08.31.04
DSL in Tokyo: Cheaper, Faster

From Kyodo News via Yahoo Asia News: According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the monthly charge of ADSL broadband access in Tokyo is the lowest of six select major cities in the world. The average monthly fee for ADSL services in Tokyo was 3,325 yen ($30.12) as of March 31 -- half of the average cost in New York ($60.21) and London ($60.05). A ministry official said the reason behind the lower prices is fierce competition among Japanese ADSL providers. The survey also indicates that ADSL users in Tokyo receive a transfer speed of 40 Mbps (megabits per second), while services in the other five cities in Europe and the United States normally have a speed of 3 Mbps.  Besides Tokyo, New York and London, the other cities in the study were Paris, Geneva and Dusseldorf.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.30.04
Eye-Track System Measures Web Design Effectiveness

From JCN Network: The Japan Consumer Marketing Research Institute says it will begin offering a computer-based eye-tracking service to its customers, allowing them better insight into how users interact with their Web sites and facilitating better design.  "With the ever evolving Eye-Tracking technology, we are able to directly observe and record how the eyes of a consumer move when viewing a Web site, product package, TV commercial, and print media," said JMCR's Richard F. May.  Eye-tracking studies have many marketing and design applications.  By studying where users' eyes move on the screen, companies can determine which parts of their sites are receiving the most attention and which are being missed.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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08.25.04
NHK's Olympics Ratings Soar

From the Daily Yomiuri: NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, has enjoyed high ratings for its live coverage of the Athens Olympics on its five channels. According to NHK's head of program promotion, although key events are broadcast late at night or early in the morning, the broadcaster has kept viewer ratings in double digits.  NHK's five channels, including terrestrial and satellite offerings, allow the network to broadcast most events live. "People don't want highlights programsÑthey want to see the Games live," said the executive. While terrestrial private broadcast stations have shown a total of 169 hours of Olympic coverage, each station has only one channel and can broadcast only the few events they have rights to.  NHK has one other key advantage over its for-profit competition: no commercials.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.23.04
Pan-Asian Broadband Plan Announced

From the Daily Yomiuri: The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications announced a plan to launch a high-speed Internet network among Asian countries to promote international e-commerce, regional medical care, and educational exchanges. The project, named the Asia Broadband Program, will accommodate each country's efforts in technology, with the aid of fiber-optic and satellite communications. For example, a remote medical service, called "telemedicine," which allows people outside of Japan to communicate with Japanese doctors via a high-speed Internet, will be available by the end of fiscal 2005. Since the sophisticated technology for transmitting medical images in real time is required for the service, Japan is scheduled to experiment with other countries, such as China and Thailand. The current Internet technologies in Asian nations will be also shifted to international standards, the ministry sources said. The telecom ministry is seeking around 2 billion yen for the program, and started forming a study group made by experts from academics, government officials and business people.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.20.04
DSL Subscriptions Grow

From Nikkei Electronic Asia: Subscriptions to DSL Internet services surpassed 12.32 million at the end of July, according to an announcement from Japan's Telecommunications Ministry. The number of DSL subscribers increased by about 257,000 from the previous month, which is slightly more than the increase between May and June. Softbank BB Corp. showed a decline in the number of new subscribers, possibly because of fallout from the news that its IP phone service, BB Phone, had leaked subscribers' personal information (See Week in Review 06.19.04). As of the end of July, the number of subscribers to Softbank BB's DSL service stood at 4,350,000.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.18.04
Government Calls for Senior-Friendly Web Design

From The Asahi Shimbun: While the Telecom Ministry has reported that only 20 percent of people in their 60s use the Internet, compared to more than 90 percent of people in their 20s and 30s, another Japanese ministry plans to simplify Web sites and related technologies for the elderly and disabled. For the past three years, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has requested electronics makers, software makers and Web designers to follow new product criteria in the Japanese Industrial Standards that will simplify the Web. For instance, the new standards ask designers of Web sites and information products not to use red fonts on green backgrounds so that people with poor eyesight can read them. The new criteria also suggest that Web designers use Japanese as much as possible for critical information. For example, contact information on sites, such as "About Us" sections, is often written in English.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.13.04
Government to Offer Childcare Tips by E-mail

From The Japan Times: The government will offer e-mail consultations on child-rearing for young parents who do not have confidence in their childcare skills. Executive committees consisting of education experts, local government officials, and possibly members of private childcare support groups will respond to parents' questions via e-mail. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has held parenting advice meetings at municipalities, but few people attend because of busy schedules. According to ministry officials, the parenting support service will be available on a trial basis in some 20 locations next spring. The ministry may also start an Internet-based course for childcare and e-mail newsletters about child-rearing. It is budgeting 100 million yen (over $900,000) for the service.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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Monthly Pressnet Bulletin
NSK Yearly Survey: Large Drop in Newspaper Employment; Most New Hires Are Men

From the August Pressnet Bulletin: According to an annual survey conducted by Nihon Shinbun Kyokai (NSK) with the 104 NSK-member newspaper companies and news agencies, the number of full-time employees as of April decreased 2.5 percent from last year. This marks the largest decrease in a decade and the 12th straight annual decline. The survey also showed men made up 74 percent of new hires and 89 percent of all employees. Other survey results: Over 16 percent of all workers are between the ages of 55 and 59, followed closely by those between the ages of 35 and 39.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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Monthly Pressnet Bulletin
Survey: Children Initiate Discussions After Reading Papers

Also from the August Pressnet Bulletin: Some 90 percent of parents highly appreciate the usage of newspapers in elementary and junior high classrooms, according to results of the first survey conducted by the Newspaper-In-Education Committee (NIE) of the Newspaper Foundation for Education and Culture. Over 31 percent of the more than 1,000 parents surveyed said their children started reading newspapers by themselves. About half said their children initiated discussions related to articles they read in newspapers. The survey results also showed that about 45 percent said their children began discussing newspaper articles with family after taking NIE classes in school. More than half suggested that difficult terms in news articles should include definitions for children. The survey was circulated to parents in Tokyo, Niigata, Osaka and Kagoshima.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.08.04
Japanese Media Gloat Over Asian Cup Victory

From AP via Sports Illustrated: Japanese newspapers and television outlets flaunted Japan's victory over China at the Asian Cup Finals in Beijing, and highlighted reports about Chinese fans who turned violent during the games. Mainichi Shimbun's front page headline read, "Victory for Japan amid tight security in Beijing." And Suponichi, Japan's sports daily, featured a full-page photo of the Japanese team, claiming the team's exploits "silenced the jeers of 65,000 people." The media also captured some Chinese fans booing while the Japanese anthem was performed, bullying the Japanese team during the games, and burning the Japanese flag. The Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun reported violent Chinese fans broke the rear window of a Japanese diplomat's car as he left the stadium, although neither the diplomat nor his driver was hurt. As a result of the uprising, some 1,000 Japanese fans had to remain in the stadium for two hours after the tournament was over until they could safely be transported with the guide of Chinese police.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.07.04
Children's Magazine Linked to Adult Sites

From Mainichi Daily News: A parent whose child read the September issue of children's monthly magazine, Shogaku Rokunensei (Sixth-Grade Elementary Student), discovered the magazine included links to adult sites. The published story, "The road to mastering e-mail and letters," linked to some sites that posted advertisements for adult dating sites and adult aesthetic clinics. According to the Daily Yomiuri, publisher Shogakukan Inc. decided to recall the September edition Monday. Magazine officials say the company has also decided to publish an article about the dangers of the Internet in the next edition." We knew there was an advertisement on the page, but we didn't go as far as to find out what kind of site it connected to. We regret our lack of awareness," said Ichiro Akaboshi, the magazine's editor. Shogaku Rokunensei's monthly circulation rate is around 64,000.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.06.04
Chinese Group Suspected of Attacking Japanese Web Sites

From Kyodo News via Yahoo Asia News: The China Federation of Defending the Diaoyu Islands is suspected of enlisting 1,900 hackers to launch cyber attacks on more 200 official Web sites in Japan and Taiwan, according to the Chinese newspaper Wen Wei Po?s Hong Kong edition. The massive attack was said to be in retaliation for a Japanese attack on the China Federation of Defending the Diaoyu Islands' Web site, which claims sovereignty over the Japan-held Senkaku Islands. Zhou Wenpo, who is in charge of the federation, had told Kyodo News in Beijing the federation would not seek illegal retaliation for the illegal action in revenge for the July 25 attacks. The more recent attack temporarily shut down Japanese official sites, including the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Agency and the National Police Agency. Several Taiwanese official sites were also attacked and are still reported to be down.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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08.06.04
Government Sites Hit in Cyber Attacks

From the Daily Yomiuri: Eight Japanese governmental Web sites became victims of attacks by hackers between Sunday and Tuesday. According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the attacks were caused by the transmission of huge volumes of data to computer servers at governmental institutions. The attacks prevented people from accessing government sites, but did not lead to data loss. The targeted institutions included the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Agency, the Finance Ministry, and the Fair Trade Commission. Although the attackers have not yet been identified, the Cabinet Secretariat IT Security Office said a Chinese Internet bulletin board warned of cyber attacks this month.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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