Japan Media Review Update: August 23, 2004

JMR Staff (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California)

Review
The following reviews are posted at: http://www.japanmediareview.com/japan/digest/digest.php

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

Online Protection for Teen Crime Suspects Sought
From the Mainichi Daily News: The government could ask Web hosting companies to remove names and photos of underage crime suspects from their sites, if an industry panel's recommendation is approved. Under the proposal, the Justice Ministry will be able to formally demand Internet service providers eliminate identifying information about juvenile criminal suspects from their sites. The demand would have no legal authority, but ISPs would be required to provide an explanation if they refuse to comply. The Justice Ministry has requested these guidelines because of a rapid increase in the number of messages posted on the Internet containing information about children taken into custody for brutal crimes. For example, after the popular Internet bulletin board Channel 2 shared the name and photos of a junior high school student who killed in infant in Nagasaki in July 2003, the Justice Ministry requested removal of such information more than 1,100 times after the suspect was taken into custody.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori

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

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

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

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