Highlighting JAPAN

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By featuring articles written by experts in many different genres, this online magazine provides people all over the world with information on modern Japan.

August 2008

MEDIA CONTENT
Japan's Industrial Evolution

FRONT COVER

Media Content: Japan's Industrial Evolution
Building on the market strength of its games and other "soft power," Japan is now actively promoting media content as a new industry. We investigate some of the range of related issues, from the cultivation of creativity to the protection of intellectual property.

COVER STORY

Since the period of modernization in the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan's economic growth has been driven by its export-oriented manufacturing industries, such as textiles, machinery and electric and electronic devices. This industrial structure has recently seen the emergence of pop culture as a powerful force. We examine Japan's industrial evolution, focusing on the emergence of Japan's media content industry.

Cultivating Creativity

First held in 1997, the Japan Media Arts Festival of film, games, manga, anime, CG arts and photography continues to stimulate exchange between artists working in the various mediums.

Pioneering the Frontiers of Intellectual Property

In June, the Japanese government approved the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2008. Tomiji Sugawa, secretary-general of the National Intellectual Property Strategy Office, explains the background to and content of the Program.

Pop Culture Pilgrimage

The world's "otaku" consider it their Mecca-Tokyo's Akihabara, or Akiba for short. Tony McNicol takes a "guidoled" tour.

Designs of the Times

Consumer confidence in Japan may be low at present, but Japanese are nevertheless showing a keen interest in good product design. How do we account for the current design craze? What are the characteristics of Japanese product design? Professor Hiroshi Kashiwagi comments.

Japan Content-The Global Strategy

Japan's content industry is aiming to expand its market size by some 5 trillion yen by 2015. How will it achieve this? Keisuke Murakami of the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry comments.

Low-carbon Society a "Win-Win Direction"

Special Advisor to the Cabinet and former Ambassador for the Global Environment Mutsuyoshi Nishimura shares his thoughts on a range of issues related to climate change further to Japan's hosting of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.

Difficult Road Ahead for Japan's Economy

Further to the G8 debate, Professor Takao Komine comments on the difficulties facing the global economy, the impact they are having on the Japanese economy, and on how Japan and the world should respond.

ITS: The Future of Road Transport

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are increasingly being used to create networks consisting of people, roads and automobiles to resolve a variety of road traffic issues. Masaki Yamada reports.

Connecting the World with ITS

What are the global trends in the field of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) development and promotion, and what role does Japan play in this regard? We asked Daisaburo Terajima, president of ITS Japan.

Teraherz Imaging the Wave of the Future

The electromagnetic waves known as "terahertz waves" are beginning to find their way into a range of applications, from detecting illicit drugs contained in sealed mail to identifying defects in LSIs. Professor Kodo Kawase explains the properties and potential of terahertz waves.

Refreshing Japan's Memory Bank

What is Japan doing to improve its management of public documents as well as to upgrade and expand the country's "memory bank," the National Archives of Japan?

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