Online Landscape in Japan

1
Online Landscape in Japan

• Makoto Ota
• The Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo
• April 16, 2004

2
For Your Understanding

• Japan has
• 127 million population
• 5 major national papers and many other regional
  papers
• Subscription per HH 1.07 in 2003
• Home-delivery rate 93.9 in 2003
• 2 editions on weekdays morning evening 1 on
  Sundays morning

3
For Your Understanding 2

• Japan has
• 70 million Internet users, HH penetration 81.4
  in 2002
• BB via ADSL prevails

Source Ministry of General Affairs, 2004
4
For Your Understanding 3

• Japan has
• 80 million cell phone subscribers, of which 68
  millions are mobile-internet users
• All-in-one gadget w/ Java, digital camera, a
  memory card slot, bar-code reader, IrDA, MP3
  player, GPSnavigation, docxlspdf reader IC
  chip, digital TV receiver, and beyond

• (Source MoGA, Telecommunications Carriers
  Association, Docomo Report Feb. 2004
• http//www.nttdocomo.com/files/presscenter/34_No16
  _Doc.pdf)

5
The Yomiuri Shimbun

• Founded in 1874, to turn its 130th anniversary
  this year
• Publishes 10 million copies a day
• In cooperation w/ The Washington Post, LA Times,
  Chicago Tribune, The Times (London), Le Figaro
• Governs TV stations, a symphonic orchestra, The
  Giants, and so on
• Reads from top to bottom
• Also has an English daily, The Daily Yomiuri

6
Yomiuri On Line

• Launched in June, 1995
• PV 200 millions (Jan. 2004) UU 5 millions at
  home, 3 millions in office
• Ads revenue in FY2003 7.6 million (15 up)
• News features such as jobs, health, women,
  cars, money, travel, netdigital, etc.

7
Keitai Yomiuri

• NTT Docomo introduced first in Feb., 1999
• Among 80 million cell-phone users, 68 million
  subscribe to keitai-internet
• The Yomiuri feeds news, ring-tone melody, photos,
  email updates for baseball funs
• w/ 300 thousands subscribers paying 2 monthly,
  resulting in 7 million revenue annually

8
How YOL works

• Updated continuously whenever available, like a
  news agency or a blog
• Distribution Center, created in Mar. 2000,
  enables to publish articles online on 24/7 basis
• Same articles as the paper some materials
  purchased for features
• News Flow Reporters? Sr. reporter called
  Captain? Editors/DC? Proofreading Dept.?
  Editors/DC? Paper or Web or Cell phone or
  Electronic Signboard and so on

9
Market Problems

• Competitors Other papers. Not so much Yahoo!
  News in Japan. Not yet Google News
• Business model Only ads, No link
• Broadband contents Few movies

10
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