Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 9, July 4, 2004

Takahiro MIYAO (Professor, GLOCOM)

Partial transcript and translation from Prof. Miyao's Radio Program, posted here with permission of Radio Nikkei

Takahiro Miyao's Radio Institute of Global Communications: No. 9
Radio Nikkei daiichi hoso ; BS Radio Nikkei 300 ch.
Broadcast time:	July 4 (Sunday) 19:00-19:30
Recording place:	Recorded in Radio Nikkei's Studio
Program:	1. Introduction 2. Virtual Discussion 3. Trend Research 4. Concluding Remarks
Audio:	Radio Program  (Windows Media Player) (Mainly in Japanese but some parts in English) Asia Station Web site (in Japanese)

Introduction

How are you? I am visiting Los Angeles, California again, and I am now reporting from Hollywood. Just as last time I will have a guest, a Japanese musician, a well-known composer, who is working here in Hollywood, and I will ask him about the Japanese pop culture boom in the U.S, and its prospects in the future – a very interesting and important topic. So, please stay tuned.

Virtual Discussion

In this corner, we will take up one article from our GLOCOM Platform (www.glocom.org). In his new opinion paper, Fuji Xerox Chairman Yotaro Kobayashi proposes "a new profile" (atarashii kuni-no katachi) for Japan. He says that Japan has been so successful in promoting economic growth in the past that it is now sticking to the good old days and can no longer adjust to changing global conditions. So Japan needs a "new profile" to start again. Mr. Kobayashi emphasizes the following points in particular. First, restoration of "home," meaning family, and corporate social responsibility are important from a domestic viewpoint, and second, there should be a system of social governance with ordinary citizens' participation. Third, education is crucial for the purpose of personal governance. Mr. Kobayashi also adds that Japan's new profile must be established for external purposes, especially to lead a movement toward a closer relationship with China and eventually an East Asian Economic Community after the EU.

Trend Research

Today we have a guest, Mr. Kunihiko Murai, who has composed quite a few hit songs in Japan in the past, and then produced a number of famous musicians as the president of a record company in Japan. More recently Mr. Murai is staying in Hollywood, producing a lot of good music from his global perspectives. Today, I will ask him about the Japanese pop culture boom in Hollywood, and its future prospects.

(Interview with Mr. Murai)

Closing Remarks

If you have any comment on today's program, please contact us through our Radio Nikkei hompage (www.radionikkei.jp/joho). Actually you can hear our past broadcast program on our homepage by clicking the "on-demand" section in the upper righthand corner. I hope you enjoyed today's program. Our next program will be on the first Sunday in August, that is, August 1. I will see you then.