Japan Foundation Toronto

Date: Friday, January 20, 6:30 pm
Location: The Japan Foundation, Toronto
Address: 131 Bloor St. W., 2nd Floor of the Colonnade Building
Admission: Free
RSVP required: www.jftor.org/whatson/rsvp.php or (416) 966-1600 x103

Japan has long been at the forefront of the global digital revolution, with active engagement in such transformation technologies as video game consoles, laptop computers, and mobile phones. In recent years, the digital content sector (video games, online gaming, digital music, mobile commerce, etc) has emerged as a crucial element in the 21st century economy. However, according to Dr. Coates, Japan's long-standing and assertive national innovation strategies, designed to position the country for global competitiveness in the new economy, have yet to fully adapt to the new realities. This presentation examines the challenges faced by the unfolding digital content industry, with its very unique entrepreneurial and corporate structures, and government policies designed largely for the manufacturing sector.

About the speaker:
Ken Coates is Professor of History, University of Waterloo, and President of the Japan Studies Association of Canada. His wide-ranging interests include Aboriginal rights, world history and the social impact of new technologies. He has co-authored, with Carin Holroyd, two books on Japanese innovation, including Japan and the Internet Revolution and Innovation Nation: Science and Technology in 21st Century Japan. He is currently working on a study of the emergence of the digital economy in Japan and the development of the digital content sector in the country. Together with Dr. Holroyd, he is finishing a book on the Digital Revolution in East Asia. Professor Coates received a Japan Foundation Fellowship in 2010.