Third generation mobile telecommunications (3G) launched in 2001 in Japan led to the diffusion of mobile data services and advanced mobile devices. It resulted in people spending more time on mobile data services than traditional voice call services. Furthermore, smartphone penetration is rapidly growing after various kinds of smartphone devices have been introduced in 2010, which are replacing feature phones. The analysis based on a recent nationwide survey conducted among smartphone users shows that users’ positive attitude toward smartphones significantly impacts the intention to use and the attitude is influenced mostly by user’s perception of usefulness of smartphones. And also this study finds that user’s intention to use smartphones is also impacted by social influences such as others’ opinions and cultures/ norms in the user’s specific group.
This study makes clear features of the adoption of smartphones and makes proposals which are of interest both to smartphone users and those working in the mobile phone business.

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In present-day Japan, video games have become a popular amusement media. Thus far, video game research has focused on the effects of videogames, but video games are a form of media which make the user become actively involved in the game. Therefore, more than is the case for other media, research needs to be done from the user’s perspective. This paper makes use of “Uses and Gratifications Research”. As a result, seven factors appeared. They are fantasy, recognition, preference, achievement, friend, study and diversion. In addition, it became clear that the stronger the six motives apart from “diversion” become, the higher is a person’s devotion to video games.

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Since Personal Data Protection (PDP) Laws have been made effective, there has been a heated debate how to protect personal data as well as privacy. After 8 years experience in Japan, however, consensus has not been reached even as to the relationship between PDP and privacy protection. This uneasiness may result from the fact that the debate is exchanged mostly among law practitioners, which tends to be pragmatic rather than theoretical without proving the causality of privacy infringements. This paper tries to break through the present impasse by an academic re-analysis of the interests and methods of PDP from scratch. The author proposes several ideas, including unbundling of PDP from privacy protection,separate treatment of PDP for governmental data from PDP in general, and separation between syntactical and semantic understanding of information, as well as “liability against commitment as a corporate responsibility for information management”.

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The purpose of this study is to compare “the viewing of downloaded files of TV programs” and “the viewing of videos through TV devices” by youth in Korea, which is one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world, in order to understand the gratifications people feel in the two different types of viewing and the social and media factors which affect them. This study also examines whether the viewing of downloaded files of TV programs can replace the viewing of videos through TV devices. The results of the interview research showed that the motives of the viewing of downloaded files of TV programs includes “the possession of files,” “the release from time,” “the release from places,” “the diversity of videos,” “the selective viewing,” and “the non-possession of TV devices.” They were different from the motives that previous research on traditional media indicated. It was also found that the viewing of videos through TV devices was motivated by “the viewing with others,” “the real time viewing,” and “the quality of the screens,” which shows specific characteristics of the TV devices. The results showed that the motives were related with five factors, “the diversity of ways for video viewing,” “the diversity of video contents,” “the non-possession of personal TV devices,” “popular TV programs non-terrestrial channels broadcast,” and “busy with everyday life.” Korean young people use these two different types of viewing based on different motives taking properties of each media into account. These findings indicate that TV broadcasting should provide the video contents and the video viewing environment that make adequate use of the specific features of the TV device. It will lead to the maintaining and improving of the position of the TV device in the society.

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The aim of this study is to verify the causal relationship between ICT and economic development in Thailand by providing a comprehensive framework based on economic theory and followed by sound quantitative analyses. The framework consists of three elements, namely communications consumption, communications investment, and labour productivity. The contribution of ICT to economic growth has been repeatedly discussed in the literature. Most studies have concluded positive impacts of ICT on economic development in various countries. This study tackles a further investigation on the issue by focusing on the relationship of ICT and the improvement of labour productivity in a developing country. Thailand is selected as ground for investigation since for this country the relationship has not yet been examined by using a macroeconomic model. In other words, this study aims to provide a country study with respect to the impact of ICT on the macroeconomic development. The results from OLS estimation and a bivariate autoregressive estimation show that the improvement in the value of either communications consumption or investment leads to the increase of labour productivity. This is in accordance with the proposed framework; hence, it can be considered a proper fundamental for practical extension. A remarkable result is that an improvement in the value of communications consumption also leads to the growth of the value of communications investment. This is because an increase in the level of communications consumption reveals that the workers are getting more familiar with ICT-related devices and services, which further stimulates firms to invest more as they can ensure effective utilisation of the increased ICT-related capital. Finally, relevant policy implications include promotional policies to increase communications consumption, and some business incentives to facilitate ICT investment.

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Japanese brewing companies have historically engaged in approaches targeting mass audiences both through sales activities and large-scale advertising using the mass media These have been effective in increasing demand for alcoholic products. In recent years, however, mass marketing by the brewing industry, particularly traditional advertising through the mass media, has taken on a new dimension. Currently, we are witnessing tremendous changes in the market, such as severe price wars, as a result of globalization, a deflationary domestic economy, more diverse client preferences, and consumer buying behavior. This study thus reviews the changing marketing environment in the Japanese brewing industry and introduces the latest marketing case studies of domestic brewing companies which use social media. In addition, it discusses the state of social media marketing by classifying 7 types of social media strategies - Listening, Communication, Public Relations, Activation, Supporting, Promotion, Embracing - adopted by each company.

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