蔡成平/环球时报英文版       http://opinion.globaltimes.cn/commentary/2011-02/621672.html

 

Fresh Japan's launching cover

Editor's Note:

With a domestic readership of nearly 8 million, the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's most influential newspaper, is one of the largest papers in the world. Last year, it launched a spinoff magazine in Chinese language, Fresh Japan (xinxian riben), which publishes translated articles from the Japanese edition for the Chinese readership. Why did the paper decide to move into the Chinese market? What role can the media play in public diplomacy? Tokyo-based Global Times (GT)reporter Cai Chengping conducted an exclusive interview with Tsuyoshi Nojima (Nojima), editor in chief of Fresh Japan and the head of Chinese team at the international headquarters of the Asahi Shimbun, on these issues.

GT: Why has the Asahi Shimbun decided to launch a Chinese-language spinoff, Fresh Japan magazine?

Nojima: Asahi Shimbun has had an English-language edition for a long time. It's also intended to move into the Chinese market for quite some time, but for various reasons, didn't manage this.

In the meantime, with the emergence of the Chinese economy, there is a huge demand for information in China, and the information market in China has unlimited potential. Targeting the Chinese market has therefore become increasingly urgent.

The international headquarters of the Asahi Shimbun officially placed the Chinese edition on the agenda last year and started to publish Fresh Japan at the end of last year.

Most of the news and pictures published in this magazine come directly from the Asahi Shimbun and its magazine series, which concentrate the essence of high-quality information from the Asahi Shimbun.

We hope that with the help of Fresh Japan, the Chinese audience can be provided with different perspectives and opinions. We would be honored if the magazine met Chinese readers' needs.

GT: Why did you pick the name "Fresh Japan?"

Nojima: When the magazine was being named, I put forward a number of proposals to the Chinese team of the Asahi Shimbun for reference. The members of the group from China unanimously agreed on "Fresh Japan" as the title.

At present, most information in Japan that Chinese domestic audience have access to is reported and edited by the Chinese media. Fresh Japan directly translates reports from the Asahi Shimbun into Chinese and presents their original flavor to the Chinese audience.  The title "Fresh Japan" indicates that the magazine will timely and accurately deliver the latest information on Japan from a fresh perspective.

GT: Currently most information that Chinese and Japanese audiences receive about each other is screened by the native media. In this case, what are the boundaries of content collection?

Nojima: In Japan, information about China is basically conveyed by Japanese media to the Japanese audience. At the same time, Chinese domestic readers access Japanese information mostly through Chinese media reports.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with this. But I think it's very important for ordinary people to be able to access a variety of perspectives. At present it's quite rare for Chinese to understand the Japanese perspective on events in Japan.

In the information era, readers need information with multiple perspectives and variety. That's why Fresh Japan takes the information straight from the Asahi Shimbun and its newspaper and magazine series and is translated directly by Asahi Shimbun groups without any changes.

Just as the magazine's name indicates, we firmly believe that Chinese audience can find the "fresh" image of Japan.

GT: What are the main contents of Fresh Japan? What kind of image does Fresh Japan intend to present to Chinese readers?

Nojima: Fresh Japan is divided into three sections, including economy, culture and tourism.

In the economic section, based on close following up of the Japanese economic outlook, enterprise trends, new R&D products and other information, we try to further the strengthening of business cooperation between China and Japan.

In the cultural section, we mainly provide information about aspects of Japan's pop culture, which is popular worldwide.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has soared in recent years.  The Japanese public has quite high expectations for the economic benefits of tourism and wishes to have more Chinese friends visit Japan. The tourist information that Chinese people can obtain at the moment is basically limited to Tokyo, Kyoto and Mount Fuji. But there is a demand for more detailed and extensive Japanese tourism information.

The Asahi Shimbun has a huge network throughout the country. So Fresh Japan firmly believes that it can provide unique tourist information to Chinese readers.

GT: How do you understand the relation between media and diplomacy?

Nojima: Generally speaking, people usually obtain information about other countries through the Internet, TV, newspaper and other media platforms, and then try to understand oversea situations and have interests in foreign things.

For example, young Chinese are quite familiar with Japanese anime and manga. Some of them become interested in other aspects of Japanese society because of their interest in Japanese pop culture.

In my opinion, as such groups of people familiar with Japan become more common, there will be a positive impact on the long-term and healthy development of Sino-Japanese relations, which will have great significance.

GT: In addition to Fresh Japan magazine, what are the Asahi Shimbun's plans for the Chinese market in the future?

Nojima: Currently we mainly focus on Fresh Japan in developing our Chinese information services. But now the magazine's sales are only limited to Chinese domestic market. We plan to launch sales in Japan and other markets this year.

There's a very large number of Chinese living in Japan, and there are also many Japanese who are making efforts to learn Chinese and wishing to improve their linguistic abilities by reading Japanese news in Chinese.

In addition, we plan to establish a Chinese website this year. The wider Chinese market includes the regions of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Therefore, Chinese information services is a very promising field.

GT: Media has very important social responsibilities. In your opinion, how can both Chinese and Japanese media provide more objective and rational coverage of both countries' affairs?

Nojima: This question may be beyond my competence. But I think that any responsible media of any countries including Japan and China should be committed to making objective and neutral reports based on the facts.

This has long been the unwavering position and attitude of the Asahi Shimbun and will be the standpoint of Fresh Japan.