As the cool animated video takes us from the once-upon-a-time healthy Japanese diets based on locally grown foods to the “and now” more westernized diet of oils and meats, we see Japan’s local farming industries erode, and the bellies of our happy example family expand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok3ykR2GHCc

The animation was done by Groovisions from Tokyo. The video style brings to mind the Norwegian musical video ‘Remind Me’ by music duo Royksopp (seen below). Interestingly enough, the Royksopp video ends with a zoom-in on the island of Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBvaHZIrt0o

All in all, a very attractive effort by the Japanese government to speak to their populous in an easy and fun way that everyone can understand, while creating a real viral asset.

My question is: where are Canada’s PSAs? Albeit a polished approach like the Japanese one is not expected, we surely have issues of our own to alert the public about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-76oq_AHHg

This phone comes with a variety of attachments to allow the owner to switch between flutes, harmonicas, trumpets, etc.

Kilian-Nakamura.com notes additional musician/DJ mobile phone instruments that were unveiled at the exhibit, including a folding DJ scratch pad and synthesizer, a string-instrument cell phone, air-drum sticks, and keyboard instrument.

Mobile phone innovation is no big thing in Japan. Fierce competition by the three main mobile service providers (Docomo, KDDI, and Softbank) in the trend-loving Japanese market had already produced technologies years ahead of anything we have in North America or Europe (let alone Canada’s dinosaur rate of adoption of new mobile technologies). Japanese consumers today use their mobile phone as an all-in-one lifestyle device. Phones are used as mini-TVs, email/internet devices, credit cards, RFID swipe cards, and for virtual gaming to name a few.

The early July launch of the iPhone in Japan (same day as its launch in Canada) was preceded by speculations of poor uptake in a market where the ‘wow’ factor of the iPhone is eclipsed by existing technologies. (A previous blog post about the iPhone’s in Japan can be found here). However, early stats seem to show that the exclusive provider (Softbank) is raking in subscriptions that may have boosted their market ranking from number three (behind KDDI) to number two for the month of July.

However, skeptics still believe that the uptake is only a small percentage of the market, most likely comprised of “gaijin” (foreigners/outsiders) and Apple enthusiasts. They predict that the growth is unsustainable and will not crossover into mainstream Japanese consumers due to the lack of gadgetry in the iPhone (e.g. to use the phone as a charge card or watch Japanese digital television during daily commute).

It is almost depressing to talk about cell phone technologies while I sit in Canada, unable to blog through my mobile phone due to crippling data usage rates that restrict non-corporate consumers from shedding the tethers of connectivity and relying on the chains of home/office networks to communicate and innovate.

Japan’s oligopoly resulted in constant competition to provide consumers with better cheaper mobile technologies, while Canada’s big three (Rogers, Bell Aliant, and Telus) appear to have a silent price-fixing agreement. High cell phone and data rates in Canada are preventing entire industries from taking off due to low uptake of cellphone internet usage. Mobile internet commerce, application, and game development for the cell phone industry in Canada is near obsolete.

When was the last time you saw a job posting seeking “mobile application developers” in Canada?

On the Halifax front:

Local developer and Lebanese Honorary Consul, Mr. Wadih Fares, had a good couple of weeks. He was named ‘Businessman of the Year’ by the Canadian-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, and his controversial 19-story condo building proposal was approved by city council in a historical 21-1 vote. Critics of the proposal involved the usual crew of Heritage advocates, with unbeatable arguments like ‘the building will throw a shadow that may touch a nearby heritage neighborhood’. The same critics are planning to show up en-mass to an upcoming public hearing for another waterfront development project, this one for the $30 Million complex proposed by Halkirk Properties as a restoration/redevelopment of the Alexander Keiths Brewery District.

Canadian News:

CBC lost the rights to the theme song of ‘Hocky Night in Canada’. CTV immediately swiped up the license and locked it in for infinity and beyond. The theme is considered Canada’s ‘second national anthem’. The news prompted this jab from Stephen Colbert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8BhSXEu3fo

International Business:

As of last week, Iran began pulling out their assets from EU banks to respond to the threat of additional sanctions. A new effort championed by the US seems to be on its way to convince EU member countries to increase their squeeze on Iran’s nuclear program. Before any potential asset freezing takes place, Iran is taking out their foreign exchange assets (reserves valued at $80 Billion USD) and converting it into gold and equities.

To the speculators out there: take note of the following three market reactions to the Iran asset-pull:

1. Gold will increase as a sudden increase of demand for bullion will hit the market through Iran’s bullion buyers
2. Oil prices will increase as the new potential sanctions may have an impact on supply out of Iran, the fourth largest oil producer in the world.
3. Look for investment opportunities in small banks who plan to continue dealing with Iran. Also look at banks in China, Middle East, former Soviet-bloc and other countries that remain friendly (or at least neutral) to Iran. These banks will be getting the windfall from the Iranian assets that will be pulled from European banks.

Technology:

Apple’s iPhone debuted in Japan in association with Softbank. The prospect of success for the iPhone in Japan was discussed in a previous post (click here for post). Meanwhile, Yahoo!’s board of directors is still in hot waters after they botched the Microsoft offer to buy them out. They went back to Microsoft begging for resumed negotiations, but were met with a firm ‘not interested anymore’. Quick to show SOMETHING to their investors and dodge a visit to the guillotine that Carl Icahn is setting up for the Yahoo! executive board, a deal was struck with rival Google to outsource a portion of Yahoo’s search advertising business for an estimated $250 to $450 million of additional annual revenue to Yahoo!.

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That’s it for now. I will try to post more often!

Ever had issues trying to parallel-park an SUV or large moving van? Well stress no more! Nissan’s new ‘around-view’ built-in monitor has four cameras mounted around the car that combine to provide a virtual view of the car as if you were looking at it from above.

Nissan coupled this nice new feature with a great TV ad. Check it out!

[youtube = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gJ7EvDkT1s]

Seen on [JMN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3bsY6Cfqsw

Business Week reporter Kenji Hall gives a good overview of the state of innovation in the mobile communication industry of Japan and the options that Apple may be negotiating with NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest wireless operator. You can read the full article here.

I remember reading about one of DoCoMo’s innovations back in early 2005. The ‘Finger Phone’ (called “Finger Whisper”) used bone vibrations to conduct sound instead of ear pieces. I4U News reported that the Finger Whisper phone is answered by touching forefinger to thumb and then by putting the forefinger in the ear to hear who is ringing. The call is ended by again touching forefinger to thumb. The phone has no keypad but users can make a call by saying out loud the number they want to reach.

DoCoMo was prototyping the phone in 2000 and had anticipated launching to retail by 2005. I haven’t heard much about it recently though. I wonder if Canadian consumers would ever be attracted to something like this. After all, seeing someone walking down the street with his finger in his ear is no more strange than seeing people pace around the side walk talking to themselves (the usefulness of hands-free communication still does not justify how ridiculous people look like when using a bluetooth ear piece in public, specially when their hands are visibly free to hold up the phone like the rest of us mobile-yielding common folk).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHRgno77tFA

A ’behind the scenes’ look at Microsoft Surface was presented in July 2007 by the folks at popularmechanics.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1O917o4jI

Much like slot machines in the western world, Pachinko is a game played obsessively by Japanese people. The game is an arcade-style unit that is a cross between a pinball and a video game machine. Players don’t win any money, but they can win a number of little nick-nacks and prizes. Winning money will render the activity as ‘gambling’, and gambling is prohibited in Japan.

It is not uncommon to see a morning lineup infront of Pachinko parlors waiting for them to open. Addicts of the game will stand there with money in one hand, and a ‘good luck’ charm  in the other. This can be their cat, an old coin, their lucky sock, you name it!

Pachinko parlors are normally sided by thrift shops. To get around the gambling ban, Pachinko winners take whatever small tokens they have won from the machine (watches, dolls, toy cars, small electronics, etc.) and go next door to exchange their winnings with cash by selling their prize to the second hand shop.

Another thing you see in Japan that you will never see in North America is your favourite celebrities doing commercials that are prohibited from being shown outside Japan. From Sean Connory’s Whisky and Yogurt commercials, to Tommy Lee Jones doing canned coffee.

But, the Pachinko ad below by Nicholas Cage brings the practice to a new low. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNhSpV25PE4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACFUdXBSu9A

Found on Trendhunter.com.

I visited Japan for a 6-day work trip in October 2006. Marketing in Japan is surreal! Every one hustles to come up with the loudest, most innovative, and most attractive market presence.

Via Japan Marketing News.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQdxj_kBavo

Mike Fiorella of JMN notes: “Here’s a corporate image-building ad from Shiseido. Watch the expression on the actress’ face and see if you can: (a) not become completely choked up, and (b) not completely love Shiseido.”

He also draws our attention to the fact that “the ad doesn’t show a single identifiable Shiseido brand. And that it’s 90 seconds long.”

Below is a rough translation of the lyrics, via Mike’s blog:

Today my boyfriend broke up with me…
I guess I knew it wasn’t going to work out.
But, you know, at the time, he did have a faint smile on his face so. . .

And my mother, who used to wipe away my tears at times like this, is gone too. . .

I can forget. I can forget.
And become someone new.
I can forget. I can forget.
I can forget. I think I can.

I can forget. I can forget.
And become someone new.
I can forget. I can forget.
I can forget. I think I can.

Voice over: When you become someone new, a more beautiful tomorrow is certain.
Telop: For a moment. For a lifetime. Beautifully. Shiseido.