Japanese Multimedia Industry Update

Discusses a new trend among Japan’s giant electronics and telecommunications companies and ministries: a concerted effort to develop a multimedia society like the one growing in the U.S. Describes efforts by Japanese computer and electronics conglomerates to promote multimedia by creating multimedia divisions, acquiring new media technology through joint ventures, and shifting from hardware to software and services. Discusses the Japanese government’s role in the development of a methodology to determine how to create Japan’s information infrastructure and describes some of the projects in Japan’s ministries designed to lead the way.