents in Japan.
This book is not simply a presentation of a history of policies. Based on the
findingsofthecomprehensivesurveyofsituationsandtrendsapplyingtoJapanese
industries and associated policies applying to media and contents, we discuss the
v
vi Preface
futuredevelopmentoftopicsfromaglobalperspective.Inconcreteterms,wehave
focusedsharplyonbroadcastingandcontentpoliciesinthiswork,whichconsistsof
13 chapters: Chapters “Terrestrial Broadcasting” through “Community Radio
Broadcasting” are devoted to broadcasting issues, Chapters “Film and the Other
VideoContents(TVprogramandInternetVideo)”through“CopyrightClearance”
to content issues, and Chapters “Over-the-Top (OTT) Video Service” and
“Assistance for International Coproductions and Overseas Broadcasts of Japanese
Broadcast Content” to OTT (over-the-top) and global promotion of Japanese
broadcast contents as horizontal issues.
Regarding broadcasting, Chapter “Terrestrial Broadcasting” (Jun Inoue) gives a
general view of terrestrial broadcasting policy. As highlighted in this chapter, the
dual system of public and commercial broadcasting is characteristic in Japan.
Knowledgeofpublicandcommercialbroadcastingisessentialtoanunderstanding
of Japanese policies. Chapter “The Japanese Public Broadcaster NHK and Its
Related Policy: The Origin of Public Broadcasting and Changing Policy
Environment in the Digital Transformation” (Tsutomu Kanayama) discusses pub-
lic broadcasting, NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai), and provides an in-depth historic
overview and current trends. Chapter “The Developmental Process of Commercial
Television Broadcasting Industry” (Minoru Sugaya) analyzes commercial broad-
casting by presenting itsdevelopment in five stages and collaborations with online
businesses. In addition to terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting is a basic
andessentialmediuminJapanwitha30-yearservicehistory;in2018,theindustry
introduced new-technology 4K/8K broadcasting. Chapter “Policy on Satellite
Broadcasting” (Yuichiro Ogawa) discusses satellite broadcasting policy.
Broadcasting under the policy delivers not only national contents but also local
contents. Cable Television and community FM broadcasting play a crucial role
airinglocalinformation,includingsharingnewscommontoregionalareas.Chapter
“Cable Television” (Nami Yonetani) discusses Cable Television and its role in
Japan as a local-oriented service. And Chapter “Community Radio Broadcasting”
(Tomoko Kanayama) focuses on community FM broadcasting and its significant
public-safety roles in times of natural disasters.
Regarding contents, we present four areas—film, animation and pop culture,
games and music—that are strategically indispensable for the Japanese contents
industry. An activity indicating the importance of the selected areas is their pro-
motion by the Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO), a nonprofit orga-
nizationforpublicandprivatepartnershipspromotingtheglobalcompetitivenessof
such creations. Regarding film, Chapter “Film and the Other Video Contents (TV
program and Internet Video)” (Takashi Uchiyama) analyzes Japanese policies for
film, presents comparisons with European policies, and points out the weakness
of theJapanese system. Regardinganimation, Chapter “Anime’sEconomic Value:
the Government’s Response to a Changing Environment” (Mariko Koizumi)
reviews the history of policies for animation and stresses the need to create ani-
mations that mirror a global perspective and vision. Regarding games, Chapter
“Video Games: the Once Sustainable Industry is in Need of Policy” (Mariko
Koizumi) details how policy resources have been less spent on games compared
Preface vii
with animation while the Japanese game industry was internationally competitive
by itself; the chapter alerts that with the emergence of online games, the compet-
itivenessoftheJapanesegameindustryisshrinking,makingpolicyrevitalizationa
high-priority in this sector. Concerning music, Chapter “Music” (Stevie Yoshida)
overviewsthetransitionsofbusinessmodelsandpracticesaswellastheeducation,
culturalandcompetitionpoliciesandprofileshowthetransitionsareinfluencedby
technological change. As a common issue for contents, Chapter “Copyright
Clearance” (Yu Terada) considers the state of real-life copyright clearance from a
business perspective and lessons learned through experience; further, it reveals the
“walls” as practical obstructions and presents realistic solutions with categorized
content types
Last but certainly not least, we must look at the global perspective from a
horizontal point of view. Chapter “Over-the-Top (OTT) Video Service” (Yoko
Nishioka)analyzesthecurrentsituationofOTTservices,akeyplatformdelivering
content, and reviews policies that look to the future. Chapter “Assistance for
International Coproductions and Overseas Broadcasts of Japanese Broadcast
Content” (Masahiko Komiya) introduces the policies promoting joint international
production of the contents of broadcasting and airing them abroad.
Whilethisworkisprimarilyaimedatacademicscholarsandresearchers,italso
presents useful data and information that will be interesting to people who have a
general interest in the media and media contents of Japan. Finally, as a project
editor,Iwishtothanktheauthorsofthechaptersfortheirpenetratinginsights,and
Jun Inoue who contributed greatly to this works not only as a chapter author but
also as a co-editor.
Tokyo, Japan Minoru Sugaya
Acknowledgements
ThisbookispublishedasthefirstvolumeinthebookseriesoftheJapanSocietyof
Information and Communication Research (JSICR). JSICR, as an academic orga-
nization focusing on Japanese media and content policies, is making an interna-
tional contribution to the enhancement of ICT. This volume, together with the
previous volume focusing on policies and socio-economic aspects of ICT, is
commemorating the publication of this series. Publication of this book would not
have been possible without the cooperation of MIC.
The editor is also indebted to KDDI Research, Inc. for their assistance to the
publication of this book.
ix
Contents
Broadcasting Policies
Terrestrial Broadcasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Jun Inoue
The Japanese Public Broadcaster NHK and Its Related Policy:
TheOriginofPublicBroadcastingandChangingPolicyEnvironment
in the Digital Transformation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tsutomu Kanayama
The Developmental Process of Commercial Television
Broadcasting Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Minoru Sugaya
Policy on Satellite Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Yuichiro Ogawa
Regional Media Policies
Cable Television. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Nami Yonetani
Community Radio Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Tomoko Kanayama
Content Policies
Film and the Other Video Contents (TV program
and Internet Video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Takashi Uchiyama
Anime’s Economic Value: the Government’s Response
to a Changing Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Mariko Koizumi
xi