Asahi Shimbun, one of the largest newspapers in Japan and the world, is to start "Asahi Shimbun Digital" at 3 p.m. today, May 18th 2011, which is seen on its teaser page [J] (thanks @kansai_takako).

The teaser page does not tell much, but I think the "digital" means paid-subscription of online version, like Nikkei has been doing on its Nikkei Digital.

Asahi Shimbun has been running its online site Asahi.com, and selling archive database services under several different packages [J] to enterprises and individuals. In July 2009, they purchased CNET Japan, one of the largest online IT news media in Japanese.

[Update] It has begun at 15:00. As I expected, it is a paid subscription service.

The top page of the Asahi Shimbun Digital is typical online newspaper site, and the design is different from Asahi.com. Except the top page, all articles are not accessible behind authentication - login and password.

Prices are very similar with Nikkei's one. If you already subscribe the paper version (3,800 yen = US$47), you can access the digital version with extra 1,000 yen($12.3). If you only want the online version, it costs 3,800 yen. So same as Nikkei, they show their preference that their readers keep reading its paper version.

To subscribe, you need to register on Jpass, an online payment service provided by Asahi Shimbun. By the end of July, it is readable for free.

Asahi.com reports [J] this new Asahi Shimbun Digital at 15:01 today.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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As we reported the leaked info last month, Japan's industrial newspaper Nikkei Shimbun (Nikkei is abbreviation of Nihon Keizai = Japan's economy) is to begin their paid online version since March 23rd 2010.

The service name is "The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Digital Version", nicknameed "Web-Kan". This "Kan" means "publish" in Japanese.

As rumoured, the subscription fee is 4,000 yen (44.3 USD). If you are reading paper version (4,383 yen), you only need another 1,000 yen and can read both paper and digital version total in 5,383 yen (59.7 USD).

Mobile pages for Japanese cellphone are also provided, included.

See Also:

Nikkei's Press Release [J]

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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Dentsu Inc., Japan's largest advertisement agency, published its annual Japan's advertising expenditures report. [J, pdf]

According to the report, Dentsu estimates that advertisers spend 7.77 billion USD (1.2% growth) more on the Internet than on newspaper advertising 7.40 billion in 2009, first time in history. The No.1 television earned 18.84 billion, which is 10.2% decreased.

On the same Dentsu's past reports, the Internet advertising expenses passed magazine in 2007, radio in 2004.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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Two of Japan's most authoritative newspapers, Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun both put a very similar notes on their front editorial on January 29th, which made net users upset.

Both referred the statistical trend which had been announced by The National Police Agency. The number of homicides and homicide attempts in 2009 was 1,097, and that is the lowest record after the World War II, which is... definitely great news, isn't it?

Those two prestige newspapers have different thought on the news. Leading liberal newspaper Asahi's editorial said,

"Ironically, it is said to be possible that the Internet society weakening people's relationship is one of the reasons to lower the the homicides." [J]

Hmm. *Who* said that? On the same day Nikkei, quality business paper, you saw,

There is an expert who tells that people's relationship weakened recently reduces tiffs against others. The self-absorbed Internet society strengthens this tendency, some pointed. [J]

In Japan, traditional media take more confrontational attitude against the Internet, if you compare it with west. One reason is that their readers demographics is on older side, whilst the Internet is welcoming younger people.

The world-class (by number) gigantic newspapers are supported by those old generation who believe that those newspapers are the right information source. Any critics on the Internet is favoured to the majority of the readers who dislike the Internet.

See Also:

Interview of Journalist Toshinao Sasaki, who warns this divided generation and old/new media issue.

Tags: Japan, Trend by Akky Akimoto
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Nihon Keizai Shimbun (The Nikkei) [Wikipedia], one of the most influential industrial newspaper in Japan, who had declared its digital version launch plan for this spring on its January 3rd newspaper, seems to set its starting time and fee plan, according to multiple sources.

Both February issue of Facta magazine [J, magazine subscription required] and MyCom Journal column [J] reported that the internally announced the Nikkei's digital version plan.

According to them, the "Digital Version" of the Nikkei will launch in March. Current paper subscribers, who are paying 4,300 yen (47.7 USD) per month for morning and evening papers, can also read the online version on the web by paying extra 1,000 yen (11.1 USD). If you only need the online access, monthly subscription fee will be 4,000 yen (44.4 USD) per month. The subscription fee will be basically charged by credit card.

The number of paper subscribers is about 3 million. (by Nikkei [J])

MyCom wrote that Nikkei can differentiate the new online paid site from the current Nikkei Net, which is totally free, by providing dedicated cellular phone site, access to company database and past articles search (most of Japanese newspaper's online site remove their past news from the web after few weeks).

Nikkei's image of digital version used on their last year's article

Nikkei also wrote that the online version will have by-user based article recommendation, personalized targeting ads as well.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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