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Rise of Electronic Books -- The Publishing Culture Should Be Protected --

Editorial: Rise of Electronic Books -- The Publishing Culture Should Be Protected --
 The electronic books market, where you can download from the Internet and read on your PC or dedicated terminal, has expanded. Even though paper books will still be the mainstay for some time, the Japanese publishing industry is in a period of transition. The publishing culture supports freedom of expression and speech and is vital to democracy. We must make sure that the advance of digitalization does not cause a negative effect.
 According to Impress R&D, a media research company, the total sales of electronic books was about 65 billion yen in FY 2010. This is an increase of about 13% compared with the previous fiscal year. It is estimated that the sales will reach about 200 billion yen in FY 2015.
 So far, electronic books are mainly intended for cell phones. This type of electronic book still accounts for 88% in FY 2010 and most of them are comic books. However, the sales of other books such as literary and business books also started increasing last year partly because new terminals that support electronic books have been launched in succession. These new terminals include "iPad," electronic book readers, and smartphones (multifunctional cell phones). It is projected that the sales of electronic books intended for these new types of terminals will exceed those for cell phones in FY 2013.
 Meanwhile, we cannot help but notice that major publishers have started launching new books in electronic formats. Shinchosha has decided to digitize paper books a half year after their publication from August if authors agree, though there are some exceptions such as paperback editions. Kodansha is also actively working on digitizing to establish a system to digitize publications with the consent of the authors by next June.
 Electronic books are available anytime, anywhere as long as you can connect to the Internet. They do not need space and are convenient to carry around. The cost for maintaining printing blocks is also lower than paper books. The sales of paper books (excluding magazines) was 821.3 billion yen in 2010 and saw year-to-year declines for four consecutive years according to the Research Institute for Publications. Publishers place expectations on electronic books as an opportunity to attract new readers in this deep slump.
 However, a wide range of problems have been shown. The most important thing is to protect the variety of publications as well as the rights of authors and publishers.
 Pricing, especially, requires deliberate consideration. Each publisher sets prices at 70% to 80% of paper books. Prices that are too low could damage the publication system to create quality books and distribute correct information. Some, however, argue that prices should be lower because electronic books require less cost than paper books. We must set out some rules.
 There is also a problem about subscription agents and book stores, which are a part of the publishing culture. Book stores may be able to serve as small local cultural centers.
 We have to make this big change an opportunity to stimulate people to read more books rather than a publication crisis.
Source: The Mainichi Newspapers, July 18, 2011

Front Page Editorial: Matsuo Basho's Purpose of Travel Recorded in the Form of the Travel Diary "Oku no Hosomichi"
 Why did Matsuo Basho go to Tohoku as recorded in his haiku travel diary "Oku no Hosomichi?" The heroine of "Kagayaku Hi no Miya" by Saiichi Maruya (published by Kodansha Bunko), a scholar of Japanese literature, presented a unique theory at an academic conference. She argued that Basho went to Tohoku to quietly commemorate Minamoto no Yoshitune in a very private manner on the 500th anniversary of his death. Yoshitune was defeated by Fujiwara no Yasuhira and killed himself at Takadachi (Hiraizumi-machi, Iwate Prefecture) in 1189. Basho visited this old battle site in 1689, exactly 500 years later. Although this bold idea is criticized by senior researchers in the novel, you will never forget this attractive theory after reading it. First, the combination of the tragic hero and the great poet is overwhelmingly interesting. Secondly, 500 is a simple number and very persuasive. More importantly, this theory makes us recognize the continuation from the past to the present. The other day, I visited Hiraizumi, recently registered on the World Heritage List. I visited Motsuji temple, where there is a stone monument of "Natsukusaya Tsuwamonodomo ga Yume no Ato (The summer grass -- It is all that's left of ancient warriors dreams)," and climbed Mount Kinkei (it has the tomb of Yoshitune's wife and children at the base). Tourists have been coming back after a sharp decline following the Great East Japan Earthquake. I heard that individual walkers outnumber group tourists visiting there by sightseeing bus. In fact, tourists with backpacks were walking here and there. Hiraizumi was in full flourish in the 12th century and was said to embody the pure land (the place where Buddha lives) in this world. Going back to the past and thinking about history is the real charm of visiting World Heritage sites. Nearly five months have passed since the great earthquake. How will the nuclear accident be remembered in 500 years' time, for instance? This summer, we should consider the direction of our civilization in the long course of history so as not to lose control over the direction of restoration.
Source: The Mainichi Newspapers, August 1, 2011