Report on Electronic Networking in Japan

by Izumi Aizu

Japan is a country known for its homogeneous nature, and that applies equally to the computer industry and its users. All of a sudden, almost everybody inside the industry is starting to talk about the use of computers for online services. Most of the computer magazines have written about 'database services' or 'telecomputing', mostly featuring The Source, Delphi, CompuServe and Dialog. Some talk about a number of tiny BBSes run by computer lovers. This is *the* hottest issue--it started last year and still going on and on.

One of the reasons behind this rapid growth of interest is the deregulation of NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph), a counterpart to AT&T. As of April 1, 1985, this giant company (the biggest corporation in Japan with 300,000 employees) became 'private'. It had been tightly controlled by the Government. Thus, the use of telephone lines for data communications has been strictly limited to only those who have special needs and qualifications. 'Personal use' was out of the question.

But now, that's got to change. The industry--or the famous Japan, Inc. itself--demands that freedom of communication is essential for the coming information age, at least the freedom for their business. 'New Media' has been the term used to include any new type of communication business such as CATV, satellite broadcasting, videotex, high speed digital communication, digital facsimile, and many more. A national project called INS (Integrated Network System) has been started that connects every corner of this small country with fiber optical cables which accommodate all sorts of electronic data.

So the deregulation is under way. Very slowly. Now we can use acoustic
couplers without any prior permission from NTT. Yet, there are still absolutely no made-in-Japan modems available with auto-dial and auto-logon capability! Several telephone equipment companies have introduced the 'modem phone', which is a telephone system with built-in modem. But only one model has the capability to hook to KDD's VENUS-P data communication line because of non-matching standards of protocol!! (KDD is an international telephone service like ITT.) All these stupid things are happening because the technology is there, yet people do not know how to really use and manage such new technology.

Luckily, these frustrations have been channeled into curiosity, so awareness and interest has never been stronger. One book called "Personal Computer Communication Handbook" published by ASCII (the largest software publisher of its kind) sold 30,000 copies in its first two weeks in print. Other similar books are also selling very well. A magazine titled "Nikkei Communications" will be published by Nikkei-MacGraw-Hill, joint affiliates of US MacGraw-Hill and Nihon Keizai Shimbun, which is Japan's largest business and technology publisher. A number of companies are reported to have pilot projects already under way, and others are planning to start soon.

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Among these pioneers is ASCII, which introduced a free trial use of online information service called "Ascii Net" in May this year. So far, it has attracted 4,000 members (in three months!) who bought the $10 handbook. Right now it's *free of charge* and in an experimental stage, but ASCII is planning to develop it into a full commercial service later this year. This is one of the first services of its kind where we can use the Japanese language online. They have whole bunch of menu choices including electronic bulletin boards, conference, electronic mail service, some information on computers, and, of course, the online game section. A number of 'special interest groups' are being formed.

Another brave company is Japan Airlines (JAL). JAL has been one of the most aggressive companies outside the computer/communication industry to enter the information service business. The director of this project said to me in February, "An airline company can no longer base its business on the air! We should live on information instead." Their current experiment involves about 1,000 users and provides JAL's flight schedule all over the world as well as Overseas Event News of the major cities (e.g. concerts, sports games, and special exhibitions) and some bulletin board services.

One of the biggest business magazine publishers is starting "Online Database Service", aimed at the individual 'Yuppie-type' businessman early next year. NTT is also planning to start its own computer communications service with E-mail and Bulletin Boards sometime next year. A big retail company, a major construction company, computer makers, and newspaper publishers--really a lot of diversified businesses--are now looking at the wide potential of the computer communication business.

But I want to emphasize an important aspect of these endeavors. They tend to consider these new trends as 'database' or 'service'--not communications in the way we think of it in connection with computer conferencing. They do not make a clear distinction between one-way service and two-way communications at all. So far, very few people in Japan have discovered the vast possibilities for electronic networking or computer conferencing. Of course, as one of the fortunate few, I'm planning to promote the trend in conjunction with ENA. It will certainly take quite an effort to evolve an original concept within the Japanese cultural context and implement it within our society.

There are good indications though. Most of the people I speak with--from all parts of society--become very much interested in the new direction. The existence of Meta:Net, Unison, The WELL, EIES, Parti, and many more 'networks' is of great interest to them. Business executives are looking for new kinds of business networking, including international ones. Educational and social workers are the same, as well as grass roots-level citizens' groups of various kinds. The book "NETWORKING" by Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps was translated into Japanese and gained so much popularity that it has gone into a third printing. (The US version has not yet reached the 2nd Print as of this writing.)

People have been particularly interested when I tell them about getting a quick response from the networks for specific questions, new encounters with some unknown people across the Pacific that resulted in a concrete business relationship, and the like. Of course, there is a big interest in making a Universal network in Japan, too. I'm looking forward to continuing to exchange information and ideas about networking and sharing what's going on in Japan with ENA through the NETWEAVER. Things are happening fast--even in Japan.

Author's Note: Izumi Aizu is a Networking Design Consultant in Tokyo, Japan. He has published articles in both Japanese and U.S. publications about the computer industry, business, and networking and is a member of the Computer Press Association. Izumi will be sharing more of his knowledge about networking in Japan in a session at ENA's conference in November.