YouTube suddenly popular in Japan


Japan's TV channels are angry about the piracy of its programs on the free YouTube Web site. Viewing figures for the site have taken off in Japan in recent months. An estimated 200,000 Japanese visited the free site in December 2005, but that figure had soared to more than 4 million by May.

NHK and Japan's five major commerical TV stations have expressed concern about their programming being posted on the Web for free. "We are asking YouTube to delete illegally reproduced videos that have been uploaded onto the site without the copyright owner's permission," NHK spokeswoman Naoko Sakamoto said.

Mainichi reports that one of Japan's top promoters of showbiz talent, Johnny's Jimusho, the office of Johnny Kitagawa, said it is mulling legal action to make sure its performer's rights are not infringed upon. A spokesman for the agency said it was determined to "root out" YouTube and similarly predatory web sites.

Predatory?

YouTube is a lot of fun, great for bringing people together, and with a little patience and clever key words you get to see some really funny videos. Try "Japan", "Tokyo", "Kyoto" or other Japanese words or names and see what you find.

And, if you type SMAP in your search you will get to see Japan's most popular boy-band (not so young anymore, though) in a number of music videos, ads and TV shows. And, oh yes, in case you didn't know, SMAP are Johnny's Jimusho's main cash cow. Enjoy them for free as long as it lasts! Go, YouTube, go, I'm a fan.

Bonus: Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana, special version by SMAP.

Comments

Pandabonium said…
Complaining about free advertising? Be glad for YouTube - a lot of people would never know about you otherwise, Johnny.
6:19 pm, July 28, 2006
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