Journal of Socio-Informatics

ISSN1882-9171

Journal of Socio-Informatics
Vol.3, No.1

Sep. 2010[Special Articles]
Disasters and IT

Hirohiko IZUMIDA
Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

Makoto NAGAO[Refereed Paper]
Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement:
Case Study of Ubiquitous Street Project Media Pole in Seoul, Korea
Yoo Sam KIM[Invited Papers]
Global Googlization and the Sharing of Memory

Kaoru ENDOThe Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Media of Japan

Kaoru ENDO
Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science
Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Yu ICHIFUJI,
Noboru SONEHARA, Masao SAKAUCHI

Vol.3, No.1

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics: On Socio-Informatics and Social
Informatics
Toshio KUROSU

Sep. 2010

The Japan Association for Social Informatics (JASI)The Japan Society for Socio-Information Studies (JSIS)Journal of Socio-Informatics
Vol.3, No.1

Sep. 2010◆CONTENTS◆[Special Articles]
Disasters and IT

Hirohiko IZUMIDA… 3
Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

Makoto NAGAO… 21[Refereed Paper]
Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement: Case Study of Ubiquitous Street
Project Media Pole in Seoul, Korea

Yoo Sam KIM… 31[Invited Papers]
Global Googlization and the Sharing of Memory

Kaoru ENDO… 41
The Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Media of Japan

Kaoru ENDO… 47
Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, Yu ICHIFUJI,
Noboru SONEHARA, Masao SAKAUCHI… 55
In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics: On Socio-Informatics and Social Informatics

Toshio KUROSU… 69

Disasters and IT

Hirohiko IZUMIDA, Governor of Niigata prefecture

Thank you for giving me today’s opportunity. As

action five times. Two of the requests were due tointroduced earlier, it was my first job as theearthquakes, and another two were due to heavy

Governor of Niigata Prefecture to deal with asnow. Among the snow cases, there was the casedisaster. On Friday five years ago ex-governor leftthat the border of Nagano Prefecture and Niigata

the prefectural office, and I was scheduled to startPrefecture became isolated because of the closure

as the governor at 0 a.m. on Monday. However, atof the national highways at the danger of avalanche.

5:56 p.m. on Saturday, an earthquake of magnitude

We requested Self Defense Force to go into action

6.8 occurred in Niigata. What we experienced thenin the case of the flood around Kashiwazaki city

was that we had lost means of contact. Today I

area. In total, I have dealt with disasters five times:

would like to talk about the roles of IT at the time

twice in the case of heavy snow, twice inof disasters, including the reasons we lost means

earthquakes, once in flood. Among such cases,of contact.

earthquakes give the most serious impact to the

By the way, I studied IT pretty well in mysociety.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry days,

Please have a look at Figure 1 about the situationand had an aspiration to be a governor who knewof Niigata Prefecture. Its location is a little north ofwell about IT. In reality, I tend to be chased by facts

the center of the main island of Japan. The

of disasters, however. In that sense, I think I wasprefecture is divided into Joetsu, Chuetsu andgiven the right address theme “Disasters and IT”

Kaetsu, and the length of the coastline is about 333

today.

kilometers. As the JR Shinkansen line between
Niigata station and Tokyo station is 333 kilometers,

First of all, please let me explain what kinds ofthe coastline is almost as long as the distancedisasters occurred in Niigata Prefecture, especiallybetween Niigata and Tokyo.

in relation to earthquakes.

In Figure 2, the deep gray shows The Mid

In fact, since I became the governor, we have

Niigata Prefecture Earthquake five years ago, thealready requested Self Defense Force to go into

light gray shows The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki

This script is the record of the address to congress at the Annual Joint Conference of JSIS and JASI 2009, held at
Niigata University on September 12, 2009.

3

Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

Figure 1

Figure 2

Outline of Niigata prefecture

Summary of The Niigataken Chuesu-oki Earthquake4

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Earthquake two years ago. Please look at The

Earthquake since the machine measurement

Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake area at thestarted. The earthquake two years ago occurred

upper left. It says 10:13, July 16, magnitude 6.8.

with almost the same cause, at almost the same

Please look at The Mid Niigata Prefecture

place, on almost the same scale, and the maximum

Earthquake in 2004 just under that. It says 5:56

seismic intensity was scaled 6-upper. I think thep.m., October 23, magnitude 6.8. It means that thedifference between them was that the firsttwo earthquakes occurred within the distance ofoccurred on the land and the second occurred in

40 kilometers and that both are so-called reverse

the sea. Although the magnitude was same, thefault type: the pressured ground slides diagonallyseismic intensity of two years ago was scaled

upward and causes an earthquake. In short, they

6-upper and that of 5 years ago was scaled 7

occurred at almost the same place, on almost the

because the measurement machine was only onsame scale, with the same cause. The maximum

the land.

seismic intensity of the earthquake five years ago

It is important to note that every earthquake

was scaled 7. The Mid Niigata Prefecture

has unique appearance; it is because the social

Earthquake has made the record of maximum

environment is always changing, never stays theseismic intensity after Great Hanshin-Awaji

same. To take a plain example, an earthquake

Table 1Comparison between The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake and The Mid Niigata
Prefecture Earthquake

5

Disasters and ITIZUMIDAoccurred around here about 150 years ago. It is

we would be able to go home from the airports.

called the 1828 Echigo-Sanjo Earthquake. It

The information from the Ministry of Foreign

occurred in the Edo Period. What happened when

Affairs came to Ottawa first, then to the consulates,

an earthquake had occurred then? The 1828

which was very slow and perfunctory. There was

Echigo-Sanjo Earthquake is supposed to be on the

no precise information, no information that people

same scale as The Mid Niigata Prefecturefrom Kansai area craved at all.

Earthquake and The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki

We got information through the PC network

Earthquake, but the circumstances of people’s life

communication services then.

were very different from today: there was no suchOn the other hand, the roles of volunteer

thing as electricity; there was no road for cars;

activities have come to be largely recognized sincemost houses were thatched-roofed; people led aGreat Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. What troubled

self sufficient life. In my childhood there was

us at the time of The Mid Niigata Prefecture

heavy snow called Unusual Heavy Snow in

Earthquake five years ago was how to locate

Hokuriku District in Syowa 38th year 1963 winter.

volunteers adequately, and that was extremely

In Niigata those days, most families had stock ofimportant. There is a saying, “Too many chefs

rice at home. They also had salted salmons andspoil the broth”. We had to dispatch adequate

pickled vegetables at home. In short, they led a life

persons to adequate places in order to avoid thatthat had no problem even if they had been isolated

saying’s situation.

and shut up by the snow all through the winter. In

Moreover, distribution of relief supplies is also

such age, all they had to do after an earthquake

hard work. If we call “Please send relief supplies towas to reform broken buildings a little. On thethe city hall”, what will happen? Administration isother hand, nowadays, physical distribution will

amateur of physical distribution. Then the relief

stop if roads are broken. Electricity will stop andsupplies will be piled up. Nobody knows what andinformationanwhere they are, and cannot distributes them. In

earthquake gives to the society nowadays is

the end, some people send old clothes which mightcompletely different from that in the Edo Period.

be regarded as rubbish. The problem then will be

By the way, I was in Vancouver at the time of

how to support adequately. Telling from theGreat Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. There was noconclusion, we really feel that contribution in cash

Internet then, and the most troublesome thingis enough. Even if we are not so explicit, we have

was that we could not make sure if our families

to gain necessary supplies such as water and foodand relatives in Hanshin-Awaji area were all rightfirst of all, and decide how to deliver them to places

or not. All the information we got in Canada thenof refuge adequately. To send information about

was TV news which showed scenes of billows ofwhen, where, and what kind of volunteers aresmoke and just said, “Kobe was hit by greatneeded, I really feel that IT is an extremely effective

earthquake”, giving us no further details. We got

tool.

will

be

interrupted.

What

no information except for the number of the dead

Excuse me for returning to the earthquakes.

which was increasing with time: it started with

Disasters never happen in the same way twice.

five, and was amounting to 2,000, and to 3,000. We

The earthquake of five years ago and that of two

had no information if our families were all right, if

years ago show completely different aspects. What
6

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

troubled us most at the time of the earthquake

disaster control should not be in the town hall inwhich had occurred 30 hours before I became thecase the hall itself fell, they put up a tent in front ofgovernor was isolation. That was the biggest

the town hall. Then they decided that they would

problem, and I suppose some of you mightrely on a satellite phone for outside contact.

remember“Yamakoshi-mura

However, there was only one satellite phone, so

village”. All people could do to let us know whatthekeyword,the line was always busy. That was the reason wewas lacking was to write down “SOS”, then “milk”,

could not contact through the regular lines, which“diapers”, “water” on the road. This was the

became clear afterwards.

situation at the time of the earthquake five years

There was a different reason we could notago. It was truly hard then to grasp what kind ofcommunicate with Yamakoshi-mura village, on thepeople could escape from the mountainous area,other hand. Here, mountains did not fall, but

to grasp where and how people were isolated. “No

moved. They stopped a river, which buried three-news is good news” is a usual way of administration.

storied houses in the water. What happened when

We deal with petitions passively when they come if

mountains moved was that roads became scattered.

there are problems. But we cannot do so in case of

Underneath the roads, there were optical fiber

disaster. We must judge that it is a crisis if we docables and all kinds of infrastructures. As for the

not get information. I think it is a very much

wireless base stations, they were supposed to bedifferent pattern of administration from that of thedriven by batteries for three hours, but the line

usual time.

was not connected with optical fiber cables being

Although there are only 31 municipalities in

cut off even when the radio wave was O.K. Then

Niigata Prefecture now, there were 112 when I

why was it possible for me to contact the mayor of

became the governor. The number of municipalities

Yamakochi-mura village? There was a core city

was greatly lessened by The Heisei Municipal

called Nagaoka city next to Yamakoshi-mura

Amalgamation. At the time of The Mid Niigata

village. They got amalgamated later and became

Prefecture Earthquake, I phoned the city mayors,

one Nagaoka city now. There was one place

the town mayors, and the village mayors of all the

between Yamakoshi-mura village and Nagaoka

municipalities along the list. There were twocity where radio wave could be received. The

mayors who I could not contact then. One was thevillage mayor knew that, and he got connectedmayor of Kawaguchi-machi town, where thewith me on the way to that place.

seismic intensity was recorded 7. The other was

I asked him, “How is the situation of Yamakoshi-

the mayor of Yamakochi-mura village, who is Mr.

mura village?” I am speaking from my memory, so

Nagashima, MP now. I could not contact theseit can be slightly conflicting with what the mayor

two.

remembers. He answered, “It is all over now. It has

Afterwards, the line was temporarily connectedcollapsed completely.” I asked him, “Do you needto Kawaguchi-machi town around 2 o’clock in thehelp from the prefecture?” He said, “Please,morning. Let me tell you why we could not contact

absolutely.” Then all the roads to Yamakoshi-murathem just after the earthquake. The entrance ofvillage got disconnected and the mountains fell, all

the Kawaguchi-machi town hall was about to fall at

the access to Yamakoshi-mura village was stopped.

any minute. Judging that the headquarters of

We sought Self Defense Force’s help.
7

Disasters and ITIZUMIDATo tell the truth, there was something that was

restore electricity in the places where mountains

the first in history here. There were 2,200 people

had fallen, so it took about two weeks to restore

in Yamakoshi-mura village. It was a big operationelectricity up to the level that people could live

to evacuate 2,200 people of the whole village bysomehow. It is really tragic to live without electricity

helicopter. There are two regiments in Niigata

for two weeks. We get nervous at night. At theprefecture: the Shibata regiment and the Takada

time of the earthquake five years ago, there wereregiment. Normally we ask regiment commanders

especiallyabout almost everything and they handle ouraftershocks so often. The earthquake of seismic

requests. But this whole village evacuation was

intensity 6-upper occurred three times in three tosuch a big operation that we were told to ask thefour hours, and there were continuous aftershocks

upper level of the Force when we asked theafter them, people spent anxious nights without

regiment commanders. Then we phoned theelectricity.

many

aftershocks.

There

were

brigade commander of Japan Ground Self Defense

As I actually saw the village from the sky, it wasForce 12th Brigade in Soumagahara, Gunma. He

pitch dark. Basic electricity systems were cut off,said, “This is too big for us to handle, you must ask

which had to be mended. It was pitch dark under

the upper level.” So we had to phone Chief of Staff,

such circumstances. What would happen then?

Ground Self Defense Force. Now regiment

Personal computers were just boxes without

commanders can judge and operate, but they could

electricity. IT was completely useless withnot do so those days when operations were on too

communication lines being cut off. We could notlarge a scale. Chief of Staff said to me later on,use cell phones, either. Batteries of cell phones“You are perhaps the first and the last who

would be empty. It was hard to charge them. It was

requested Chief of Staff to go into action in case of

hard even after the electricity restored, because

disaster.” Now the lower level has all the authorities

we had to overload an electrical circuit at theand regiments can do all, and the upper level does

places of refuge. We had to charge up with loads of

not tell the lower level to operate. Those days,

adaptors getting electricity from one outlet. Eachhowever, only the upper level could operate on

adapter had loads of chargers. It is often said thatsuch a large scale.

we have personal TVs as we have One Seg now,

As this earthquake occurred at 5:56 p.m., it was

but it is clear that we cannot use them from thedifficult to gasp the situation. In fact, it was on the

moment the batteries are empty.

next day that headquarters for emergency disasterOn the other hand, the situation with electricity

control were installed. The reason they wereat the time of The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki

installed was that Chief of Staff phoned the Prime

Earthquake two years ago drew a mottling pattern

Minister about the evacuation of the whole village

in spite of the same magnitude 6.8, because it hadof Yamakoshi-mura village by helicopter units on aoccurred in the sea. Looking from the sky, welarge scale. That was how they were installed.

could both see the areas that electricity was cut off

Therefore, it is extremely difficult to grasp theand the areas that it was not, which drew a mottlingsituation at the time of disasters which occur after

pattern. Then the circumstances were completely

dark. In fact it took more than two years for all thedifferent; there was no problem of isolation fromelectricity to restore finally. It was quite hard to

the beginning, and we could contact from the8

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

first.

municipalities. As all I had to do was to give

But we had another problem: we had difficultyincontacting

placeswhere

instructions, I could talk to the mayors after I had

information

said, “Connect me with each municipality”. I could

concentrated. Five years ago I had a PHS, Personal

talk to them as they got connected one after

Handyphone System. As most people in Niigata

another.

used cell phones of NTT docomo or au by KDDI

It was also hard to contact The Tokyo Electric

then, I could use the PHS almost everywhere.

Power Company. Some of you might have heard of

Although it was not a dedicated mobile phone forthe situation as it was examined in detail. The

priority communication in a disaster, I had no

emergency operation room door of the nuclear

difficulty in making contact. On July 16 two years

power plant was blocked due to the earthquake

ago, I was in the official residence of governor,

and they could not get in. There is hotline between

because it was Saturday. I could check information

the prefectural office and the nuclear power plant,

from Japan Meteorological Agency at the official

but they could not make contact because we could

residence and I understood that the seismic

not reach the hotline.

intensity of the earthquake was scaled 6. I

After all, we made contact with the Tokyo mainunderstood what to be done at once, and tookbranch of The Tokyo Electric Power Company ataction immediately. However, I could not makefirst. As a result, we were reported that all thecontact on the way to the prefectural office fromreactors had been scrammed and that no radiation

the residence, which took 15 to 20 minutes. I had

had escaped. Recognizing the report, we werephoned the Crisis Management Director first of allwatching TV at headquarters for emergency

within 15 seconds after the earthquake haddisaster control. Because generally information

stopped, but I could not make the second contactfrom the press is much quicker than that from thewith him. The reason we could not contact wasgovernment office, we give instructions while wethat we were calling each other at one time. It waswatch TV. As we were watching TV, we suddenly

the same with Chief of Disaster Management

saw smoke and fire on TV. We cried, “What’s this?”

Bureau, section managers, general managers of all

Then we started to make contact again.

departments and the related organizations: when

The reason that we could not get information

we phoned each other at the same time, we could

and that we could not make direct contact at the

not make contact. Despite that I had a high priority

time of the earthquake five years ago was that the

emergency mobile phone, I could not make contact

telecommunication cables had been cut off; thein transit. That is why I have two cell phones now:

reason of the same problems at the time of theone as a receiver, and the other as a sender. We

earthquake two years ago was that the lines

cannot make contact through active lines at the

became too busy and congested. Therefore, it isplaces where information concentrates.

true that disasters never happen in the same way

The reason that headquarters for emergency

twice.

disaster control are necessary is that it is important

What would have happened ten years ago? The

to have many people within call. I went to theculture of the mobile phone was very limited then.

operation room immediately at that time, and I was

The world of the car phone was completely

to make contact with mayors of all relateddifferent from that of the mobile phone with i-mode
9

Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

services, so we would have dealt with a disaster inPeople said, “We scrape them by hand and manage

quite a different way. We can say that what to be

to flush with water from the swimming pooldone at the time of disaster becomes totallybrought by bucket brigade. Please do something

different within 10 years or 20 years.

to the toilets.” The problem was how to clean

What to be done at the time of disaster also

hands after toilet. We can manage to clean them

depends on seasons. The earthquake five years

with bottled water in fall, but we cannot do so in

ago occurred on October 23. There was nosummer. People in poor health might be infecteddrinking water and food then. We supplied bottledwith some kinds of bacteria. That was why we hadwater to secure drinking water, and that wasto think about water to wash hands after toilet.

roughly enough. We sent food and relief supplies

In addition to that, people perspired. They

that could be drunk and eaten immediately at thewanted to wipe bodies, at least, before they went totime of The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake,

bed, but there was no water. They wanted to washaccording to this experience. However, people in

T shirts smeared with sweat, but there was no

the affected areas claimed, “There’s no water.

water.

There’s no water.” So we went there ourselves andKashiwazaki is close to the sea and there is asaw the piles of water bottles accumulated at the

harbor there. An escort vessel came alongside theplaces of refuge. Five years ago, it was hard evenpier and supplied water. Conditions then were far

to collect bottled water. Rice balls go well with

better than the time of The Mid Niigata Prefecture

water or tea, but at that time, just something toEarthquake. The huge escort vessel supplied

drink was enough. People who lived on coke andwater steadily. But the water supply was 1% of daily

cold rice balls for a week said, “You are being sowater supply when we can use water freely. How

good to us”, which drew tears from us. We had to

can we survive with only 1% water supply? Daily

give them coke, juice, and rice balls at the samefunctions will stop completely.

time then. At the time of the earthquake two years

Therefore, we have to escape from the places ofago, on the other hand, people claimed that theyrefuge because we suffer heat illness there when it

had no water, although we had sent them bottled

is hot in summer. An airplane which arrives atwater.

Narita Airport air conditions the plane after the

The problem of water had something to do withengine has stopped by fitting a large-sized truck

seasons. It was the difference between July 16 andloading an air conditioner to it. We borrowed theOctober 23. October 23 was already late fall, we

trucks and fitted them to the gymnasiums in order

did not perspire much. On the other hand, it was

to air condition them. We installed quite a number

hot on July 16. It was particularly hard hygienically.

of air conditioners which had been offered.

When I visited an elementary school in the

But they could not cover all. It is difficult toevening, people there called out, “Mr. Izumida,

install everything everywhere although we arecome over here. We have a problem with toilets.”

supposed to be fair at the time of disaster. At the

Because many people gathered at the places oftime of the earthquake two years ago, it was

refuge, toilets got clogged very easily. Althoughnecessary to set up an air conditioned welfare

they were flush toilets, people could not flush

refuge where we could accommodate people inwithout water and they got clogged with excrement.

poor health and elderly people preferentially.
10

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

It frightened us to suppose The Mid Niigata

center of the earthquake. The reason that I saw

Prefecture Earthquake having occurred two

many people was that they had come out of themonths later from October 23. It snowed heavily

houses which might collapse with tremors. They

that year. If it had occurred two months later when

made a bonfire to keep themselves warm. It was athe snow was piled on the roof by one to twofine, starry night. What would have happened if it

meters, the number of the crashed houses would

had been a day of snowstorm? Moreover, there

have been incomparable.

were more and more elderly people as we went

Moreover, motorbike corps could not have gone

into the deeper mountains. What had become ofto the deep mountains and looked for isolated

elderly people of 70, 80 years old if they had beenvillages if it had occurred two months later. They

crashed by snow? There is a danger of death frommust have waded through the roads which mightcold if people are out of the houses and cannot

have been collapsed anywhere. It must have been

make a bonfire because of snowstorm. We havejust like mountaineering.

been researching the dealings of such earthquakes

I made my way to the center of the earthquake

in case they occur in the middle of winter whenin October 23. Normally we do not see people

there is snow piled up on the roof. We have notalong the mountain paths even if we see housefound the answer yet. They depend totally onlights. But there was a flood of people then; I had

seasons, ages, places, and timing of the disasters.

never thought that so many people lived in Niigata.

That is the frightening aspect of disasters.

I saw more and more people as I approached the

Figure 3

By the way, in figure 2, differently colored areCharacteristics of the two big earthquakes which attacked Niigata prefecture (1/3)
11Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

the areas to which Disaster Relief Act wastruck that had fallen down. There was a low

applied.

displacement car. There was a red car. All three of

Please look at the situations at that time. Thethem were there. A police man said, “We haveupper left of figure 3 is a place called Myouken.

rescued all three.” I asked, “Are you really sureThis is where a boy was shut up in a car and wasthat there is no other car?”, then he said, “Yes, we

rescued miraculously. The other pictures show

are sure.” But a day later, a person reported, “My

what became of roads of the mountainous area andfamily has not been back.” Then I instructed torice fields. The lower right shows the flood whichcheck the point which had received the final call

was caused by a natural dam made by thefrom the missing family. A helicopter found aearthquake: the houses were going steadily undermobile phone which was ringing there. After all, it

the water then.

is IT that has something we can find as we search

In Myouken, a fire station reported by wirelessinformation steadily.

that the natural dam had swallowed three cars. It

Figure 4 shows the situations of The Niigataken

was obvious from the image of the falling accident

Chuetsu-oki Earthquake two years ago. It was thein Hokkaido that the fire stations and the police

earthquake on the same scale as The Mid Niigata

would not be able to handle the situation, so we

Prefecture Earthquake, but it occurred in the city

decided that the Self Defense Force was necessary

area. It was an earthquake which can occur in any

on the spot.

city anywhere. What will happen if an earthquake

I went to the scene myself on the day. I saw a

Figure 4

occurs along the coastline? When the Niigata

Characteristics of the two big earthquakes which attacked Niigata prefecture (2/3)
12Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

earthquake 1964 occurred 40 years ago, oil tanks

period which came out of the bottom of the sea off

were burnt down, prefectural apartment houses

Izumozaki. There is a volcano called Yakiyama.

went upside down, Showa Bridge collapsed over

The trees which might have been carried off to thethe Shinano River; some of you might have seen

sea by an avalanche of rocks and earth and buried

the photos of the scenes. Liquefaction occurs,

under the sea were shaken by the earthquake andwhich destroys towns. If a house was O.K. infloated on the sea surface probably owing toappearance, it could not accommodate peopleliquefaction. They did not come up to the coast but

because the ground has slid. In short, theabode at the bottom of the sea, which was aearthquake 5 years ago struck a hard blow mainly

problem: it hindered fishing industry. Fishingto public infrastructures such as roads which sank,boats of trawl fishery could not work at all.

schools and hospitals. The earthquake 2 years

Therefore, a machine to pull up the trees wasago, on the other hand, struck mainly private

purchased and it pulled them up. These are only aproperties such as houses and companies.

part of the trees. Later, they were given to people

Therefore, the dealings with the earthquakes had

who wanted them as an interior decoration or asvery different aspects.

an accessory. I think that the ancient trees were

A nuclear power plant was affected. This is thethe restoration of disasters of the Jomon period toworst financial damage.

the present day.

Please look at the right side of Figure 5 as a

Figure 6 shows the difficulties in making use ofreference. These were ancient trees of the Jomon

information infrastructures at the time of disaster.

Figure 5

Characteristics of the two big earthquakes which attacked Niigata prefecture (3/3)
13Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

After all, there is a case that we cannot
communicate with the lines being cut off, and acase that we do not have electricity because of
blackout. On the other hand, there is a case that
we cannot be connected because the lines are toobusy. Therefore, I think that it is difficult to rely on
information

Figure 6

infrastructuressoexcessively

especially at the early stage of disaster.

On information infrastructures inOn the other hand, information infrastructures

case of disaster

have many merits: we can send information to
As I have already told you, it can be hard to rely on

many people. How about community FM? Looking

them although they seem to be useful. Trunk lines

back after disasters, we can say that it is useful.

of both wired and wireless phones might be cut

Necessary information changes as time goes byoff. You might think that it is all right if you have a(figure 7). In fact, community FM is completely

satellite phone, but I doubt it. I think that it is 80%

useless immediately after an earthquake occurred.

untrue to say that we can communicate in case of

The reason is that a community FM station isdisaster if each village possesses a satellite phone.

affected at the same time as it exists on the spot.

Please let me explain. Oze is a national park

People working for it do not know what are

stretching over Niigata, Gunma, and Fukushima.

happening to themselves. How about TV? It is also

What is nice about it is that there is no wirelesscompletely useless. We cannot turn it on withoutbase station there. Therefore, we can be completely

electricity. Then we do not get information of what

off the duty and enjoy the nature of Oze. Fans visit

is going on either trough TV or community FM

Oze every year, and I went there this year.

immediately after an earthquake. By the way,

However, I brought a satellite phone with me

when we asked local people about the information

because there was a radio program which I had tothat the nuclear power plant was on fire at the time

appear by all means. When the line was connected,of the earthquake two years ago, “How did you get

I spoke with a director for 15 minutes. Then thethe information?”, they answered, “Our children inline was disconnected; the batteries became empty.

Tokyo informed us”. Because the news was

We often make sure of the means of communication

broadcast in Tokyo, people in Tokyo phoned, “Areat disaster drills. We say, “This is ○○ area. All

you all right?” It was then that they got thehave evacuated Over.”, then we hang up. At the

information.

time of disaster, however, we cannot communicate

TV is just a box without electricity, community

in 15 to 20 seconds like that. We have to exchange

FM cannot give information because it is affected

a lot of information at the time of real disaster. Can

itself. What is effective on the affected area is a

we use a satellite phone in case of disaster which

wide area radio. It is loaded on a car, and we canwas disconnected when the recording of thelisten to it with a portable radio in emergency. As I

program was about to start? What should we dohave told you earlier, it is better not to rely on One

with the generator? I experienced myself that it

Seg too much, for the batteries become empty

was not all right if we possessed a satellite phone.

quickly. I would like you to remember that there is
14

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Figure 7

Importance of media in the affected areasa danger that the normal phone call became

putting things in order and come to places of

unusable while you watch One Seg TV. In thatrefuge only to fetch meals, because they cannot

sense, a wide area radio is effective at thecook without water or gas. TV broadcasting isoccurrence of an earthquake.

effective when we want to send information to

As a matter of fact, what is next important is a

2,400,000 people, but it is completely useless whenhand written board. It is necessary to give

we want to send information that is peculiar to

information about when food is provided, wheneach place. A hand written board is effective inwater is supplied, where we can take a bath. To

such cases. It is reassuring to know that there is

give such information, TV broadcasting is useless.

information at the same place whenever we come,

In Niigata, the same TV broadcasting covers all

whoever comes. This hand written board is ending

the prefecture of 2,400,000 people, it cannot send

its role as time goes by, with less and less people

information like, “Relief supplies will be given at

are around, and as a place of refuge comes toarea at × o’clock.” Then it is effective to put up

close.

a hand written board to provide information of

TV is effective once it is turned on with electricity.

. You

It can give the visual information of what is goingeach place of refuge like, “Today’s meal iscan get it at ×× ato’clock.”

on. For example, when a natural dam was made by

Especially in the case of an earthquake whicha disaster, the prefectural headquarters for disasteroccurs in the city area, not necessarily all thecontrol knew exactly what was going on with apeople come to places of refuge. There are people

heli-TV, helicopter video transmission system.

who think, “What if something is stolen?” or “WhatThere was TV which was attached to the helicopter.

will become of our house?” and they stay at home

A solid rock stopped a river and it became a huge15Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

puddle. We asked the mayors of municipalities toin order to send 5 people to where 5 people aregive an evacuation order to people living below theneeded, to send people who are good at talking toriver. But when we went to the spot ourselves,the places where talks are needed, and to sendpeople had not realized the fear of an avalanche ofpeople who can nurse to the places where nursing

rocks and earth sweeping them up with the entire

is necessary.

bogs. They piled sandbags along both sides of theNothing is more effective than the Internet toriver and were trying to regulate the traffic, calling

send information like “such and such relief

out not to cross the bridge. We could not send

supplies are needed.” in each district without delay.

information that all of them had to evacuate

As I have told you earlier, it is foolish to receive

because there was a danger of an avalanche ofrelief supplies at a town hall. Five years ago, werocks and earth sweeping up the entire bogs. We

asked the warehouse industry and the truck

could not send it by radio, with words only. Whenindustry to support us halfway, but it caused

they see a moving image of TV looking from above,

friction between them and administration. Afterthey realize the danger and escape to the hills. If

all, the warehouse industry and the truck industry

there is a sensor, they can escape in advance of

had to give instructions. But the people who weredanger. TV has an incomparable power when there

doing the actual work got emotional and did notis electricity. Our desire to know what is going onfollow the instructions because they did not like

is so strong at the places of refuge that we can get

private citizens to intervene. Then we could not

rid of our frustration by turning on TV. We canhelp them or give instructions to them even whenlook at our situation objectively.

we understood the situation, which led to relief

I honestly feel that the Internet is uselesssupplies piled up in warehouses and to the places

immediately after disasters occur. We cannotof refuge in trouble without relief supplies.

establish a line of communication without

What is terrific about IT is that organizations

electricity; the Internet is completely of no use.

which have ability in delivery such as convenience

However, when it comes to the stage of supporting

stores can deliver relief supplies to each refuge

disaster victims over a long period, nothing isusing IT, exactly as they are told when and wheremore useful than the Internet. For example, it is ato deliver. All we have to do is to give information

very powerful tool to send information like, “Therethrough the Internet, and stores can establish

district ofrelationships with places of refuge. At the time of

××city. Is anyone willing to help them?”, “We want

the earthquake two years ago, I was so worriedsomeone to talk to.”, “We want people to help usthat I went to the affected area in the evening. We

put things in order.”, or “We want people to help us

had a report “All the arrangements are done. Relief

cook.” It can send information when and what

supplies are to be delivered.” at the headquarters

people are needed. The Internet is effectiveof disaster control. However, food was not delivered

because it can control information efficiently. Whateven at 6 o’clock, at 7 o’clock at the affected area.

happened 5 years ago was that people went home

What was the matter? After all, the destination

without doing anything because 200 people had

should not be the town hall. We have to make surecome when 10 volunteers were needed. We canhow many supplies are to be delivered, and wheresend information effectively through the Internet

they are to be delivered finally, otherwise, they

are elderly people who will move to16

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

will not be delivered. On such occasions, it isdecide the order of restoration on the basis ofnecessary to share information with many people

vertical divisions, but the situation is completely

through the Internet, not through telephone which

different with the use of GIS. Figure 8 does not

is a person-to-person communication. This systemshow it, but we had the information of the number

was of great help later. It helped reconstruct theof people in each place of refuge. Also, all thecoin-people concerned have come to share theoperated laundry is open for washing.” or “×× store

information each time the headquarters of disasteris open today.” all through the day.

control are settled: how many people are where atpeople’s life to have information like, “Another thing that IT helped greatly was to

the roads, and the details of delay.

construct the support system with an application

With the lesson from 5 years ago, we examinedof GIS (Geographic Information System), which

the use of this GIS somehow. For example, there is

was a collaboration with private enterprises anda fine IT institution at the Cabinet Office, and there

universities. Usually, GIS is used to know whereis an institution in Kashiwazaki to deal with nuclear

water pipes and gas pipes are buried, but I think it

disasters called the off-site center. They can dois rather useless at the time of disaster if we use it

nothing after showing a general map with a markthat way. As was the case with the earthquake 5

on the center of the earthquake. As you see on TV,

years ago, the police come to the rescue from all

there are fine equipments such as a projector

over the country. Then the headquarters getthere, but they are of no use after they are used at

information of the names and addresses of towns,

the beginning. To put them in real use, we have towhich they do not understand. Even the people

put data into each of them. They can start working

coming from inside the prefecture do not

after that. We worked with Research Center forunderstand. It is all right if we act on the basis of

Natural Hazards and Disaster Recovery, Niigata

each municipality, but once we act across the

University, and Disaster Prevention Researchborders of municipalities, we are terribly confusedInstitute, Kyoto University, to examine how to use

if our areas in charge are divided by addresses. If

GIS. We had a prize called SAG Award (Special

we can show a map and say, “The team of Hokkaido

Achievement in GIS Award) together in the USA.

is in charge of this area. The team of Kyusyu is in

Sharing the information, we can see which roads,

charge of that area.” by distinguishing them withwhich electricity, which gas to restore, in orderdifferent colors, we will be able to deal with awith time. For example, July 21 was the 6th day

disaster quite smoothly.

from the occurrence of the earthquake. This area

There is one more thing that is important: wecolored blue is where water supply was restored.

have to decide the order of restoration of gas,

It is important to restore at places with many

water supply, electricity, roads in particular whenpeople, and to decide how to restore. The

we discuss as we look at a map at the headquarters

restoration will be quicker if we work together toof disaster control. We cannot restore gas supply

know which roads obstruct the restoration, and towithout restoring the roads first no matter how

decide where to restore preferentially.

hard the team of gas pipes tries. We cannot restore

In order to do so, we need a professional team.

electricity without restoration of roads no matter

The map making team called GIS team includes

how hard the team of electricity tries. We used tovolunteer members of private enterprises. We
17

Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

Figure 8

Merits of IT in case of disaster

think that they have to be paid as a team. With theskills to make this map. I think that it is absolutely

GIS team like this, we can escape from thenecessary to establish a system that a team withsufferings of disasters more quickly. It is impossible

experiences goes to support where an earthquake

for the government to establish this. There were

occurs.

various data of 200 kinds. We were surprised toThis is unnecessary if a disaster is below alearn the need of a map which showed what to do

certain scale. For example, there was a big fall atwith guard, where the water pipes were, how many

the time of The Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake

refugees were there, and how much food wasin 2008, the town hall could deal with it because

needed where. It helps disaster control to have a

the affected area was limited. They did not need it

system with professionals of making a map withas there was common information already. GIS isaddresses and quantity data of the text by justneeded in the case that people come from outside

putting them in a computer. In order to do so,with information. It is absolutely necessary under

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport set

such circumstances. Several disasters occurred

up a team called TEC-FORCE, for example.

since The Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in

Medical people set up a team called DMAT

2007, but an earthquake of this scale has not(Disaster Medical Assistance Team). There areoccurred yet. The population of Niigata Prefecture

teams in each field that act without request in caseis 2,400,000 and the population of the affected areaof emergency. I honestly believe that it is impossible

to which Disaster Relief Act was applied isfor all the prefectures to have a team which has

1,000,000. One-tenth of them, 100,000 people took18

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010refuge at the time of the earthquake 5 years ago.

practical ideas of the governor. I am concerned

On the other hand, at the time of the earthquake 2

with disaster information myself. The biggest

years ago, there were about the same number ofproblem of disaster information is that disasters

people living in the area to which The Disaster

seldom occur. If we improve a system, it is often

Relief Act was applied, the number of the evacuatedthe case that we cannot use it at once. It is difficult

was 12,000. In short, the number of the evacuatedto have training in our daily life. Do you have an

is one-tenth of that at the time of the earthquake 5

idea how to prepare for disasters which seldom

years ago. It was an evacuation of over 10,000

occur?

people, and GIS was absolutely necessary then.

(Answer from the Governor Izumida) I have

We can estimate that GIS is not so necessary if it isbeen talking with various people in charge ofan evacuation of 500, or 200 people.

disaster protection, and I think that people in theSumming up, we have to deal with failures ofmetropolis of Tokyo are the most in trouble. The

communication differently on each case, when weheadquarters of disaster control are installed incommunicate(Informationeach Ward of Tokyo, but a Ward covers a small

Communication Technology). We should call it

witharea. Then it is seldom that people in each WardICT rather than IT (Information Technology). The

experience disasters. I think that the roles of theelectric wires might be cut off; there might be nobasic self government and those of the municipal

electricity; the lines might be too busy with too

government of a large region are different.

many people trying to connect. There are various

Although the earthquakes occurred twice withinpossibilities. On the other hand, what gives us thethe distance of 40 kilometers, each of them was

precise information changes according to stages

the first experience for each basic government.

of disasters: community FM can be good; wide

Each of them has dealt with a disaster just once.

area radio can be effective; TV broadcasting might

The areas which had devastating damage werebe needed. In case of disaster, it can be the casesmaller than the areas to which the Disaster Relief

that hand written information is more effective

Act was applied. The devastated areas werethan IT. There is no one perfect tool to deal with

Nagaoka city, Kawaguchi-machi town, Yamakoshi-

information,tomura village, and Ojiya city five years ago, andcommunicate; we have to deal with the situation

Izumozaki-machi town, Kariwa-mura village, andwhich changes with time. In doing so, I think that

Kashiwazaki city two years ago. Each basic self

it is necessary to establish a system of providing

government acted on each device, which had no

information technology to deal with social changes,

training. It was only the prefecture that could

to establish a team consisted of JSIS and JASI if

connect the each side.

to

send

ICT

information,andpossible, and to bring it up. I would like to end my

It would be best if the central government took

address now. Thank you very much for yourcomprehensive control. But in the present system

attention today. (Applause)of personnel changes of the nation, the agentschange every one or two years. I experienced

Q&A

earthquakes twice in about two years and half, theagents were different each time. Under such(Question) I was very impressed with thecircumstances, with disaster prevention specialists
19

Disasters and ITIZUMIDA

being changed, the agents cannot take good

rescuing, we maintain the know-how to deal with

control at the time of disaster even if they are in adisasters, as well as showing our gratitude forposition to accumulate the know-how.

having been rescued at the times of the two

Immediately after I became the governor, I had

earthquakes. Therefore we go to rescue actively.

a call from Mr. Ido, the Governor of Hyogo

In Niigata, we have an experience of a disaster that

Prefecture. He said, “Mr. Izumida, I have sent theoil tanks were on flame, Showa Bridge collapsed,

top members who experienced Great Hanshin-and prefectural houses fell sideways. But nothing

Awaji Earthquake.” He said he had sent, not would

remains from the disaster. There is no survivor

send. I replied, “Thank you very much.” As I was awith experiences from the disaster although it was

beginner of dealing with a disaster, I dealt with the

only 40 years ago. There are documents, but theyfirst earthquake with advice of the team fromare of no use in case of disaster. We cannot say, “A

Hyogo prefecture, who stood by next to the Officedisaster occurred. Let’s look at manuals.”of the Governor. When they were going home, I

Therefore, in order to hand down our experiences,

thanked the Governor Ido, “Thank you very much,

we send people wherever there are disasters

they were of great help. We dealt with theincluding abroad and maintain our ability, as wellearthquake on the experiences of Great Hanshin-

as showing our gratitude. Among the prefectures,

Awaji Earthquake, which led to restoration. Thankplus Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka and Kyoto, perhaps

you again.” Afterwards, at the time of the

Hyogo prefecture, Shizuoka prefecture, andearthquake in Noto Peninsula, we sent our teamNiigata prefecture have the abilities at a high level,

so that we could help people in Noto with ourwhich makes a triangle. It is also true to theexperiences. People in Noto, including the mayor

personnel matters. At that time, we had people atof Wajima city thanked us and said, “Thank you,

Niigata University coming from Kyoto University

Governor Izumida, they were of great help. Thankaccording to the personnel changes. I am hoping

you for handing down your experiences.” It wasthat disaster prevention specialists in the future

like déjà vu; it was very impressive that they said

will not be recognized academically unless they

exactly what I had said three years ago.

come to Niigata to research disasters in

I would like to say, “A kindness is never lost.”

mountainous areas, after having researched

We try to go wherever there is a disaster. We try todisasters in city areas in Kyoto or Hyogo (laughter).

maintain our ability to deal with disasters. By

Is this a sufficient answer?

20

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

Makoto NAGAO, National Diet Library

Libraries in the Digital Agepeople who cannot visit the Library in person as
we do to those who can. To this end, we need toGood afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. The

build a proper digital library.

title of my talk today is “Digital Archiving: Present

I should therefore like to give you a brief outline

Status and Issues for the Future”. I shall begin byof the present status of digitization at the National

outlining the state of digital archiving today andDiet Library. First, we have the Minutes of thethen tell you a little about the issues that I myself

Diet. The records of the plenary sessions and also

am facing. Finally, I shall invite discussion.

of each committee have all been digitized and, if

First of all, Ladies and Gentlemen, as I am sure

you go to the National Diet Library website, you

you are all familiar with the Internet, I am sure I do

will see that they can all be searched. This makes

not need to explain the concept of libraries in theit possible to check, in detail, who asked orDigital Age – it is as shown on this slide.

answered

Libraries have always been, and still are,whatquestionsonaparticularcommittee, and when.

repositories of knowledge and information. Their

Next, we have the Minutes of the Imperial Diet.

purpose is to store information for long periods

All of our records for the Imperial Diet, which sat

and make it accessible for use. I believe the mission

until 1947, will be on computer as image dataof librarians is to ensure that this knowledge andwithin the next twelve months. The minutes of

information is freely available for use throughout

meetings of the Diet, from 1947 onwards, haveJapan.

been converted to text data and can be searched in

The National Diet Library, of which I ama variety of ways, but the minutes of meetings of

Librarian, has two sites: one in Tokyo, the other in

the Imperial Diet are stored only as image data

Kansai Science City. This is fine for people who arewith an index and can only be searched using thisable to visit the Library in person when they wish

index.

to use its collection, but we should strive to be able

Library users can also search an Index Databaseto provide the same level of service to the manyof Japanese Laws, Regulations and Bills. And weThis special article is a transcript of the keynote address at the Annual Joint Conference of JASI and JSIS 2008, heldat the University of Tokyo on September 13.

21

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

NAGAO

have around 150,000 representative books fromout or downloaded for a fee. France is also doing a

the Meiji and Taisho periods on computer in thegreat deal and has digitized scholarly journals,

form of image data. We have works by Mori Ogai

newspapers, images, audio recordings, and so on.

and Natsume Soseki, and many others besides, all

China has put a huge volume of materials onof which can be viewed.

computer in image form. The Chinese do not give

We have rare books and, although you mightout much detailed information, but apparently they

say it was half for fun, we have a whole range of

have already digitized a considerable part of theirmaterials under the theme of “Memories of Japan”,

collections, starting with the oldest items. It is

which you may find interesting.

possible that the Chinese are in the lead, in termsof volume, but I wonder if, perhaps, their digital

National libraries around the worldarchives are lacking in variety.
Korea is also making a huge effort. The program

So, we are working hard in many areas, but how

focuses on works of high value in scholarly anddo our efforts compare internationally? I should

information terms published since the War; works

like to take a little time to compare them with thosethat have been published for five years or longerof national libraries in other countries.

are digitized and can be transferred electronically,

The Library of Congress in the United States

between libraries. However, the copyright holder

already holds more than 11 million items in digital

receives

form. But they are also digitizing historicaltransfers.

compensationinrespectofsuchdocuments and speeches ‒ you can listen to the

Besides national libraries, there are many othervoices of past presidents. We would really like tokinds of digital library. One is the World Digital

digitize audio recordings too. For example, we

Library, which is operated by UNESCO, in

would like to make it possible to hear how Prime

cooperation with the US Library of Congress. For

Minister Shigeru Yoshida’s speech on a certain

three or four years, World Digital Library has beenoccasion sounded, but we have not yet been able

working in partnership with the national libraries

to do so. However, the United States is digitizingof many countries, including those of Egypt, themusic, maps and many other things. These include

Netherlands and Brazil, to digitize works ‒ mainly

works whose digitization is permitted within thecultural properties ‒ and make them accessible toscope of fair use, and works whose authors haveall. The National Diet Library also plans to join thegiven permission for digitization. Unfortunately,

project by the end of the current year, or by

the National Diet Library’s digital archives at

January or February next year, and lend its support

present contain only works whose copyright has

to the World Digital Library.

expired and items to which there is no copyright,

Another example is the Million Book Project.

such as the Minutes of the Diet.

The concept was proposed by my old friend Dr. Raj

The United Kingdom has digitized over 90,000

Reddy of Carnegie Mellon University. The project

items, mostly works whose copyright has expired.

has secured donations from the Carnegie

Germany is also pursuing the digitization of many

Foundation and many other organizations and isitems. Some works subject to copyright can only

now putting between 1.5 million and 2 million

be read on library premises; others can be printed

books,
22

in

many

different

languages,

ontoJournal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

computers. Most of these are works to which the

10 years, I believe we can manage it. The problem,

copyright has expired. Factories have been set up

I believe, will be the issue of copyright.

all over the world, with equipment for scanning

I have been talking about the digitization of

text and, apparently, they are able to scan books atbooks and so on, but another kind of digital archivea cost of around 10 cents per page.

is Internet archives, collections of information

One of the major pillars of the Million Book

posted on the Internet ‒ what is sometimes

Project is to donate a large number of 100-dollar

referred to as “born-digital” information. This

personal computers to young people in developing

information originates in digital form and exists

countries. Many people in African countries, foronly in digital form; in other words, it does not

example, can’t simply plug in their personal

exist on a paper. Its content ranges far and widecomputer and go online. Some areas have no

and includes cellphone novels, but all these thingselectric power network and no fixed line

are a part of human intellectual activity, too. At the

telecommunications network. So the idea is to

National Diet Library, we believe it is our duty as aallow them to access the Million Book Project’s

national institution to work towards a situation

wide range of materials and use them for study

where such information is treated as cultural

purposes by providing laptop PCs with their own

property, collected it in as systematic a way as

power source and wireless capabilities. Great

possible and permanently stored, so that future

efforts are being made, but to date it has not been

generations will be able to use it. As we believe

possible to create a PC for only $100; apparently, it

Web archiving ‒ the collection of information on

costs around $180, but the aim is to strip away

the Internet ‒ is important, too, we have made amany of the functions of an ordinary PC and end

start.

up with the minimum functions that will allow the

A characteristic of websites is that new sites areuser to access and study the information in digital

being created and existing sites are being shut

libraries and so arrive at a computer that costs

down all the time. For instance, websites relating$100. This is a very ambitious but wonderfulto the Beijing Olympics are likely to disappear any

project. The European Union is also working hard

day now. This means that, if we do not set about

on the creation of a digital library.

collecting it, we will have no record of what kind of
information was being disseminated during theDigitizing books

Beijing Olympics. That information will be lost
forever. For that reason, I believe we must collect

As I have said, the cost of digitizing books is notit.

insignificant. I mentioned earlier a figure of 10

Another feature of websites is that thecents per page, but in the case of Japanese, theinformation they contained is changing all thecost will of course probably be higher. The National

time. This means we need to be collecting it all theDiet Library has around 9 million books, of whichtime. Only once or twice a year is no good, which

we estimate at least 3.7 and perhaps as many as 4

poses interesting technical challenges.

million should be digitized. This would come to

As you will know, Google has been addressing

around ¥35 billion. That’s a lot of money, but if wethese problems by holding up a lofty ideal andare resolved to do the work over a period of aboutbuilding the infrastructure necessary for its
23

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

NAGAO

realization. Organizing the world’s information

answer is that they probably cannot. That is why

and making it universally accessible is an extremely

libraries must persevere in their work, no matter

ambitious mission. Dreaming up such an idea andwhat Google is doing.

working step by step towards its realization is the

Web archiving at the National Diet Librarykind of impressive thing you expect from theAmerican venture spirit. The project was started
by scholars and researchers, and it was truly the

The National Diet Library launched a web

product of wonderful minds. It sets out to organize

archiving project in 2003 and is collecting

all of the world’s information simply by crawlinginformation from 2,100 websites and 1,500 digital

the Web on a frequent basis.

magazines. We have the permission of the
copyright holders for all of this information.

The Library and Archives Canada has also
started Web archiving. I recently met the head of

One area in which we have made a particularthat institution, who told me that Canada had been

effort to date is municipal mergers. After a merger,

unable to collect website information from thethe website operated by the municipality that is

1990s itself, and had therefore purchased theabsorbed tends to be closed down, so we try hard

information from Google. That is how rigorous

to gather as much information as possible before

Google is. Naturally, they also have information

the website is closed down, focusing on information

for Japan and, unfortunately, we may also findrelating to the merger. But it’s really no good

ourselves having to buy Japanese website

gathering information once a year, or even four

information from the past from Google.

times a year. For example, on one occasion, theIn this sense, too, Google is doing an amazing

minister in charge of a government ministryjob. It has also been moving into areas that are

resigned after only a few months, and we were notclose to the functions of a library: it digitizes books

able to collect the page that had a photograph ofand allows its users to browse selected portions.

that minister before it was removed from the

And when people who have browsed through a

website. Although photos of other ministers could

book decide they want to buy it, Google invites

be seen on a website that shows the faces of former

them to do so. If this system is taken to its logicalministers of such and such a ministry, we failed toconclusion, I wonder what position existingcollect the photo of just that one minister, so thelibraries will find themselves in. The justification

public were unable to see it.
Looking around the world, in the United States,

for their continued existence may be called into

the Library of Congress is building a web archivequestion.
But Google is, after all, a business enterprisethat is organized by topic. It has collected

and so it is, of course, possible that even Google

information from websites relating to the 9/11

may become bankrupt in the future. The company

terrorist attacks and now is busy with websites

is doing well for the moment, but as to whether it

relating

is able to take on the task of gathering information

characteristic of the Library of Congress’s

and knowledge, organizing it and passing it on toapproach is that information is collected by

future generations, as libraries do, over a period of

theme ‒ sites relating to the presidential elections,

10 years, 100 years or several hundred years ‒ thesites concerning the damage caused by Hurricane
24

to

the

presidential

elections.

AJournal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Katrina, and so on.

hope to present a bill during the next ordinary

There is also a non-profit organization known assession of the Diet and begin work once it has

the Internet Archive, which systematically collects

been passed.

website information from all over the world, It’s

Of course, websites relating to government arelike a monstrous collection of memories. Running

only a small fraction of the whole, so, while

this monster takes huge amounts of electric power,

continuing to collect information from thoseand this has become a major issue. In the United

websites, we would like to expand, but there are

Kingdomofmany kinds of website: some are shady while

information in this way is enshrined in law ‒ theothers are plain nonsense. Many people question

law guarantees that the National Library has thewhether there is any sense in collecting informationright to collect information posted on the Internet.

from such websites. It depends on how you look at

In the United States, I am not entirely certain whatthings, but it is possible that even shady websites

the situation is, but if they are taken to court for

may be the subject of research in the future,collecting information, they will probably have tobecause they were a social phenomenon in 2008. It

stop. There is legislation in France too. China andwould be convenient if everyone saw things thisKorea don’t yet have legislation, but in Korea, theyway, but unfortunately that is not the case andare currently making great efforts to introduce

collecting information from these sites is likely tolegislation.

be very difficult task.

andGermany,

thecollection

So, efforts are under way in various countries.

Moreover, because the Internet allows people toAt the National Diet Library, with the permission

exercise their imagination and talk freely aboutof the copyright holders in every case, we havewhatever they like, creativity is growing rapidly.

just about managed to collect information from

However, the possibility that everything is going

2,100 sites, but as there is no knowing how many

to be collected and stored, and that someone, at

hundreds of thousands, or even millions, ofsome time in the future, will be analyzing every

websites there are in Japan, it would be impossible

statement in detail and doing something with it,

for us to obtain permission before collecting the

may exert a considerable restraining influence

information in every case. It would be best if theand make people hold back on what they say.

National Diet Library Law could be revised toMany experts take the view that it may not be aallow us to collect information without firstgood idea to collect information from all websites,

obtaining permission, but this would be difficult

and I believe it will become very difficult to decide

owing to vested interests, among other factors.

what should and should not be collected.

For the time being, we hope to get a law enacted

For these reasons, we have started by collectingthat will allow us to collect information fromfrom websites on which we are certain. We plan togovernment-related websites (for instance sites

see where society’s views on the matter are going

operated by central government ministries andand gradually expand the scope of our activities

agencies, regional government bodies, national

accordingly. So, that is what we are doing, but fromuniversities

publicsociety’s point of view, it is extremely regrettable

institutions) without seeking permission, and wethat, in Japan, we are not able to do the kind ofare currently making preparations for that. We

thing that Google is doing. We may lose out

and

other

nationaland25

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

NAGAO

entirely to the United States. And if archiving

permission in every case, but if anyone complained

generates all kinds of secondary business

about the information from their site being

opportunities, it is possible that large new markets

collected, the site would be deleted. Furthermore,

may be created by companies able to exploit such

I suggest that copying at public institutions orbusiness opportunities. So we need to make itlibraries and transmission between libraries

possible to collect information freely and, if we doshould be allowed, for example by excluding themnot, there is a great danger that the United Statesfrom the scope of Copyright Act.

and other countries will forge ahead, and Japan

Another suggestion is that, if possible, libraries

may be unable to create such markets, or worse, toaround Japan should work together to create

capture any share of these markets. Therefore, theintegrated digital archives that would eliminate

LDP [Liberal Democratic Party] Policy Researchinter-regional disparities and that we should work

Counciltowards creating a copyright system that would

hasestablishedaDigitalArchive

Subcommittee and this body is looking at how itallow interlibrary access.

may be possible to ensure by law that information

Another factor is that, to satisfy Copyright Act, it

can be collected.

is necessary to locate the copyright holder and toHere we have a number of suggestions theobtain permission from the copyright holder. This

subcommittee has come up with. The ideal would

takes a great deal of time and money. One of the

be to collect and store all Internet information inslides I showed quite a way back said that theJapan. One of its key suggestions is that there is a

National Diet Library has put 150,000 books fromneed to revise the National Diet Library Law, for

the Meiji and Taisho eras on computers in thethe time being, to allow the collection ofform of digital images. Locating the copyrightgovernment information, academic information

holders for all those books cost over ¥200 million,

and other information of high public interest alone.

so you can see how much money and time theAs the LDP agrees with this, we hope to be able toprocess takes. We wonder if it would be possible

bring this about.

for the Agency for Cultural Affairs to come up witha way of simplifying the procedure. Specifically, as

Copyright issues

written in red on this slide, a copyright databasewould be created and copyright holders would be

Another suggestion is that Japan needs arequired to register their copyrights. When we

copyright system that is compatible with full-scale

wanted to obtain permission in respect of a

Web archiving, and that opting out should beparticular work, we would look it up on thepermitted, and copying rights and rights of public

copyright database and, if the person we weretransmission should be restricted. In other words,

looking for was on the database, we would also be

if a complaint were received about information

able to see their address, so all we would have tobeing collected, the site operated by the person

do is send a request for permission, and if the

who lodged the complaint would be deleted from

copyright holder said no, we would know where

the archive. In other words, the suggestion is that

we were. With a system of this kind, if the copyright

we might consider something along these lines:

holder was not on the database, we could treat the

information would be collected without asking forwork as an “orphan work” (a work whose copyright26

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

holder cannot be identified) and ask the head of

publishers could deliver this electronic text

the Agency for Cultural Affairs to rule on the case.

directly to the National Diet Library, it would save

This would mean that hardly any cost was involved

us the trouble of digitization and save on costs forand the process would also take very little time, so

the country as a whole. At the moment, we get

we really hope it can be done.

books in hard copy format, but we wonder if it

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,

would be possible for publishers to deliver their

Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy,books in digital format.

Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal

So we hope to be able to digitize books somehow

Affairs and Communications and many otheror other, but the publishing industry is anxious tobodies are conducting research into Internet

avoid a situation in which books stopped selling.

archiving ‒ the scale of the research work being

Publishing companies have said they are willingdone is amazing.

for us to create digital materials as described in
Figure 1, but have put forward stringent conditions.

Relations with the publishing industry

For instance, they ask that materials should only
be accessible from a single terminal within the

When libraries are digitized, it is the publishing

Library and that materials should not be allowed

industry that is most directly affected. The

to leave the library (in other words, that the

publishing industry currently sees the digitizationtransmission of digital data from the Library to anof libraries as an extremely serious problem. At
present, the publishing industry is bringing out

What the National Diet Library would like to do:around 80,000 new titles a year. There are also

Materials published today are produced

reprints, but sales are falling and magazines infrom digital data.

particular are selling very slowly. The industry

The Library would like publishers to deliver

also faces an average unsold book returns rate ofthe digital data along with the finished

40% and has very high distribution costs, with the

publications (digital delivery).

result that bookstores are going out of business at

The Library would also like to digitize

a rapid rate. The publishing industry is concerned

publications subject to copyright.

that, if libraries are digitized and the public gains

It has been suggested that digital materials

free access to books, books will be harder still to

subject

sell. Librarians would, however, like to offer theaccessible within the Library by one personsame level of service to all people living in Japan,

at a time and that digital materials should

not just those who visit their libraries in person.

be printed out within the scope permitted

Ideally, we would like to be able to digitize andfor photocopying.

transmit all kinds of materials, but this will raise all

No digital materials would be transmitted

kinds of issues and it will be very difficult to obtainoutside the Library.

the approval of the industry.

These issues need to be discussed with thetocopyright

shouldonly

bepublishing industry.

What we are even keener to do is this: when

Figure 1: What the National Diet Library wouldbooks are published these days, before they go tolike to dopress, the entire text is put on computers. If
27

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Futureindividual’s

personalcomputershouldNAGAO

bedatabases would be held at the libraries, people

prohibited). We are currently discussing these

who visited the libraries would be able to accessconditions.

them for free, via terminals on library premises. I

So, with an eye to the future, we are rapidly

believe the basic principle is that libraries exist to

digitizing publications and, in 10 or 15 years’ time,offer a service whereby anyone can read books

it is certain that the number of books that people

free of charge ‒ it’s not written down anywhereread only in digital format will be growing. Simple,

but, as it’s a basic principle, it should not belightweight digital reading devices will no doubt

broken.

be available. Many people already read books on

Those who wished to borrow books would

their mobile phone, and if even more convenient

access the wholesale databases from their homedevices become available, publishing companies

computer and download the books. In this case,will no doubt be forced to publish and distribute

there would be a charge, but I wonder if it wouldbooks in digital form.

be possible to create a mechanism whereby the

For these reasons, I believe it is important thatmoney would go, not to the library but to thewe give more careful thought to the distribution

publisher. It would be an access fee. People whoroutes from publishing companies to readers. At

read books at the library could do so for free, but

present, Japan has many book wholesalers,

those who wished to borrow a library book from

including

Nippanthe comfort of their own home would be asked to

Publishing, but if wholesale databases were

Tohan

Corporation

andpay roughly the same as the cost of traveling tocreated, publishing companies could put their

their library. But the publishers would not give

digital publications into the databases. Readerstheir permission unless this fee too was handed

could then search the databases for books, andover to them, rather than being paid to thebuy them. Wholesalers who handled digital

library.

publications would no doubt see their businessgrow

rapidlybut,

unfortunately,

At present, however, the publishing industry

existing

will not agree even to any of what I have justwholesalers would gradually see their businessdescribed. If a reader bought a book, that bookdisappear. I believe some things will always be

could be allowed to remain on the computer of the

published on paper, but when many things are

person who downloaded it, but if the reader simply

published digitally, it is possible that only a limited

wanted to borrow the book, there would have to

number of bookstores will survive.

be some kind of system whereby the book would

As to where this wholesale database should bebe erased after 12 or 24 hours. I believe this could

held, I wonder if it could perhaps be at a library.

be done using software.

Libraries already have databases so, the idea

Figure 2 shows our suggestions as to what thewould be to set up large databases at libraries,

National Diet Library might do. It mentions

have publishers send all their publications to those“libraries” – for example, suitable libraries arounddatabases and allow readers to buy their books via

Japan, such as prefectural libraries, would receive

those databases. The money from the sale of books

digital publications from publishers and buy them.

might pass through the libraries’ hands, but it

If the publications were to be lent out, they would

would all go to the publishers. However, as thecollect the lending charges. (All of the money28

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

allow authors and publishers to derive sufficient

Functions to be fulfilled by the National Diet

income and ensure that library users are able to

Library

access publications for free, or for extremely low

The Library would provide the same kind of

charges, equivalent to the cost of traveling to theirservice for publications delivered in digital

library, then in the present harsh conditions facing

form as provided by the wholesale databases

the publishing industry, digital library activity, or

operated by ordinary libraries.

rather the digital world, will not expand. So, what I

As the Library would keep publications

have described to you is just one possible model,delivered in electronic form permanently,

and my hope is that you will come up with more

publishers would have no need to store their

attractive models yourselves. I hope that you will

own copies, and would simply download thebe able to devise “win-win” models that will pleasepublications from the database as required.

both the publishers on one hand and the libraries(Publishers would be allowed to use theand their users on the other. I am using toughdatabase without charge.)

words here because I believe that, unless we comeIf publishers wished to download their own

up with such models, copyright and other issues

digital publications for re-editing or re-use,mean that the digital world – digital libraries andthey would be allowed to do so from theInternet archives – will not develop in a sound andNational Diet Library.

healthy manner.

Figure 2: Functions to be fulfilled by the National
Diet Library

Conclusion

would go to the publishers.) In the case of the
National Diet Library, the database would be

After this, Professor Meiwa and the otherpermanent. In other words, unlike ordinary public

speakers will be discussing copyright issues in thelibraries, the National Diet Library is required toage of digital information. Our panelists today, in

retain its collection in perpetuity, so that publishers

particular, are experts in this area, so what I havewould not have to store the original data for their

told you may be wrong, but I believe the discussion

publications on their own premises. Because thewill be very lively and interesting.

National Diet Library would have records of all

The suggestion is that we should construct apast publications issued by publishers, thecopyright system that would allow anyone topublishers could download publications from theaccess all kinds of information. To this end, I

National Diet Library’s database and then reprint

believe it will inevitably be necessary to introduce

or reuse them. So, this would be a model fora mechanism whereby users will pay some kind of

reducing publishers’ costs.

fee. I am not talking about the economics of the

The reason why I am telling you this fantastic

long tail, but if one were able to collect a very small

story is that, if many more publications areamount, just a few tens or hundreds of yen, fromdigitized, and if they are to be freely accessible atreaders all over Japan, it would come to alibraries, or anywhere, the publishers must

considerable amount. I believe a software method

survive. So, unless we are able to establish someneeds to be devised for collecting monies in thiskind of business model that will simultaneously

way.
29

Digital Archiving: Present Status and Issues for the Future

NAGAO

Other issues that are currently the subject ofThese ideas might seem very adventurous, but I

lively debate are the concept of fair use andbelieve the experts will put forward better ones inlicensing rights. Copyrights are licensing rights,

the panel discussion following my talk.

so it is possible to allow one person to use a work,

I have talked to you about the current status of

but to deny another person that right because one

digital archiving, and have made some very

does not like them. However, I believe we mustadventurous proposals regarding the issues

change our way of thinking and look, instead, at a

involved, but I hope these will be discussed insystem that allows anyone to use works, but

greater detail during the panel discussion.

requires them to pay a fee if they do use them –Ladies and Gentlemen, that concludes my talk.

perhaps one would call this fee-charging rights?

Thank you for listening.

30

Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward
Advertisement: Case Study of Ubiquitous Street ProjectMedia Pole in Seoul, Korea
Keywords:
Media Pole, New Advertisement Medium, Ubiquitous Street, Ducoffe Model, Attitude toward
Advertisement.

Yoo Sam KIM, Waseda University

Abstract
Information and Communication Technology – ICT – has dramatically changed advertising andhas substantially impacted advertising creativity. In similar fashion, future advertising will be
altered via – and apace of – the emergence of new technologies.
New advertisement tools loaded with the convergence of art, media and ICT, and styled as

Media Pole in Seoul, Korea is a good example of a new advertising medium in ubiquitous network
societies. Media Pole is street advertisement architecture providing a variety of information andservices on the streets of Gangnam, one of the busiest districts in metropolitan Seoul.
This study examines factors impacting attitude toward the new advertisement medium called
Media Pole. This study is based on Ducoffe’s (1996) Advertising Attitude and Value Model and
Ajzen & Fishbein’s (1975 & 1980) Theory of Reasoned Action. This research proposes a newtheoretical model to examine attitude towards this new advertisement medium. It also provides
valuable case study results for governments, organizations and industries regarding the current
status of new technology and value-added public advertisement facilities, marketability, andsuggested future directions. This study recommends that focus should be on users’ viewpoints
and on trying to provide user-centric services in future development.

31

Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement

KIM

1. Introduction
Information and Communication Technology –ICT – has changed modern societal life. The ICT
evolution opened a new environment called
Ubiquitous Network Environment-UNT. That UNT
means we are connected by invisible media,
anytime, anywhere. It changes our lifestyles in all
directions and demands changes in all areas
including the advertising market. This new market
will use new, uniquely processed methods toentertainment,

Figure 1. Scene of Gangnam Media Pole inpersonal interests and new technology. This new

Seoul, Korea (Source: www.newsis.

area of advertisement will provide consumers withcom)

approachconsumers

aboutvarious platforms surpassing limits of expression.
A well-known French advertiser, Robert Gue’rin,

Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS),

described the advertisement thus: “Air that we are

Korea’s population is some 47 million of whom, atbreathingandthe most recent count, Seoul has some 9.75 million

advertisement. We swim through advertisement.

(i. e., in 2005 [www.kosis.kr]). These use a mixture

All forms of advertisements follow us all day andof private and public transportation daily for

don’t leave us.” His exuberant phrasing suggests

various purposes. According to Seoul Metro (thewe live in an age of ubiquitous advertisement

public subway company), daily passenger traffic

evolution. Historically, advertisements in one form

rate is 3.98 million throughout subway stations inor another existed from early human society, andSeoul. Gangnam Station has a daily passenger

developed along with evolution of that society.

traffic rate of 129, 285 which ranks it as the busiest

New inventions of advertisement media arrived as

subway station in Korea (as of September 2009).

industry and technology developed. Latterly, ICTMedia Pole is installed with commercials, artworks

has brought dramatic changes in advertisements

and technologies to provide information andand substantially has affected advertisement

services on this, Seoul’s busiest street, as part ofcreativity and this evolutionary process will

the Seoul Metropolitan City’s “Design Seoul

continue apace of new technology development.

Project.”

isnitrogenandoxygenThis new advertisement medium, at the

According to Economic Review, (July 28. 2009;

convergence of art, media and ICT, called Media

www.ermedia.net), since the start of 2009,

Pole in Seoul, Korea is a good example of that

Gangnam Ward Office installed 22 Media Poles inmedium in our ubiquitous network society.

the 760 meters from Gangnam Station to Kyobo

Media Pole comprises street advertisement

Tower Intersection, at an average separation of 30

posts providing various information and services

meters each. These 12-meter tall Media Poleon the street of Gangnam, one of the busiest

shapes are vertical columns with rectangular

districts in the Seoul metropolis. According toviewing fascia, loaded with new ICT, street lighting,32

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

2. Literature Review and Hypothesis

CCTV providing public contents such as local area
information, area map, movie information, media
art, advertisements, latest news, photo service

The concept of attitude has appealed to socialand game service through LED and LCD touch

scientists primarily because of the belief thatscreens. People can enjoy games, take pictures

attitudes influence behaviors (Allport, 1935). The

and send e-mails by photo mail service. Currently,

Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) proposed by

the poles are managed by Gangnam Ward Office,Ajzen & Fishbein (1975 & 1980) was an attempt to

Korea Telecom and Che-Il Worldwide, Korea’s

measure the concept of attitude. TRA components

largest advertisement marketing company.

have three general variables: Behavioral Intention(BI), Attitude (A), and Subjective Norm (SN). TRA

To be successfully recognized as a new
consumer

explains that attitude toward behavior andresearch should follow to discern consumer needs,

subjective norm impact behavioral intention (BI =wants

A + SN). When people intend to behave in certain

advertisement
andmedium,interests

empirical

relating

to

this

new

way, it is likely that they will. Behavioral intention

advertisement medium.
Much precedent research exists on attitudes

measures people’s degree of intention to perform

towards advertisements via traditional media

certain behavior. Attitude consists of beliefs and(Alwit & Prabhaker, 1992; Shavitt, Lowrey, &valuation of certain objects. Subjective norm is

Haefner, 1998), via online media (Brackett & Carr

treated as expectations from others, along with

Jr., 2001; Ducoffe, 1996) and mobile media

intentions to comply with these expectations,(Okazaki, 2004; Tsang, Ho, & Liang, 2004; Yang,hence one’s perception that most people who are2005). But research lacks on technology and value

important to one think that one should or should

added street advertisements. Hereafter, seeing

not perform the behavior in question (Azjen andthat new advertisement media will be introduced

Fishbein, 1975).

continuously due to the emergence of new

The Traditional consumer behavior modeltechnology and research will increase on such

explains that cognitive factors influence emotional

new media.

factors and emotional factors influences behavior

Based on Ducoffe’s (1996) Advertising Attitude

factors, based on Fishbein & Ajzen’s (1975)

and Value Model and Ajzen & Fishbein’s (1975 &Unidimensional Model. Based on this, the1980) Theory of Reasoned Action, this study aims

proposed Media Effect Model by Lutz et al. (1983)

to examine how factors impact attitudes toward

explains the impact process of advertisement

Media Pole, and propose a new theoretical model

stimulation and intention to buy. It can be explained

to examine attitudes toward that new advertisement
medium. It also expects to provide a case study togovernments, organizations and industries toshow the efficacy of this new advertisement
medium, its marketability, and its suggested future
direction.

Figure 2. Theory of Reasoned Action
33

Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement

KIM

via displacement hypothesis that cognition factor

impactfor stimulation as an independent variable canFurthermore, mobile advertisements have become

measure attitude toward advertisement, brandvitalized and researchers have applied Ducoffe’sname and intention to buy (Mitchell & Olson,

Advertising Value and Attitude Model to analyze1981).

mobile advertisements (Yang, 2005; Tsang &New perceptions and sophisticated models wereonattitudetowardadvertisement.

Liang, 2004; Okazaki, 2004; Oh & Xu, 2003). These

proposed that not only between stimulation andresearches

response – as Unidimensional Model, but also

informativeness, entertainment, irritation – toinvolvement – as a new variable, will impact

measure impact on mobile advertisement’s value

consumption of information (Petty & Cacioppo,

and attitude. And it is noted that website1986). These sophisticated models indicated thatadvertisement and mobile advertisement havehigh involvement will take information along amuch in common (Tsang & Liang, 2004).

have

used

similarvariables–

central route, low involvement along a peripheral

Ducoffe (1995 & 1996) found a significant

route. This means that value of advertising is

positive. 65 correlation between informativenessindividual-specific. Some consumers may findand advertising value in traditional media and a. 73

what they need from the advertisement andcorrelation in Web advertising, plus a significant

perceive it high in value, while others may find it

positive. 48 correlation between entertainment

low in value because of lack of the information

and advertising value in traditional media and. 76

they seek.

correlation in Web advertising. Chen and Wells

These

consumerwere(1999) found a positive correlation of. 68 between

developed along with the development of website

informativeness and attitude toward a site, and aadvertisement and were based on Mackenzie &positive. 51 correlation between entertainment

Lutz (1989). Ducoffe (1996) proposed theand attitude toward a site. Ducoffe (1995 & 1996)

Advertising Attitude and Value Model which uses

found a significant and negative correlation of -.52

variables

between irritation and advertising value inof

behavior

informativeness,modelsentertainment,

irritation and advertisement value to explain

traditional media and-.57 in Web advertising.

consumer attitudes.

Based on these precedent results, this researchThis means that informativeness, entertainment,

adopted Ducoffe’s (1996) website Advertisingand irritation variables impact advertisement value

Attitude and Value Model and modified it so thatand that this impacts attitude toward advertisement.

informativeness, entertainment and irritation

Also, entertainment variables assume direct

directly impact attitude toward advertisement, toexamine attitude toward Media Pole as a new
advertisement medium. Media Pole seems anadvertisement medium similar to website andmobile advertisements, but might have different
characteristics of irritation. Media Pole is a public
facility in a public place so it does not have thesame irritation variable as measured in Ducoffe’s

Figure 3. Advertising Attitude and Value Model(1996) website Advertisement Attitude and Value
34

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Model. But it might irritate differently, possibly

H2: Entertainment will have POSITIVE (+) affectcausing annoyance in public places. Media Pole ison attitude toward Media Pole advertisement.

located on the street of Gangnam Station which is

H3: Subjective Norm will have NEGATIVE (-)

the busiest district in downtown Seoul. People

affecton

attitudemight feel uncomfortable to use services provided

advertisement.

toward

Media

Pole

has

been

by Media Pole because of their potential to

3. Research Method and Analysis

interrupt pedestrian traffic flow, even cause
pedestrian traffic congestion. People might feel

Quantitative

uncomfortable in playing games, taking and/ or

surveyresearche-sending photos, creating User Created Contents

conducted to identify factors affecting attitude(UCC) in such a busy street in Seoul. Alternatively,

toward Media Pole. College students were selected

their discomfort might be because in using suchas a subject of study because that particular groupfacilities they have a lesser degree of privacy.

have distinctive characteristic of media usage andThese considerations might lead to lower usage.

are recognized as intensive users of media. Their

By this mean, these different characteristics offocus is on self discipline, searching for role

irritation on attitudes toward Media Pole usage

models, forming human relationships, desiring

could be measured via the subjective norm variable

new information and using media to satisfy theirfrom Ajzen & Fishbein’s (1975 & 1980) Theory ofdesires (Vincent & Basil, 1997). Thus media

Reasoned Action (TRA).

chosen by college students will impact future
media usage patterns. Also, the college student

SN ∝ Σnimi

groups are experienced ICT goods and services

Based on these precedent research results, thisuser group and a main target of advertising (Park

research combined Ducoffe’s (1996) Advertising& Yang, 2004).

Attitude and Value Model and Ajzen & Fishbein’s

A pre-survey was conducted from August 24 to(1975 & 1980) Theory of Reasoned Action, to

28, 2009 to modify wordings and mistakes. An

proposeactual survey conducted from September 2 to 16,anewresearchmodel.

Research

hypotheses and research model are thus:.

2009 in Seoul, Korea. A total of 250 survey
questionnaires were distributed to university

H1: Informativeness will have POSITIVE (+) affectstudents

on attitude toward Media Pole advertisement.

in

Seoul

and

214

valid

surveyquestionnaires were used to analyze data; 36
invalid survey responses were excluded.
Construction

andcomponentsofsurveyquestionnaires adopted were based on literature
review and precedent research. Students wereasked to rate four sections via a 1-5 Likert scale
includingattitudetoward

Media

Pole,

informativeness, entertainment, subjective norm.
Demographic questions, questions regarding

Figure 4. Research Model

knowledge about Media Pole, and questions about
35

Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement

KIM

the experience of using Media Pole, were included.

used to test internal consistency reliability. Results,

Definition and full features of Media Pole services

shown in Table 2, are that each variable scoredwere fully explained before the distribution ofover 0.7, which is acceptable. Generally, reliability

survey questionnaires.

measurement acceptability rate is 0.6 or higher, so
this survey obtained an acceptable score.

Three analysis methods were used for this

4.3. Validity Test.

survey and SPSSWIN 14.0 was used to analyze
data. First, frequency analysis method was used to

For the validity test, this study used principal

analyze demographic questions, knowledge about

component analysis and varimax rotation to test

Media Pole and experience of using Media Pole.

construct validity for variables used. Results, as

Second, Cronbach’s α coefficient method was usedshown in Table 3, indicate that all questions

for reliability test and factor analysis method wasproperly loaded in 3 variables and that theseused for factor validity test. Third, multivariate

factors explain 64% of all variables. Generally, rates

regression

over 0.5 load in applicable factors and rates lower

analysis

method

was

used

for

correlation analysis.

than 0.4 load in other factors are considered as
proper measurement questions (Hinkin, 1998).

4. Research Results.

Therefore, survey results as Table 3 verified thatall questions used in this survey satisfied these

4.1 Demographic Analysis.

requirements.

Demographic results showed that respondents

4.4. Hypothesis Verification and Results

comprised 111 males (51.9%), 103 females (48.1%),
average age 22 (Std. Deviation 2.2), youngest 19,

This study established hypothesis variables asoldest 29. Of 214 respondents, 92 (43.0%) had

informativeness, entertainment and subjective

knowledge of Media Pole before the survey and 46

norm. Results of correlation analysis between(21.5%) had experience of using Media Pole. These

these variables and attitude toward advertisement

facts suggest that Seoul, organizations andare shown in Table 4.

industries should focus on promoting Media Pole

Multiple linear regression analysis performed

to attract more attention to, and increase demandon attitude towards advertisement (dependent

diffusion of, Media Pole.

variable), informativeness (independent variable),

4.2. Reliability Test.

entertainment (independent variable), subjective

Reliability test of measurement variables havenorm (independent variable) indicate that thesebeen performed. Cronbach’s α coefficient was

variables explain 64% of the value predicted by the
regression model are related to the observed value

Table 1. Demographic Analysisof the dependent variable. Adjusted R square
between independent variables and dependent
variable is. 397. Thus these three independent
variables explain about 40% of the proportion ofvariance in the dependent variable. Tolerance
Limit – TOL – was over 0.1. Variance Inflation
Factor – VIF – was lower than 10 which means that36

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Table 2. Reliability Test

Table 3. Factor Analysis

37

Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Attitude toward Advertisement

KIM

Table 4. Results of Multiple Linear Regression Analysis

there were no problems in Multi-Collinearity. This

Test Model.

indicates that independent variables were mutuallyindependent.

H1: Informativeness will have POSITIVE (+) affecton attitude toward Media Pole advertisement.

Result of regression model significance test

(ACCEPTED)

showed that this model was suitable (F= 47.226,
p=.000). Among three independent variables,

H2: Entertainment will have POSITIVE (+) affectinformativeness (t=7.228, p<.001) and entertainment

on attitude toward Media Pole advertisement.

(t=5.447, p<.001) were significant but subjective(ACCEPTED)
H3: Subjective Norm will have NEGATIVE (-)

norm (t=.454, p>.05) was not significant regarding
attitude towards advertisement. Looking at βaffectcoefficient

advertisement. (REJECTED)

value,

informativeness

is.

427,

on

attitudetoward

Media

Pole

entertainment is. 323. This means that attitude

5. Conclusion

toward Media Pole advertisement increases apace
of increase of informativeness and entertainment.
This also means that informativeness influences

Purpose of this study was to examine factors

more than does entertainment, and does not

impacting attitude toward the new advertisement

influence subjective norm. Therefore hypotheses

medium called Media Pole. Ascertain the present

１ and 2 were accepted and hypothesis 3 wasstatus of Media Pole, field research has been done.

rejected. Figure 5 shows results of Hypothesis

The author had the opportunity to explore allfeatures that Media Pole offers to Seoul. Literature
has been reviewed and precedent research has
been studied to develop research hypotheses anda research model. Ducoffe’s (1996) Advertising
Value and Attitude Model and Ajzen & Fishbein’s(1975 & 1980) Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
were examined to analyze factors impacting
attitudeFigure 5. Hypothesis Test Model

towards

thenewpublicadvertisement medium called Media Pole.
38

facility

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Resultsarea. This study’s author also recommends thatindicated that informativeness and entertainment

Surveyresearch

wasconducted.

more focus is needed on users’ viewpoints and on

variables impact attitude towards Media Pole.

user-centric services.

Findings indicated that the model originallyThis study’s limitation of this study was that it

developed by Ducoffe (1996) and extended bysurveyed college students only. Although such

Brackett and Carr (2001) is valid in a case study ofstudents are high consumers of ICT, they are not

Media Pole. These results are similar to those

representative of the whole population. In future

regardingmobilestudy, the survey needs extension to a wider range

advertisement. Among these two variables,of respondents more completely representing theinformativeness had higher impact on attitude

combined populace, or at least a metropolis cross-toward Media Pole. Another variable, subjective

section norm in a culturally and commerciallynorm was the challenge in consumer attitude

busy modern city. Pertinent research should

toward Media Pole acceptance in a busiest public

develop similarly themed and investigative casearea. Survey results indicated that subjective norm

studies in other metropolises, for cross cultural

did not significantly affect attitude towards Media

comparison and to develop a wider database.

attitudetowardweborPole. This indicates that, if services satisfy theirneeds, wants and interests, people intend and are

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willing to use Media Pole without concern about

Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding

subjective norm.

attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood

At the end of the survey, the author asked

Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

respondents for future recommendations about

Allport, G. W. (1935). Attitudes. In C. Murchison (Ed.),

what is expected from Media Pole services in the

Handbook of Social Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 798-

future. Many respondents answered about local

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information;

most-wishedinformation

Alwit, L. F., & Prabhaker, P. R. (1992). Functional andcentered on restaurants, bars, clubs near Gangnam

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Brackett, L. K., & Carr Jr., B. N. (2001). Cyberspace

information about what can be enjoyed in andadvertising vs. other media: Consumer vs. mature

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student attitudes. Journal of Advertising Research,

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Chen, Qimei and William D. Wells (1999), Attitude

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Ducoffe, R. H. (1995). How Consumers Assess the

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Value of Advertising. Journal of Current Issues andGangnam ward office and affiliated companies

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Park, J. K., & Yang, B. H. (2004). The Effects of

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Wireless Advertising Modes on Memory, Aad, Ab,of measures for use in survey questionnaires.

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Advertising, 15(5), 153-175.

Lutz, R. J. (1985). Affective and cognitive antecedents

Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communicationof attitude toward the ad: A conceptual framework.

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In L. F. Alwit & A. A. Mitchell (Eds.), Psychologicalattitude change. New York: Springer-Verlag New

process and advertising effects. Hillsdale, NJ:

York, Inc.

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Shavitt, S., Lowrey, P., & Haefner, J. (1998). Public

Lutz, R. J., MacKenzie, S. B., & Belch, G. E. (Eds.).

attitude toward advertising: More favorable than(1983). Attitude toward the Ad as a mediator ofyou might think. Journal of Advertising Research,advertising

38(4), 7-22.

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Determinants

andconsequences, 10, Ann Arbor, MI: Association for

Tsang, M. M., Ho, S. C., & Liang T. P. (2004). Consumer

Consumer Research.

attitudes toward mobile advertising: An empirical
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Mackenzie, S. B., & Lutz, R. J. (1989). An empirical

8, 65-78.

examination of the structural antecedents of attitude

Vincent, R., & Basil, M. (1997). College student’s news

toward the ad in an advertising pretesting context.

Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 48-65.

gratifications, media use, and current events
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Mitchell, A.A. & Olson, J.C. (1981). Are productMedia, 41, 380-392.

attribute beliefs the only mediator of advertising
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Yang, B.H. (2005). Study of attitude toward mobile
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40

Global Googlization and the Sharing of Memory

Kaoru ENDO, Gakushuin University

1. Current Issues

commercial enterprise to establish an Orwellian
control over information, had existed for many

In recent years, advances in digital technology

years, during which a project like the GBLP washave given rise to a social phenomenon known as

only hypothetical, but the project had now become“googlization”.

a reality and was being brandished under our“Googlization” can be summarized (at least for

noses. In fact, the “Google Problem” is linked tothe purposes of this paper) as “the exhaustive andmany other series of issues with intricately linked

systematicconflicts underlying them.

digitizationof

culture(culturalproperty) by global companies, on a global scale”.

Figure 1 is a simple schematic representation of

The trend clearly appeared in 2004, with thethese groups of issues. It is by no means perfect or

Google Books Library Project (GBLP), which

complete, but it shows, at the very least, that the

involves Google, in partnership with a number ofinterconnection of these groups of issues makes it

libraries in the United States, making digital copies

difficult to gain an overall perspective, or to find aof the main text of books and compiling a databasestarting point for the debate.

thereof. It eventually spread beyond the borders of

2. A Summary of the Points at Issue

the United States and around the world.
At first, the whole issue was something of ashock. A sterile debate, between those who

There is no space in this article to deal with thebelieved the GBLP to be a public-spirited project,many groups of issues surrounding the public

combining economic merits with efficiency,

character of culture depicted in Figure 1. I shall

benefiting all stakeholders and representing atherefore outline three issues that, at present, may

victory for the cyber-enlightenment movement

be considered critical.
The first is the issue of copyright in the context

and those who saw it as an attempt by a private

This is a translation of an amended version of an article published as part of a special feature in the July 2010 issueof Gakujutsu no Doko [Trends in the Sciences] entitled “Googlization and the Preservation of Media Culture as a
Resource for Public Use”, and compiled on the basis of the proceedings of the symposium of the same name, heldon January 30, 2010.

41

Global Googlization and the Sharing of Memory

ENDO

Figure 1: Interconnection of issues relating to public use and conservation of media culturalpropertyof the use and conservation of cultural property.

claim rights as first comer. In other words, they

The first and most important reason that thefear that, if people continue to worry about

Google problem gave the world such a shock iscomplying with the existing system, a situation

the GBLP’s approach to copyright. In the past, themay arise in which those who have pursued

copyright system created a bottleneck, hindering

digitization at the risk of being accused of infringing

the use and preservation of cultural property

the system are able to monopolize the benefits ofthrough digitization because it required the priordigitization. Scholars such as Kotaro Nawa who

approval of the copyright holder. If the whereabouts

take an overall view of the situation, have alsoof the copyright holder were unknown, it was notpointed out the paradoxical nature of this feedback

possible to go ahead and digitize regardless.

loop in the present copyright system.

Google removed this obstacle by means of an opt-

The second issue relates to media. It is clear

out system, in which the copyright holder’sthat digitization is a powerful means of promoting

permission is obtained after the fact. This “mold-the use of cultural assets in many different ways.

breaking” approach has suddenly encountered

Digitization also has the benefit of reducing the

opposition. One view is that the copyright system

physical volume of cultural assets to a minimum

has played an important role to date and that theand may, at one stroke, resolve the problems of

opt-out system may infringe the copyright holder’slack of space and need for maintenance that haverights. Those actually involved in the digital

long plagued many archives. It is because of thisarchiving of cultural property, while recognizing

benefit that Google has announced that its mission

the importance of the copyright system, haveis to “organize the world’s information and make it

expressed concern that it is hampering their

universally accessible”. However, alarm bells are

efforts and that it may eventually allow Google tosounding, both because original data, of which
42

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

digitization is intended to facilitate the use, is insociety and culture, but I should like to leave thedanger of being lost owing to the difficulty of

discussion of these to another occasion.

preserving the original media on which it is

I would, however, like to say a few words, fromrecorded, and because of the risk that digitized

my own perspective, as to what constitutes

cultural assets may one day become unreadable.

“information” or “culture”. One of the panelists at

These problems do not concern experts alone:

the symposium said that “culture is a combination

already, some of the electronic books created inof the 3 Cs: content, carrier and context”. It should

the early years of digital technology (the 1980s)

not be forgotten that culture, or information, is not

can no longer be read. As regards problems

something that exists in a vacuum, without form,

specifically concerning media, in addition to thebut has some kind of corporeal or physicalproblem of demagnetization intrinsic to magnetic

properties.

disks, the standard format of magnetic disks has

Now that digitization has become a majorchanged many times over the years and hugecurrent, the tendency is to see only its merits.

numbers of disks are becoming obsolete.

Greater attention should be paid to questions such

The third issue is a matter of viewpoint. The

as whether it will be possible to digitize all cultural“public character” of cultural assets has been used

assets and to the fundamental weaknesses of

to justify digitization. But what are the standards

electronic media – the physical fragility of theby which this “public character” is defined? For

media, the dependence of readability on format

example, a “state” is one kind of “public”, but what

and the risk that, at some time in the future, it may

happens in the event of a conflict of interests

not be able to read the information directly. It will

between a “state” and a “community” – which

never be possible to digitize everything and, for“public” has priority? Printing companies, film

long-term preservation of what can be digitized, it

companies and broadcasters all serve a public

will be essential to keep multiple copies on otherpurpose, but they are also private enterprises andmedia. Taking these factors into account, how

profit-seeking business entities. How is “public” toshould the social costs of preserving this culture

be defined in the context of the global society?

be assessed? Another factor is that the volume of

How should international conflicts of “public”

culture, or information, is continually growing; asinterest be resolved? In fact, this issue concerns

more material is archived, the volume of“conflicts of public character or legitimacy” in theinformation will grow to huge proportions. This

context of global society and will require extensive

position may, at first, appear to be counter to thediscussion in the future.

theme of the symposium, but I believe it will be
important, in future, to consider how this explosion

3. Corporeality and spatiality of informationin the volume of information can be controlled.
Finally – although I may be alone in taking this

There are many other issues that must be

view – I suggest that the term “information” could

resolved, including (i) storage and monitoringalso be applied to things that “vanish”. At theissues, (ii) multi-layered moral conflicts at global,

symposium, the discussion quite naturally focusednational, local and private levels and (iii) horizontal

on “preservation”, but I wonder if it is reasonable

moral conflicts between technology, industry,

to preserve everything? Our memories vanish. We
43

Global Googlization and the Sharing of Memory

ENDO

lose some memories are lost but when superfluous

such a catastrophe, it is essential that we continue

memories fade away, we recall other memories.

to think and debate as we run.

Sometimes, forgetting can be a good thing.
Walter Benjamin, the author of “The Work of

On the basis of the points discussed in this

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”,

article, I shall now summarize the most pressing

claimed that mechanical reproduction led to theissues, as I see them:loss of “aura” (uniqueness) from social events.

(1) Promotion of digitization and conservation

However, no matter what advances may be madeof original media and semi-permanent

in media technology, I suggest that each and every

storage media

event is intrinsically unique. At the symposium, I

To allow full use to be made of culturalconversed with people in the audience. This, too,property, it will be necessary to restructure

was a once-only event, something that was goneknowledge to visualize the hyper-linkage

the next instant. It is true that various records

between items of cultural property. The

were made of the proceedings. There are also

digitization of cultural property is a powerfulaudio and maybe even video recordings. However,means to this end. Moreover, if only toevents are once-only phenomena and I believe that

ensure that Japan’s cultural properties do

the importance of their uniqueness should not be

not become isolated and, as a result, invisible

forgotten as it is one of the issues relating toininformation.

accumulation of knowledge, it is essential

the

midst

of

the

ongoing

globalthat their digitization should be encouraged

4. New trends and proposals(although rights and other issues will also
have to be discussed.) However, digitization

Anotherfeatureofthecurrent

media

may

also

diminishthestrengthofenvironment is the great speed with which it

conservation, and may impact on thechanges. To borrow a term from the sociologist

integrity of information. Accordingly, when

Zygmunt Bauman – it is in a state of liquidity.

it comes to existing cultural property, theBesides the Google question, the second-

original media will also have to be conserved

generation Kindle released by Amazon in 2009 andin parallel with the digital data. The volume

the Apple iPad, whose release in the United Statesof cultural property created in electronic

in April 2010 caused a great stir, are likely to makeform from the start is likely to grow, but

a substantial contribution to the growth of thethought should also be given to storing thismarket for electronic books. The way society

on more robust semi-permanent media thanregards cultural property is changing rapidly. We

digital media.

tend to be captivated by the speed of that change(2) Expansion of the debate on information/

and, on occasion, feel powerless to think about or

media culture

discuss it. However, if we give in to the temptation

At any rate, as I stated earlier, it is

to be cynical, it is possible that the balance ofimportant that the debate should continuesociety will suddenly be severely disrupted andwithout a pause. Today’s media issues

that an unforeseen catastrophe will occur. To avoid

directly and indirectly affect the interests of44

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

a far greater number of people than ever(5) Promotion of education on information/

before. For this reason, it is essential thatmedia culture

the debate should be open and multilateral,

Delay in research into information/media

and that it should be expanded.

culture translates directly into delay in(3) Promotion of interdisciplinary research on

education in the knowledge (in other words

information/media culture

information/media culture) that we should

However, an adequate foundation of basic

be passing on to the next generation.

research into the information/media culture

However, generations who are forced to livethat should serve as the basis of this debate

in an age of media upheaval without thishas by no means been established. Basiceducation will be obliged to start researchresearch into information/media culture

into information/media culture again, frominvolves a wide range of fields, from thethe beginning. If the issue is not addressed,

physical sciences and engineering to social

there is a severe risk that a negative feedback

sciences and the humanities. (This, in fact,loop will arise. The situation must be

implies that the issue of information/media

corrected right away.

falls outside the scope of conventional(6) Revisiting the intellectual property rights

science.) To date, the compartmentalization

system (especially the issue of fair use forof academic fields has made interdisciplinary

education/research purposes)

research difficult. This state of affairs must

Nevertheless, the fact that the current

be resolved as a matter of urgency.

intellectual property rights system will have(4) Promotion of international research on

to be dealt with immediately if some kind of

information/media culture

debate on information/media culture is to

At the same time, information/media or

be pursued, is a serious problem. The systemknowledge/culture belongs to all humankind

by definition must have a degree of rigidity

and is basically borderless. Knowledge andand therefore some degree of difficulty

culture begin very locally, as a myriad of

cannot be avoided, but at present the system

small

small

is confusing the issues and, if anything,currents flow into global oceans and become

tends to allow unreasonable behavior. At the

the

of

very least, there must be some easing of thehumankind. The promotion of internationalrules, if only by allowing limited exceptions

research is therefore even more important(applying, for instance to use for researchin the field of information/media culture

and education purposes). If immediate action

than in other fields. It could even be said thatis not taken on this point, it will be difficult tothe act of “research” itself is part and parcel

make any headway on the six issues I haveof information/media culture and that

described above.

currents.
universal,

However,commonthese

propertyinternational research will serve as a testing
ground for the resolution of information/

I hope these rough observations will serve as amedia issues.

starting point for future debate.

45

The Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Mediaof Japan
Kaoru ENDO, Gakushuin University

1. After the Upper House Election 2010

results of the vote-count ignited enthusiasm inpeople at the finale of the festival, the voting day.

nd

The 22 Upper House Election was held on July

The interesting observation in the last election

11, 2010. The ruling coalition secured 44 seats out

was that these special TV programs do not close inof all the reelection seats, and the opposition

TV, but interconnect with various information

parties (including 51 seats of LDP, Liberalchannels. For example, in the NHK’s news flash of

Democratic Party) secured 77 seats, meaning

the results of the vote-count, the screen showedcrushing defeat for the ruling coalition. In lessvarious channels including TV-General, BS1,

than a year after the change of government, theRadio-1, and FM, all related to NHK, and also

ruling coalition failed to gain majority in the Upper

showed phrases such as the internet and mobile

House. People’s disappointment in the DPJ, alsophone. Other TV stations also worked-out various

known as the Democratic Party of Japan, rather

programs, including digital broadcasting as well asthan the favorable wind to the LDP lead to thisTwitter.

outcome. Chaos looms in politics of Japan.

On the internet side, there were many trials.

A major change is taking place in the in media,“NICONICO LIVE”, which is a live broadcasting

which is a stage in the election “theater”. In thismedia using the internet, performed net exit polls,

paper, I will report a new relationship between theafter the Lower House Election in 2009. After theelection and the media, using the results of thevote count was completed, “NICONICO LIVE” putsurvey that I have conducted on July 12, a day

a live talk show with Takafumi Horie, Hiroyuki

after the election.

Nishimura, Takashi Uesugi, Nobuo Ikeda, and themembers of the Diets as guests, hosted by Koichi

2. The types of media people got information from

Kakutani. The “mainichi.jp” provided the election
results. This program was broadcasted from 19:50■ Diversification and convergence of theof July 11 to 01:16 of July 12, accessed by 149,518

media and information of the election

people with comments as many as 1,039,074.

The election is like a festival. A news flash of the

The ustream, another live internet media,

The targets of internet monitor survey were people living in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba (metropolitanarea). The number of samples was one thousand.

47

The Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Media of Japan

ENDO

broadcasted a live discussion program of disputants

I asked people “What did you use as a source ofand politicians, hosted by Takeshi Takano andinformation in this election?” Percentage of the

Yoshitsugu Tanaka, both journalists. This program

news sites such as Yahoo! or Infoseek stride out.

was sponsored by “Infoseek Naiyu-Gaikan”, andThis may be somewhat due to reason that thewas accessed by 59,728 people. Similarly on thesurvey was done on the internet.

ustream, the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting put aOn the contrary to the above observations, thelive program “7/11 Upper House Election Special

newspaper’s power of providing information has

News Flash” titled “Ronboo’s Election Club: Pleasenot necessarily declined, because these web sites

share us your real thoughts and comments withutilize news service from newspapers. This meansus!”that present media does not have a structure

Based on the movement of the media

where different types of media are confronting

convergence described above, the importance ofeach other like “TV vs. news papers vs. internet”,

the internet as a media is increasing rapidly. Figure

but has a structure where each of them are

1 shows the percentage of people who believe thatcomplementing one another like “TV and news

internet was “important” or “fairly important”

papers and internet”. I would like to call this media

source of information in this election. The graphenvironment an “Inter-Media Society”.

shows that people in their 20’s and 30’s believethat the internet is more important than thenewspaper.

Fig. 2 Information sources at the election (%,only media in the top ranks are shown,
based on the survey on July 12, 2010)

Fig. 1 Importance of the media in the election felt
by each generation (%, based on the

3. Political activities using the internet: election

survey by Inter-Media Society Researchin the Inter-Media SocietyGroup, on July 12, 2010)■ Election information from internet■ From

which

media

did

peoplegain

Let’s look into the internet trend, in more detail.

information from?

Other than news sites, which already gained many

From what specific media did people getusers, there are emerging new services such as

information from?

large bulletin board system, blogs, SNS (Social

Figure 2 shows the results of the survey where

Networking Service), and mini-blogs such as48

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Twitter. These are called “Social Media”, and their

The election web sites, such as “Yahoo!

characteristics are in the capability to provide

Everyone’s Politics” or “Rakuten Love Japan”,

communication environment based on the virtual

started a service to mediate small amount ofcommunity. It is said that these social media

political donations to candidates. This service

strongly influenced Obama’s win in the presidential

enables candidates without campaign funds toelection of US, in 2008.

collect money. Even a candidate, who does notVideo communications on the internet are also

have sponsorship from large companies, now has

active in recent years. Video hosting services,

the opportunity to become a politician.

such as YouTube, are already using information
from

TV

programs(forexample,The voting rate among the young generation“Scoop!

has always been and is still only half of that of aged

Contribute together Videos” of NHK). Other than

generation, as shown in Figure 3. It is expected

these services, there are new services in whichthat by using the internet to provide information

people can make their own video clip and broadcast

on the election, we can get more young people toit live by themselves, such as Nikoniko video

be interested in the election.

service and ustream. “Jigyo-shiwake”, which sortout government businesses to defeat wastefulones, and which was almost the only politicalactivity by DPJ that succeeded in gaining people’s
support, was broadcasted live using the internet,
which contributed to its popularity.
In Figure 2, web sites by political parties or by
Diet members have made their place in the top
ranks, as popular information sources for theelection. Internet is a suitable media for politicalFig. 3 Voting rate for each generation in theparties or Diet members to appeal their politicalrecentideas, since it costs very little. Furthermore,national

elections(source:

Association for Fair Election Promotion)internet can be used by citizens to promote theiractivities or personal opinions. Thus, possibilitiesof obtaining information or gaining your place in

Web sites where people can enjoy the election

the election campaign have increased dramaticallyas if they are playing computer games are being

thanks to the internet. Development of social

built one after another. Examples are: the site

media or video hosting services, described above,“Shugi.in” (http://shuugi.in/), where you canaccelerated this movement. In this year’s election,

virtually participate in shugi-in (Lower Housevarious independent election web sites, such as

Election), and “Vote Now” (http://agilemedia.jp/“Yahoo! Everyone’s Politics”, “Rakuten Love

lets_vote/), which gathers Twitters on the election.

Japan”, “Google Vote for the Future”, “JANJAN

It is expected that these projects will raise the

The Election”, or “e-Politics”, provided informationinterest in politics among young people.

on the election. Now we can access various kindsof information.
49

The Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Media of Japan■ Political activities on internet

ENDO

opportunities to political activities. Examples are:

It is quite common nowadays for Diet members

establishing a special area called “Our Wishes toto have official web sites. There are many Diet

Politics Forum”, where we can discuss or sharemembers who became famous by utilizing social

our idea on politics by presenting can be held; themedia.

distribution of the virtual item “Let’s Vote Badge”;

A Diet member who is good at using Twitter isand an open forum participated by Diet members

called “Twitter Diet member”. Diet members,

and candidates. In this open forum, Diet member

such as Seiji Ousaka and Kenzo Fujimatsu, areFujimatsu

famous “Twitter Diet members”. Ousaka is famous

participated, and Mihara won the election.

andacandidate

Junko

Miharafor using Twitter to broadcast the debate between■ The obstacle named the Public Offices

party leaders live at the Diet held on July 2009.
Interactive communication in politics may attract

Election Act

people to the actual political events, such as speech

Currently in Japan, the providing of informationon the election using the internet is strictly

meetings.
In the US, President Obama is famous for using

restricted. This is because the Public Offices

Twitter, and he has attracted more than 5 million

Election Act, which is the rule for fair election, wasfollowers up to now (Obama says that he has notestablished in 1950, when people were notcontributed by himself).

expecting this kind of situation on media that we

In Japan, the former Prime Minster Hatoyama

have now. In this law, updating information on thestarted Twitter just after he took office, attracting

election during campaign period is prohibitednearly 700,000 followers. It got into the news when

whether it is done by candidates, supporters, or by

Hatoyama said that he would re-follow. To act

citizens. This restriction is more sever than that ofagainst the Hatoyama’s Twitter, Tanigaki, theother foreign countries.

President of LDP, said “I followed Hatoyama’s

There were discussions on the modification of

Twitter” before the start of debate between

the Public Offices Election Act, accommodating to

Hatoyama and Tanigaki, held on April 2010. This

the current media environment, within the last ten

topic also got in the news as it attracted a lot ofyears. There was a rather strong movement of theattention.

modification of the Act, when “Research Group on

The web site “Politter” (http://politter.com) was

the Election Campaign in IT Era” was started byopened, which shows the list of Twitter Diet

the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs,

members, with their “murmurs (contributions)”.

Posts and Telecommunications, in 2001. The strict

We may to able to prospect the future of Japan’s

restriction on the net election was not changed,

politics, by watching the topics on this site.

however. On May 12 of this year, there was news

Politicians, not interested in the “actual voices ofon the agreement between the ruling parties andpeople” expressed in the Twitter, may have

opposition parties on the removal of the banningdifficulties to be successful.

of the net election. The action in the agreement
was postponed, however, because Prime Minister

There are other political activities that we can

Hatoyama resignated.

do using the internet. Virtual space “Ameba Pigg”,

Although the net election is not unconditionallyoperated by a server agent, provides various
50

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Fig. 4 Opinions on the Public Offices Election Act (%, based on the survey by Inter-Media Society
Research Group, on July 12, 2010)

wonderful, restrictions that suppress people’sinternet. The characteristics of the MYBO strategy

desire to communicate or political interests must

are that it strongly connects the messages on

be modified as soon as possible, since internet isinternet with the organization of grass-root

widely used among people.

supporter’s activities in the real world. After taking

Based on the result of survey where I asked

the office, Obama still utilizes the internet topeople’s opinion on the net election, most of thecommunicate with people, and he is called “WIRED

people feel the need to modify the Public Offices

President”. He has web sites in social media, such

Election Act, as shown in Figure 4. The percentage

as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and others.

of the people who are against the modification of

It is now the season of the midterm election in

the Act is only 20%.

US. Every political party is actively utilizing theinternet for election campaign. This is because

4. The trends in foreign countries

internet influences greatly the grass-roots activitiesof people (grass-roots activity using the internet is

The change in the media is making its progresscalled sometimes as “net-roots”). In the midterm

now in Japan, but what about in foreign countries?

election campaign, conservative groups who are

Let’s look into the movement in other countries.

against Obama’s tax reform are active in having“tea party”. In opposition to this, liberal groups are■ The midterm election of US

eagerly making the “coffee party” movement using

In the US, where the internet technology

the internet. The internet is main battlefield of theoriginated, there are essentially no restrictions

election.

against the utilization of the media in election, and■ Trend in Franceinternet is widely used throughout the campaign.
Obama won the election by MYBO (My BarakIn France, commercial newspapers became

Obama) strategy, where various media, fused withsubsidiaries of the company, which is thought aseach other, were used effectively, including thenear government. Therefore, criticisms against
51

The Upper House Election 2010 and the Social Media of Japan

ENDO

the government are done mainly on internet news.

against the government’s decision to import

In recent days, internet news site “Media Balt”,

American beef. It is said that “demonstration withstarted by people who were reporters of Le Monde,

candles” gathered from 5,000 to 50,000 people in 2

is active in reporting on the suspicions of President

months.

Sarkozy. In opposition to this, President Sarkozy

In the general election of local governments instarted Facebook, as a public relations tool, from

June of this year, the ruling Grand National Partyaround 2009. There are about 230,000 members.

suffered crushing defeat. The reason is that themessages from Twitter calling for people to vote

■ Trend in UK

raised the voting rate among the young generation

In Europe, Facebook is most popular among all

significantly, especially of people born in 90’s.

social media. In UK, users of Facebook have

Before the election it was expected that the Grandreached 24 millions. Facebook opened the election

National Party would overwhelm.

site “Democracy UK on Facebook” (http://en-gb.

5. The future of the social media

facebook.com/democracyuk#!/democracyuk), at
the General Election in May of this year. In thissite, about 270,000 users are registered, and moreMedia politics using the internet is the world-

than one million people joined mock vote. The

wide trend, as described above. We wonder if

debate of three party leaders was broadcasted inJapanese can survive this trend, because somecooperation with YouTube, and the party leader

people say “It is hard for me to communicate wellopinions were voted using a button on the screen.

with other people”, or “Japan suffers fromThe opinion of Mr. Clegg seemed to be most

Galapagos Syndrome”.
However, there are many trials, as described

popular. It seems than this event changed politics

above. As shown in Figure 5, the power to influence

into an entertainment.

using the social media is not small among the■ Trend in Korea

young generation, though the percentage of social

In Korea, internet was the most important place

media being used as a source of information infor democratic campaign. To act against the

total is not high.

powerful traditional media, internet news site “OhActually, based on the result of the research by

My News” was opened in 2000, and it got supports

Netratings (http://www.netratings.co.jp/), Japan

from many users very rapidly. In the Presidential

is collecting more than one million active blogs

Election 2002, it is said that internet user, called

every month. This number is far larger than that of“Netizens”, played a great part in contributing toother Asia-Pacific countries, and Japan is “thethe win of Roh Moo-hyun, the current president.

great country in blog” in the world. Furthermore,

After that, however, the control against internet

Japan’s reach to Twitter (ratio of Twitter users

was strengthened, and access to “Oh My News”

against the total active internet audiences) is 16%,decreased rapidly, and thus political activities

larger than that of US, which 10%.

using internet declined to some extent.

By the way, based on the formal blog of Twitter

Nevertheless, “demonstration with candles”(http://blog.twitter.jp/2010/06/2.html), Twitterswas organized using the internet in 2008, to fight

per second reached as many as 3,283, just after the52

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Fig. 5 Out of all information sources on election, social media are most popularamong the young generation (%, based on the survey by Inter-Media
Society Research Group, on July 12, 2010)
Japan’s victory over Denmark by the score of 3-1

we communicate with the real world using the newat the World Cup Soccer 2010 in June. This number

information environment, or how we interconnect

is the highest in the record book, larger than thatthe new information environment with our living.

at the moment of Los Angels Lakers victory over

The politics in the inter-media society may be a

Boston Celtics at the NBA Finals.

grass-root politics using the media.

Above observations suggest that the internet

In this paper, I outlined a new relationshipwill be the most important media of campaign in

between the election and the media, using

the next election. However, it does not seem thatexamples from the Upper House Election, 2010.

internet will drive out TV and newspapers

Changes in media do not necessarily influence thecompletely, surviving as the only one media. It is

politics. Any media can be a good one, or can be aplausible that various media will converge together,bad one. It is important to raise our “politicalcreating a new information environment (Inter-

influence” by using media wisely, not being abused

Media Society). The important thing now is how

by media.

53

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric
Science
Keywords:
Data-centric science, real-time sensing, feedback system, data sharing

Tetsuro KOBAYASHI, National Institute of Informatics
Yu ICHIFUJI, National Institute of Informatics
Noboru SONEHARA, National Institute of Informatics
Masao SAKAUCHI, National Institute of Informatics

Abstract
Until the middle of the last century, the primary paradigms in mainstream science had been
either experimental science or theoretical science. Starting in the 1950s, computational sciencebegan its rise to equal prominence and this change resulted in the realization of complex, largescale numerical calculations and simulations. Now, scientific research is continuing to evolve withfurther innovative changes brought by the advent of the Internet and related technologies. Thanks
to the technology used in these sophisticated information systems, most of the hardware andsensors used to gather information are linked to these networks. Information distributed in digitalform technically allows anybody to access it anytime and from anyplace. The empirical scientificresearch method based on complex large-scale data collected through these networks is called“Data-centric science.” The “Knowledge Circulation” infrastructure, which creates new value by
projecting concrete information from our society into cyber space, analyzing and simulating it on
the web, and enabling feedback from the web to real people and objects, will be one of the major
pillars of future socio-informatics. In this paper, we describe the trends in methodology of datacentric science developed in various academic disciplines, and the possibility of these types ofdevelopments in socio-informatics. Further, we discuss the data sharing/ collaborative research
infrastructure that may result in breakthroughs in socio-informatics achieved through sharing
vast amounts of data collected from throughout society and utilizing information science.

55

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

1. Breakthroughs in socio-informatics through

KOBAYASHI et alnature of communications with the advent of

data-centric sciencemobile phones. Issues such as these have beenaddressed in new socio-informatics studies inJapan has developed one of the world’s

tandem with the progress of ICT.

preeminent infrastructures for Information andCommunication

activities and social systems in the real world do

infrastructure includes the Internet, broadband

not adopt themselves well enough to the world ofservices, mobile phones and associated networks,

web information, which has advanced rapidly in aand digital broadcasting. Such technologicalshort period of time. The study of socio-informatics

progress, however, has resulted in a variety ofshould be done with a view that it is necessary tosocial changes. One of the issues is the explosion

resolve these issues using empirical evidence

in the range and the amount of information

through the investigation of the essential changes

available, information that often is of uncertain

brought by such a vast increase in rapidly available

reliability and credibility. This change has resulted

informatization. The study of socio-informatics

in a vast amount of varied information fromand research in various related fields havedifferent sources, as opposed to the uniform

deepened the understanding of our society in a

information that has been traditionally distributed

time of swiftly growing informatization, throughby mass media. The new availability has resulted

constructing logical hypotheses and then verifying

from significant improvements in the efficiency ofthem. The research paradigms employed thereorganizational

information

have been conventionally regarded as either

distribution capability of ordinary people through“theoretical science” in their mathematical models

highly advanced ICT. We begin to see cases inandwhich the complex nature and reality of society

science”

exceeds our capabilities to make appropriate

experiments using human subjects. However, wedecisions, in which men, organizations, and evenaresociety at large have limited abilities in theirunderstanding the recent rapid development of

selection of useful information from the vast

informatization

amounts available. One illustrative example of theparadigms. For example, as there has been an

fruit that ICT has borne is the environment for

explosion in the amount of data related to humanpurchasing goods and services via the web; with

communication

this ability came the difficulty of obtaining full andmedia, including blogs and Twitter, we doubt that

accurate information regarding the credibility ofsocial research based on conventional sampling

web-based traders of goods and services due tomethodology can provide a full understanding of

the

in

this data. Furthermore, although it is becoming

e-commerce. The list of potential problems that

extremely easy to collect huge amount of humancome with this new technology continues to grow:communication data using information science,

digital copyright infringement, leakage of personal

there are cases in which hypothesis testing using

information, distribution of harmful information,

conventional mathematical statistics does not

an increase in internet fraud, and changes in thework for the huge amounts of data collected in thisactivities

nature(ICT);

These issues have arisen because human

thisasymmetricTechnologies

and

of

information

56

thought

experiments

supported

finding

there

by
are

using

or

social“experimental
surveysdifficulties
theseaccumulated

in

and
fully

conventional

throughsocialJournal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010way.

to make breakthroughs in coping with various

On the other hand, in computational scienceissues created by informatization through the usecomplex, large-scale calculations and simulationsof highly informatized methodology in socio-

can be conducted, and in this field there have been

informatics.

advances in the area of information science thanks

breakthroughs that we hope to achieve using data-

to improvements in computer capabilities. We cancentric science have the following characteristics:

Insocio-informatics,

thesay that computational science has made steadyachievements in genome information analysis and[1] Collection and accumulation of a vast amountother areas though use of improvements in high-of electronic data concerning society (semi)

speed calculators and algorithms. A new target of

automatically through various networks.

analysis in computational science is the variety of[2] Actions to aimed at solving issues by providing

real world data collected electronically in real-time

feedback to society based on the models

using newly developed sensing technologies

constructed using the collected data.

capable of probing our lives and whereabouts.

[3] Promotion of data sharing and collaborative

Obviously, various aspects of our society, which

research for researchers achieved though thehave been the target of socio-informatics, areplacement of collected data on a network-type

becoming the target of this type of sensing

collaborative research infrastructure.

technology. Even mobile phones, familiar to us aspart of our communication infrastructure, are

The above [1] features the collection andbeing utilized as sensors that collect information

organization of a vast amount of data from ouron the physical movements and communications

society projected onto the web via various sensingof people.

and web crawling technologies. [2] features theConsidering the changes in the environment

setting of goals for the solution of various issues

surrounding socio-informatics, we need to conductthat have arisen due to this spread of informatizationsocio-informatics research based on data-centricin society, as opposed to simply understanding thescience by organically integrating theoreticalphenomena associated with informatization fromscience and experimental science, the sources ofthe point of view of socio-informatics. In order toconventional social science, and computational

fill the gap between human activities/ social

science with its developed technologies in order toinstitutions in the real world and the world of web

fully understand the new changes in society

information, it is important to provide feedback

emerging from the development of ICT. Data-

based on the analyzed data in such a way that thiscentric science is the paradigm for understanding

feedback may help us enact changes in society. In

andhighlyshort, we need to construct a information

informatized society by constructing models

circulation system to support human decision

through the analyses of a vast amount of data

making in the real world and to provide triggers toelectrically collected from real society throughchange actions, through (semi) automaticallyvarious networks, and then feeding back thecollecting and accumulating data related to our

results of simulations based on constructed models

current society which then can be projected into

to observers in the real world. In short, we expect

the world of web information. Finally feedback

solvingvariousissues

in

our

57

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

KOBAYASHI et al

Fig. 1 Information circulation system based on data-centric sciencefrom this collection and analysis must be provided

It will soon be fully possible to introduce theto agents in the real world (Fig. 1).

same type of information circulation system in the

Information circulation systems such as thisarea of socio-informatics. The information needed

have already been put in practice in the areas offortraffic informatics and agricultural informatics. In

transactions, and sustaining our increasingly

traffic informatics, a method to predict the nearinterlinked

future and current positions of vehicles with higher

distributed through both mass and interpersonal

precision and less data is currently being

communication. However, such information is also

researched. This method uses car motion data

currently distributed via the Internet. For example,

collected through sensing and then analyzes thein order to smoothly conduct social exchanges

data at central server in order to send it back toand economic transactions, it has been shown that

individual vehicles as feedback. In the field of

it is important for trading partners to have a

agricultural information, new developments using

credible reputations (e.g. Nowak & Sigmund,remote sensing technology in the collection of

1988; Milinski et al, 2002). This can be seen in thedata related to both the status of cultivated

net auction market: information concerning the

agricultural products and the weather are being

reputations of traders is accumulated andmade. The data would then be analyzed at a serverorganized over the web and accessible to potential

and the feedback returned to the agriculturalauction customers. The feedback of information

areas.

on the reputation of traders in net auctions makes
58

smoothsocialsocietyexchanges,
has

economic

traditionallybeen

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010transactions containing an asymmetric nature of

2. Examples of socio-informatics studies based

information possible without the parties involved

on data-centric science

really knowing each other (Yamagishi et al., 2009).
Information concerning not only the reputation of

2.1 Researchpeople, but also the reputation of products andoncommunications

using

smartphones

services and the credibility of e-commerce

One of the important research targets for socio-transaction sites is scattered about on the web.
andinformatics is examining how the usage of new

analyzing this information through electronic

media relates to human behavior and psychology.

sensing and crawling, and then returning theEspecially, mobile phone usage, which has

feedback to society at large will contribute to theskyrocketed in recent years, has dramaticallysolution of problems that have arisen due to rapidchangedinformatization.

communications. The change in communication at

Collecting,accumulating,organizing,themannerofinterpersonal[3] represents a breakthrough in the usagea personal level via mobile phones is having a hugephase of collected data. This is not conventional

impact on the way we form social networks, ourmanner of usage in which data is gathered andcapability to form groups, and our ability tostored by a single researcher or a research group.

organizing collective action (Rheingold, 2002;

It represents the promotion of sharing collected

Ling, 2004; Katz, 2008). The research on thedata through the utilization of recent information-

relationships between mobile phone usage andscience advancements connected to authentication

human behavior and its psychological basis has

and security technologies. This will reducefor the most part been done conventionally using

inefficiencies in the dispersion of researchsocial survey methodology. Typically, the mostresources and enhance research infrastructures,

widely accepted method is to measure variables

especially for researchers who may be young or

regarding mobile phone usage (e.g. frequency andnot yet well established. Making common data

content of usage), and to examine their correlation

accessible to a greater number of researchers willwith behavioral and psychological variables.

ideally lead to more empirical investigations that

Actually, there is a large amount of knowledge on

are able to replicate analyses and provide

the social impact of mobile phones that has beencounterevidence, and this will contribute to theclarified through such research methods, anddevelopment of research in socio-informatics. In

social surveys will continue to be a pillar of

this way, data-centric science aims to makeresearch methodology.

breakthroughs using a fusion of the elements ofOn the other hand, the technology used in

information science including data collection,

mobile phones is developing at an extremely highfeedback to members of society, and data sharing.

rate. Specifically, the advent of smartphones thatIn the following section, we list specific researchfeature full-fledged network functions and open

examples of the methodological trends in data-

sourceoperatingsystems

centric science developed in various areas in socio-

methodologicalinformatics.

research related to the impact of mobile phone

breakthroughs

may
not

bring
only

in

usage in society, but also in research related to59

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

human communication in general.

KOBAYASHI et almobile phone usage among younger people isFirst, call and SMS (Short Message Service)correlated with the formation of homogeneous

history can be obtained directly from applications

and intolerant “foxhole type” networks, andin the terminal OS. As for email, it is technicallymentioned the need for more technologicalpossible to obtain information from web mailsupport to counteract this trend. If the usage ofservers such as Gmail through API permission

mobile phones drives the strengthening ofusing open protocol such as OAuth. Further, it is“strong ties” that help form homogeneous andpossible to obtain information on the location ofsometimes

users through GPS information acquisition.

technical “hooks” to help interaction with “weak“Sensor data mining technology” that analyzes

ties” and create heterogeneous groups in mobile

presence (5W1H) of users in real-time is also inphone usage can work as a technologicaldevelopment. Additionally, it is becoming possible

counterbalance to these types of negative social

to estimate the status of mobile phone user’s

results. For example, we can collect communication

movements and ascertain whether these people

logs automatically from smartphones and then

are riding on trains or in cars by the environmental

analyze the logs to estimate the pattern ofsounds obtained using various sensors andcommunications. In this way feedback that can

microphones. In this way, mobile phones currently

activate “weak ties” is returned to an application

act as sensors featuring multiple functions relatedon the mobile phone based on the estimatedto human communication and behavior, and this ispattern. Specifically, it would be possible to remind

expected to serve as a basis for methodology tothose who have been out of touch recently or to

obtainAlthoughsend a message to try to encourage communication

measurement errors are inevitable in social

with persons who may have been out of contact forsurveys that rely on self-reports by respondents,

a long time. This corresponds to the aforementioned

the automatic collection of usage logs directly

feature [2] of data-centric science.

data

for

socio-informatics.

intolerant

networks,

embeddingfrom mobile phones should help to counteract the

Of course, we must take extreme care to pay

disadvantages found in social surveys (i.e.

attention to the ethical issues in research thatmeasurement errors), which create obstacles inaccompany these methods of data acquisition. We

statistical hypothesis testing such as attenuation incertainly need to obtain consent from mobile

correlations.

thephone users and to pursue research in a thoroughly

aforementioned feature [1] in data-centric science.

ethical manner using such methods such as theAutomatic collection and accumulation of a vast

application of irreversible encryption whenamount of data related to human communicationcollecting communication logs. We must be surethrough mobile phones has become possible.

not to collect data that could possibly containThis

corresponds

toAt the same time, there are some previous

specific personal information. However, it isfindings that have shown the negative social

certain that there are great advantages from a

consequences of mobile phone usage, and maderesearch point of view to be gained by finding ways

the point that there is a need for technological andto conduct research in concert with these ethicalsystematic support to counteract these issues. The

criteria. Both the automatic collection of precise

author (Kobayashi, 2010) has pointed out that

communication data, which has been collected60

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

only in indirect and limited form, and the direct

around with highly sophisticated sensors, and welinkage of data to efforts to find solutions to

can say this circumstance is a great opportunity

existing issues are concurrently possible.

for

the

field

of

data-centricscience.

In

Our research group including the authorcommunication research targeted by socio-(Kobayashi) is developing a communication

informatics, data-centric scientific methodology

research application operating on “Android” – thebased on ICT can produce major breakthroughs.

OS for the smartphone provided by Google. The

2.2 Risk estimates for e-commerce transaction

application is installed, with user consent, onsites and providing feedback to users

Android equipped mobile phones and after
automatically

The trust in our sophisticated informationcollects and accumulates usage logs of phone calls,

society is threatened in various forms: fraud,email, and SMS. Additionally, the application

libelous posting, the spread of rumors, web groups

samples the contact counterparts of users (thepromoting violence and self-destructive behavior,other end of phone calls and SMS communication)and unofficial (malicious) websites using ICT

at preset criteria, and can obtain information about

including email, home pages, blogs, and SNS(Social

these counterparts (attributes, relationship and

Networking Service). As opposed to the way trust

frequency of face-to-face conversation) via short a

has traditionally been built in society, based upon

pop-up survey questionnaire. From the automatic

norms

collection of communication log data and thetrustworthiness in the information world, whether

analysis of survey data, we will be able to obtain a

it is of a person or of information, is hard to judge

deeperphone

because this world of the Internet is often

communication, which has been difficult to do

characterized by anonymity and it features a lackwhen only social surveys have been employed.

of non-verbal communication. In this way, theFurthermore, by constructing a model to classify

anxiety that accompanies this lack of information

user counterparts, certain types of technological

we traditionally use to judge trustworthiness andsupport may be developed for mobile phonethecommunication, which has a tendency to form

communicated on the web are a major barriers tohomogeneous social networks. This would be

economic development in the information anddone by providing automatic feedback periodicallyknowledge service industries. For this reason, a

to a terminal that would help to maintain “weaksystem that provides feedback on evaluations ofties” in the form of messages reminding

the trustworthiness of trading partners to users

counterparts classified as “weak ties” to stay inby collecting information on the web and analyzing

contact. In addition, this type of feedback can be

it is required.

anonymizationandencryption

understandingofmobileofresultingface-to-facemistrust

communication,

of

the

information

As an example of the need for this type of systemmodulated in combination with information
gathered about user locations through GPS anddevelopment,

data on user movements.

trustworthiness of electronic commerce sites (EC

we

chose

the

issue

of

the

sites). Securing full confidence in EC sites requires

In this way, smartphones are expanding theirhuman

a large amount of resources. However, notcommunication. It is as if most people are walking

conducting full verification of EC sites risks

natureassensingdevicesfor61

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

KOBAYASHI et al

severely damaging the market due to the spread ofcontinuity of identification information obtained

flawed and/ or malicious businesses, and a drop in

online and those obtained in the physical world:

the amount of transactions spurred by consumer(A) the lifecycle of EC site ID, (B) the lifecycle of

distrust in the market. So, in order to create

phone number indicated in EC site, and (C) the

economic development through the spread ofdegree of compliance of the site with the Act onsmooth e-commerce, it is crucial to secure user

Specified Commercial Transactions. It has been

confidence and security by evaluating theshown that EC sites with low credibility are known

trustworthiness of EC sites. This can be done

for their frequent changes in ID, and thus theutilizing information that is scattered about on theanalysis of the lifecycle length of identification

web.

information contributes to judgments about the

Watanabe, Ando, & Sonehara (2008) havetrustworthiness of an EC site.

analyzed the clues that users use to judge the

Furthermore, using the same logic, information

trustworthiness of EC sites. As a result, it becameon the lifecycle of phone numbers is a valid way toclear that information showing the existence of

estimate trustworthiness. It has been pointed out

these companies in the real world such as athat the collected 188 phone numbers of fictional

company overview, address, and phone number

companies used for phishing fraud that have been

were important. The result indicates that users

made available by major credit card companies,

are trying to evaluate the trustworthiness of EC

are mostly invalid (out of use) numbers. In short,sites through the same cognitive process to judge

phone numbers are obtained immediately before

trustworthiness as they would do with trading

net fraud and cancelled immediately after the fraud

partners in the real world. The current legal

is completed, and thus the lifecycle is extremely

system for e-commerce partly guarantees theshort. For example, 91% of phone numbers

existence and continuity of these companies in theconnected to entities cited as having a high risk ofphysical world. For example, the Act on Specified

being fraudulent have a contract period of lessCommercial Transactions obligates traders tothan six months.

provide information including phone numbers,

The degree of compliance with the Act on

domain names, names, and physical addresses.

Specified Commercial Transactions, which shouldThis obligation has the effect that supports user

be included on EC sites, is also an important way

judgments by legally guaranteeing the physicalto verify the existence of this company in theexistence of the EC trader and provides continuity

physical world. The authors (Sonehara andfor the EC site between the web and the real

Ichifuji) have obtained URLs of about 74,000 EC

world.

sites, and collected addresses and phone numbers

The authors (Sonehara and Ichifuji) have beenfrom the information given on the page for the Act

developing a system to provide clues that will helpon Specified Commercial Transactions. As theusers to make judgments of trust about EC sites

information on the web itself changes over time,by collecting, analyzing, and organizing the data

we intend to develop automatic web crawling

representing the existence and continuity of EC

systems in the future. This type of researchsites in the physical world. First, we focused on thecorresponds to the aforementioned feature [1] indata below and evaluated the existence anddata-centric science.
62

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

In order to provide feedback regarding thethe trustworthiness of these entities, not for users

trustworthiness on online entities to EC site users,

already trading who are capable of judging EC site

we must simplify the collected data used to verify

trustworthiness.

the trustworthiness and present it in the form of a

The authors (Sonehara, Ichifuji) are currently

statistical score. Therefore, we have constructed a

researching a more sophisticated calculation

statistical model to summarize the information

method of risk score using the accumulation of the

below into the form of a risk score: (a) evaluation

above-mentioned knowledge as a basis. Specifically,of phone number and address ID (evaluated using

we envisage the development of a method that

length of continued usage of a phone number andtakes not only data obtained from the web, but also

degree of correspondence of known physicalthe correlations between EC sites and geographic

address with the phone number and address

locations into account in the evaluation of risk

shown on the website), (b) evaluation of EC sitescore. The method for this includes linking theID, evaluation of degree of compliance to the Act

information for the address of a company running

on

(c)

an EC site with the lifecycle data of the building or

evaluation of the length of continued usage of URL,

SpecifiedCommercial

Transactions,

shopping mall listed as a physical address, andand (d) the frequency of renewal of the EC site.

merging this information with data regarding theWith this model, the EC site risk score can besize of the buildings, and the period of use of theseprovided to users through the use of informationbuildings and the names of other companies

gained through web crawling. In fact, as a result of

located in the same buildings. As a result, theaccessing and verifying the information on various

information on the website that may not be easy to

EC sites with this system, we confirmed that theverify, such as an address, can be verified as

discrimination of high-risk EC sites was possible.

physically existing in the real world, and this fact

Providing a calculated risk score to potential EC

becomes part of a crucial index for the risk scoreusers corresponds to the aforementioned feature

calculation of an EC site. This type of system for[2] in data-centric science. One way for users to

feedback on evaluations of the trustworthiness ofreceive this risk score is to have them install a

EC sites that combines information on the web

plug-in on their web browser that shows risk

with that found in the physical world may be able

scores on their browser windows when they visit

to increase the number of EC users, thus

EC sites, another is having users input the URL ofcontributing

an EC site into a designated verification website

encouraging this type of commerce.

toeconomicdevelopmentbywhen they have doubts about the credibility of an

2.3 Traffic control via real-time sensing ofEC site. In this way, the providing feedback in an

moving objects.

appropriate form that allows users to judge thetrustworthiness of a trading partner will make theTraffic jams have many harmful effects that are

discrimination of EC sites with high credibility

felt in various ways in our society. These effects

from those with low credibility much easier, thus

may include such things as delays in the arrival ofpromoting smoother commerce on the web. Thisemergency vehicles and the prevention of

feedback is especially useful for potential EC users

evacuation of pedestrians during disasters. In

who hesitate to use EC sites because they doubt

cases in which we have advance knowledge of63

Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

KOBAYASHI et al

areas that have chronic heavy traffic, we canmanner without sacrificing need or purpose. If thisdetour around these places using conventional car

kind of value exchange is realized in real-time, thenavigation systems. However, it is currently

occurrence of traffic jams can be controlled withdifficult to predict sudden traffic jams. And once

incentive-compatible

one is caught in a traffic jam, it is very hard to getcooperation. At this moment, there is little

out. Thus there is a need for a system that allows

research on traffic control utilizing this type of

us to avoid traffic jams before we become snared

value exchange between vehicles. In order toin them or to control vehicles to in order avoid therealize navigation utilizing this type of real-time

occurrence of traffic jams themselves. The easiest

value exchange, we need to develop a system thatway to avoid the occurrence of traffic jams is tocollects

forcibly control the flow of vehicles, but in reality

movement

this is not a practical solution. Therefore, thereal-time

authors (Sonehara, Ichifuji), Ryosuke Shibazaki of

information to vehicles and pedestrians as

the University of Tokyo, and Hiroshi Osawa ofcomprehensible feedback.

Saitama University are developing a method that

also offer customized information for each user.

aims to realize social coordination and cooperation

This is exactly the type of system that would

in order to avoid traffic jams by considering thecorrespond to the aforementioned features [1]needs and purposes of each vehicle.

and [2] in data-centric science.

andcollaboration

analyzes

informationofvehiclesvia

sensors,

and

on

the

and

pedestrians

in

and

to

returnthisThis system should

Emergency vehicles such as ambulances canFirst, information collected on each moving

reach destinations more quickly when otherobject through sensing technology is important asvehicles aid them by yielding. This can be seen as

it allows us to recognize action patterns of moving

a time-lagged value exchange, meaning that

objects. Based on the measurement data gained

drivers of ordinary vehicles that yield the way

from the GPS of each vehicle, the locations of a

expect to gain the value of the rapid arrival of

great number of vehicles are analyzed and theemergency vehicles should they need assistancebehavior of the entire pattern of these vehicles asin the future. The authors (Ichifuji and Sonehara)

a whole is gained. Furthermore, the development

have envisaged the realization of this type of valueof data acquisition methods with lower loads on

exchange between ordinary vehicles in real-time

servers are required as a vast amount of data

through the use of ICT. For example, when somedetailing the location of vehicles which is subject

vehicles are in hurry and others are not, and alltothese vehicles are heading in the same direction,

Additionally, in order to estimate the needs andvehicles traveling at slower speeds are presented

purposes of individual vehicles and to matchthe offer of obtaining discount gas prices indifferent needs properly, we will need to linkexchange for yielding to faster traffic. If the slower

qualitative metadata such as a vehicle’s purpose ofvehicles accept this offer, faster moving vehicles

movement to each motion using the various map

receive the value of arriving in time and slower

related data and the movement data accumulated

vehicles receive economic incentives. In this way,in the past. This real-time collection of vehicle

both parties collaborate voluntarily, not obligatorily,

movement information and metadata attached to it

to reach to their goals respectively in a smoothcorresponds to the aforementioned feature [1] in64

constantchangewillbeaccumulated.

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

3. Creating a research infrastructure for network

data-centric science.

type

In order for real-time monitoring of humans anddatasharingandcollaborative

research

vehicles to be done precisely and on a large scale,
it is important to combine and analyze metadata
on objects, such as location information, and the

In new research on socio-informatics using thedata on the purpose of movements that have been

aforementioned data-centric science, we need tocollected in real-time. Then we must appropriately

collect and accumulate a vast amount of electronic

predict both the movements of each singular

data from the physical world (semi) automatically.

moving object and all the moving objects as aThus, greater investment in academic researchgroup. For example, in the cases of parking,and higher education that has not been required

stopping, and selections of routes less frequently

for conventional socio-informatics research based

travelled, valid feedback can be provided to users

on theoretical science and experimental science,

through the establishment of a method for theoccurs here in the cost of system development,

attachment of metadata, including purpose ofdata sharing servers and data storage management.

travel, utilizing geographical data such as POI

However, it is inefficient and unrealistic for each(point of interest), and cross referencing thisresearch

information with large amounts of similar data

establishing individual infrastructures for data-

accumulated in the past. If this kind of feedback,centric science. In data-centric science that targets

based on estimated results, is returned to users in

the construction of models utilizing a vast amounteach moving vehicle, we can help emergencyof data and providing feedback based on thesevehicles avoid routes in which sudden traffic jam

models to members of society, it is of crucial

are likely to occur, and control heavy traffic

importancethrough proposals of value exchanges between

collaborative

vehicles. The research on time and space data

infrastructures, which will archive the collectedmining which has conventionally targeted thedata and make this available for sharing. If thismigration of wildlife, which can move freely indoes not happen, data-centric science will not be

space, but research on vehicles, whose movements

able to widen its boundaries, and will only be

are usually bound to roads, is not sufficient enoughavailable to limited users at research institutes

to have accumulate this type of information. This

with abundant research resources.

institute

to

to

spend

promote
and

the

its

resources

formation

cooperativeofresearch

Especially, researchers who may be younger or

research is designed to support smooth movements
automatic

not so well established would not have thecollection of real-time social data through a vast

resources to carry this kind of cost burden. In

amount of sensors (car navigation and mobile

order to make progress

phone GPS, for example), matching value

research aimed at harmonizing informationexchanges between vehicles, and providing

technology and human and social sciences,

systems that are able to provide feedback to users

variety of different researchers, regardless of theirin vehicles.

age, scale of research, or the research institution,ofvehiclesthroughconducting

in socio-informaticashould be able to exchange information about
their findings, opinions, and ideas by direct access
65Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

KOBAYASHI et al

to shared data collected through data-centric

this will lead to the development of new researchscientific approach. This could be considered theregardless of the amount of individual resources

spirit of data-centric science. In most cases, social

researchers or research groups may have.

survey data and laboratory experiment dataobtainedthroughconventional

As the collaborative research infrastructure forexperimental

data-centricscience,National

Instituteofscience methods have been accumulated in the

Informatics, to which the authors belong, ishands of individual researchers and have not beenpromotingopen to public. It is obvious that it is difficult tocollaborative research infrastructure with themake the data widely available without any

cooperation

legitimate evaluation of data collection itself, but

nationwide. A data sharing collaborative research

we can’t deny that problems with data sharing has

infrastructure would integrate identification and

made

of

attribute information, which previously had beencounterevidence difficult and at times halted theutilized only internally at each university anddevelopment of social science in our country. Whatorganization, and enable data sharing acrossthose involved in data-centric science hope to do isuniversities and enhance the sophistication of

to make it easier for researchers to commit to data-collaborative research and cooperation in higher

centric science by fully utilizing information

education (Fig. 2). As this data sharing/science. Through opening up the availability ofcollaborative

data to a collaborative research infrastructure

individual authentication, researchers can utilize

utilizing ICT, the verification and transparency ofvarious services for collaborative research not only

socio-informatics will be enhanced, and we expect

in universities and research institutes nationwide,

replication

tests

and

provision

establishment
andofpartnershipresearch

dataofuniversities

infrastructure

Fig. 2 The structure of data sharing/ collaborative research infrastructure66

sharing/

allowsJournal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

but also at home. As this infrastructure would be toon the three points: [1] automatic collection andsome degree ubiquitous, we hope that quality canaccumulation of a vast amount of data reflecting

also lead innovations in collaborative research andour society, [2] providing feedback to users based

education. Further, data archives and various

on models constructed by the collected data, [3]information systems for collaborative research

the possibility of forming a site for data sharing

constructed and managed by individual universities

and collaborative research, which enables us toand research institutes will be shared andreview emerging socio-informatics research using

centralized in the data sharing/ collaborative

data-centric science. In order for our country toresearch infrastructure, and this should lead towin ‘the great intelligence war’ in social informatics,

improvements in the efficiency of collaborative

which has been brought on by increasingly

research utilizing data-centric science.

sophisticated information technology, it is vital

The services provided in a data sharing/collaborative

research

infrastructurethat we utilize the rapidly advancing power of ICT.

includeWe would like to contribute to breakthroughs in

networks, wireless LAN access service onsocio-informatics from the viewpoint of data-

campuses, overseas wireless LAN roaming service

centric science that utilize the full power of ICT infor the purpose of academic research andall areas including data collection and accumulation,

education, academic content access service (forfeedback to society, and the promotion of data

example electronic journals and books), calculator

sharing and collaborative research.

access service such as Grid, and research andeducation platform services including remote

References

lectures and e-learning. The various data obtained

Nowak, M. A. & Sigmund, K. (1998). Evolution ofthrough data-centric science will be accumulated

indirect reciprocity by image scoring. Nature, 393,

in an academic information infrastructure that573-577.

promotes the correction of disparity in research

Milinski, M., Semmann, D., & Krambeck, H. J. (2002).

resources and encourages collaborative research.

Reputation helps solve the ‘tragedy of the commons’.

That is, the promotion of collaborative research is

Nature, 415, 424-426.

possible because researchers in universities

Yamagishi T., Matsuda M., Yoshikai N., Takahashi H.,

nationwide will have an equal level of access to& Usui Y. (2009). Solving the lemons problem withresearch resources for collaborative research, andreputation. In K. S. Cook, C. Snijders, V. Buskens, &there will be no barriers such as physical distance,

C. Cheshire (Eds.), eTrust (pp. 73-108). NY: Russell

security, or user authentication.

Sage Foundation.

In this paper, we illustrated the current situation

Rheingold, H. (2002). Smart mobs: The next social

surrounding social informatics including therevolution. Perseus Books Group.

forced innovation of methodology with theLing, R. (2004). The mobile connection: The cellbackground of rapid ICT development, andphone’s impact on society. Morgan Kaufmann

described the possibility of breakthroughs of

Publishers

socio-informatics from the viewpoint of data-Katz, J. E. (2008). Handbook of mobile communication

centric science, which looks to ICT for innovations

studies. The MIT Press.

in methodology itself. Specifically we have focused

Kobayashi, T. (2010). ICTs supporting tolerant society:67Breakthroughs in Socio-Informatics through Data-centric Science

KOBAYASHI et alSocial psychology in the loosely bridging Internet

model based on user investigation. Human Interface

age. Taga Shuppan. [In Japanese](Journal of Human Interface Society), 10, 103-415.

Watanabe, K., Ando, M., & Sonehara, N. (2008).

[In Japanese]

Examination of the website credibility evaluation

68

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics:
On Socio-Informatics and Social Informatics

Toshio KUROSU, Kokushikan University

Abstract
With the development of ICTs, the earth is progressing to globalization more and more, andpolitics, economics, and the society are getting merged. The problems concerning ICTs andhuman beings/society which occur in the international society and the international relationships
in globalization have become common problems everywhere both in big and small countries.
Thus, as an academic system to answer such themes, “Socio-Informatics” was planned in Japan,and “Social Informatics” was planned in the West. Many researchers are making efforts to solve
various problems in reality.
“Social Informatics” in the West has its roots in IFIP, a society mainly consisting of information
sciences. “Socio-Informatics” in Japan was born out of the ideas of humanities, social sciences,and philosophy, rather than out of those of “information sciences”. However, it is only the beginningof the precise definition of Socio-Informatics/Social Informatics and its objects of researches alsoin Japn and the West.
In this script, we suggest our ideas concerning objects and methods of Socio-Informatics after
introducing the present situation and themes of its researches in Japan and in the West. One of
our ideas is that we need a viewpoint to grasp the whole human society comprehensively more
and more in such new reality for developing Socio-Informatics/Social Informatics. About thenecessity and the meaning of this viewpoint are examined in detail.

69

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

I. Introduction

issue this year.
In the preface of JSI, the basic problems which

It has been said that we live in the information

they have been researching so far are explained associety. Interdisciplinary departments consisting

below:of specialists of humanities, social sciences andsocial informatics were founded in several

There, progress is being made on resolving

universities in Japan, in order to research newquestions like “What is Information?”, “Whatproblems that occur in our life and social

kind of change is information technology

organizations

andcausing to human relations or social structure?”

Communication technologies) spread. Since 1990

as

ICTs

(Information

and “What is the design for a desirable society

to the present, six departments whose names arewhich is taken and constructed to elucidate awith the prefix of “Shakai Jouhou Gakubu”

concrete everyday social phenomenon or a(departments whose purposes are researches andsocial problem?” (Endou & Abe, 2008, p.3)

education in relation to socio-informatics) havebeen founded. To name them as the time ofAbove are the trends in Japan. What are thefoundation, they are: Faculty of Social Information

trends abroad? The academic conference about(Sappro Gakuin Univ., 1990); School of Social

Human Choice and Computer (HCC) which wasInformation Studies (Otsuma Women’s Univ,

held in Slovenia in 2006 as a flagship conference of1992); Faculty of Social and Information Studies

Technical Committee 9 of IFIP, the International(Gunma Univ. 1994); Faculty of Social Information

Federation for Information Processing, is placed

Science (Hirosima Bunka Gakuin Univ. 1996);

as a research meeting in memory of Rob Kling,

Faculty of Social Information (Jumonji Women’s

the founder of IFIP-TC9, who passed away at theUniv, 1998); School of Social Informatics (Aoyma

age of 58 in 2003. It is because he is supposed to be

Gakuin Univ., 2008) Although the term in Japanesethe founding father of “Social Informatics” in theis “Shakai Jouhou Gakubu” altogether, each ofWest. In Remembrance of Rob Kling (Nurminen,

these departments has peculiar characteristics as

M. I., Berleur, J., and Impagliazzo, J., 2006).
According to this book, in the conference of

they are expressed in the English terms.

HCC7, three sections were held under the themes

Apart from them, many departments in relation

written below:

to social information such as departments of
information and media were founded all overPart1: Social Informatics: What is it?

Japan.

Part2: Social

In 1996, JASI Japan Association for Social

Informatics:

ubiquity?

An

information society for all?

Informatics and JSIS Japan Society for Socio-

Part3: Fair globalization.

Information Studies were founded, and each has
been presenting results of various researches. Since
2004, they have been holding a joint society of the

As is clear from those themes, it is only thepresentation of the results of researches, and they

beginning of the precise definition of Social

published English journal The Journal of Socio-

Informatics and its objects of researches also inInformatics (JSI) in 2008. They published the third

TC9 which consists of members of the countries in70

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

the West.

and social sciences with “meaning” as a medium

In this script, we would like to suggest our ideas(p.4). Then he suggests the establishment ofconcerning objects and methods of Social

Fundamental Informatics from life to society as

Informatics after introducing the present situation

the basis of the three fields: information andand themes of its researches in Japan and in thecomputerWest.

informatics/appliedsciencesandtechnology,

information

appliedstudies,andsocio-informatics/socio-information studies.

II. The situation in JapanAs we have seen, new informatics which merges
information sciences, humanities and social

It is said that Socio-Informatics has two roots:

sciences is being groped. In Japan, both JASI andinformation science and theories of information

JSIS have been progressing researches andsociety. Information science is a technical scienceeducation of a new study of informatics in order towhichestablish it as “Socio-Informatics”.

brought

about

the

inventionanddevelopment of computers. Nishigaki, T. (2004)

Hiromatsu, T. (2010), the president of JASI

sums up the circumstances as below:

emphasizes the necessity of constructing a newacademism of socio- informatics.

Speaking roughly from the conclusion,“informatics” which stretches over humanities,

Socio-informatics is, in its essence, a disciplinesocial sciences and natural sciences was formedof interdisciplinary and field-crossing nature

by information science which had been awhich is related to cultural sciences, social

technical science cooperating and being mergedsciences and to the field of engineering and thatwith academic fields of humanities and socialof medicine. Based on this, we are aiming at thesciences such as philosophy, law, economics,

construction of a new academism which deals

and sociology. As is widely known, one of thewith the Japanese society and the world in the

biggest moments of formation of informatics

future by integrating theory and practice.

was that personal computers and the Internet
permeated explosively into the public at the end

Ito, M. (2010), the president of JSIS explains theof the 20th century. In such context, “social

significance of developing “Socio-Informatics” as

informatics” can be defined as “the social field

below:

of informatics”. Then “information” which was atechnical concept must be defined again from

The rapid expansion of the use of electronic

the viewpoint of humanities and social sciences

media seen in blogs and twitters has aand be placed as a key concept concerning

considerable effect on the way of personal

people and the society. (pp. 2-3)

communications, on political communications
and political awareness, and also on economic

In addition, Nishigaki (ibid.) says, “Informatics

activities. Its effect will be the more crucial inis, in short, a discipline of “meaning”. It is importantthe future. Also, social changes caused by

to define it again basically because it connects

technical innovations of the media, such as theintellect of natural sciences and that of humanities

world wide movement of electronic books which
71

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

Google raised and the trends to oppose it, thethe biological informatics. As a result, various

development of the trends of electronic libraries,

socio-sciences, such as the study of law,

the movement of full scale archives ofsociology,

publications, images, films and broadcasting

psychology, business administration, social

and active discussions concerning their practical

psychology, etc., can have the possibility ofuse, are occurring one after another. The

synthesis upon the common and generaldevelopment of “Socio-Informatics” is strongly

foundation of supertemporal socio-informatics.

needed which aims at determining the essence

Once Marxism was said to provide the commonof the changes in this process of social

foundation for socio-science, but today thisinformation, and solving the problems occurringcommon foundation should be found inin the process both theoretically and positively.

supertemporal socio-informatics in the exact

economics,

political

science,same way as biological informatics in now
It is certain that the present ITCs bring us

regarded as the common foundation of thevarious merits and demerits, and that various

various biological sciences. (p.42)

problems to solve occur daily. However, these
explanations do not give us a precise answer to theThis opinion of Yoshida’s has something inquestion, “what is Socio-Informatics?”.

common with Nishigaki’s fundamental informatics

Therefore, we would like to examine theplan. Both ought to be examined in detail in the

discourses concerning the possibilities of “Socio-

future.
As we have already seen, Nishigaki (ibid.)

Informatics” in Japan so far.
The first person who discussed the possibilities

defines social information as “information which

of “Socio-Informatics as one discipline” wascirculates via various media in the human society”,

Yoshida, T. (1994). He defines “Socio-Informatics

from the viewpoint that defines information as

as a discipline” as “an academic field to clarify“meaning”. This idea is widely accepted in Japan.

‘modern characteristics of self organization’,For example, it is defined as below in Iwanami

Encyclopedia of Science (2004):

dealing with the information society into which
information and information processing permeate,based on the construction of General Theories

Information is the meanings and contents ofConcerning Self Organization of Informatics ofsentences which are expressed by symbols,

Social Systems.” His thought bears fruit inmarks, and letters (they are generally called“SupertemporalTemporal-constraint“data”). In a wide sense, it includes knowledge

Characters of Socio-Informatics” (Yoshida, 2008).

andexpressed by images and sound. It is usually

He describes in this thesis:

assumed that the receiver of information isaffected in some way as he or she receives it,“supertemporal socio-informatics” is anotherbecause it is a person that finally receives it. (p.

name for “socio-science that claims symbolic509)

and ontological constructionism” or “socioscience that has the self-organizational character

Hamada, J. (1995) also defines social informationof the symbolic program” and can be said to be

as below:72

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

It is the information which appears in theinformation/communication

process of works of human society. In short, it isnetworkandsocial system.

the information that circulates between person
to person or organization to organization as a

What is significant here is the terms of

person or an organization as a basic unit ofinterdisciplinary and synthetically. Why should itsociety produces, processes, accumulates, uses

be interdisciplinary when we try to define socialit. (p. 70)

information process from the standpoint of
information? Why should it be synthetically? We

It is explained as below in the purpose for whichcannot establish socio-informatics unless we

JSIS (1995) as a society was established:cannot solve this problem.
The opinion of Masamura, T. (2003) helps

Socio-Informatics is a methodology which isgreatly in this point:

established on the basis of the understandingsof information studies concerning society andSocio-Informatics is placed as a study thathuman beings, and it tries to clarify theclarifies various social phenomena throughstructures and functions of social information

information. It does not extract and analyze only

systems concerning information behaviors andinformation phenomena from social phenomena.

communications of human beings, and their

To interpret information in a wide sense, allmeanings and themes.

human activities that form the society are
mediated by information, and it exists within all

From these opinions, information is thesocial phenomena. Because information is ameanings and contents that human beings andbasic factor that forms human society, it is theanimals produce and circulate, and the process ofobject of socio- informatics. When Socio-

their circulation is the process of social information.

Informatics analyzes various social phenomena

If that is so, the object of the researches of socio-

from the standpoint of information, it is theinformatics should be “the process of social

common viewpoint of analysis that assures theinformation”. Endo and Abe (ibid.) name the threeunity of Socio-Informatics, contrary to the casepoints of this study as “Socio-Informatics which

earlier. If the objects are of economics, law, or

treatssociology, they are; cluded in Socio-Informatics

informationinterdisciplinary(interdisciplinary) and synthetically” as below:

by analyzing them from the standpoint of
information. The viewpoint of analysis not only

The objectives of Socio-Informatics are:defines the range of objects to analyze, but also

1. To clarify various aspects of production,prescribes the way of the recognitions of thecirculation,

accumulation,

and

use

or

objects. In order to establish the viewpoint ofconsumption of information in society.

analysis of Socio-Informatics, we must make2. To reconstruct a theoretical framework aboutclear the forms and functions of informationa social system from the viewpoint oftheoretically, and construct the view of the world“information”.

of information. Each study has its own view of

3. To search for a relationship between the new

the world. When we construct the view of the73

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

III. Social Informatics in the Westworld of information based the theories of
information, Socio- Informatics will be formed

As we have introduced earlier, we would like to

as a “proper science”, distinguished from theexamine several themes suggested by Aliceexisting fields. (pp. 32- 33)

Robbin, in order to develop the ideas of “Social
To sum up, Socio-Informatics has a viewpoint ofInformatics” of Kling further, as well as examining“information”, and assumes information as its

their definition.

object. In short, information has a double meaning

We have introduced the definition of Social

for Socio-Informatics. On one hand, it plays a role

Informatics in the preface of HCC7 of IFIP TC9 at

to define the range of objects to analyze as a

the beginning. We would like to introduce “About

viewpoint of analysis, and on the other hand, it isSocial Informatics” on the website of the view ofthe object of analysis when social phenomena such

Rob Kling Center for the Social Informatics (Kling,as the circulation of information are explained.

R. 2001a), which explains it most comprehensively.

When information circulates, it becomes theAbout Social Informatics

object of researches, and the viewpoint to analyze
the object is also information. Because information

Social Informatics (SI) refers to the body ofis the point of connection between person andresearch and study that examines social aspects

person, person and organization, and organizationof computerization -- including the roles ofand organization, it includes the fields of politics,

information

economics, sociology, psychology and etc., andorganizational change and the ways that thenaturally, the cooperation of these academic fields

social organization of information technologies

is necessary. This is the reason of the necessity ofare influenced by social forces and social

interdisciplinary studies.

practices. SI includes studies and other analyses

technology

insocialandthat are labeled as social impacts of computing,Masamura uses the term, “the view of the worldof information”, instead of the term, “synthetical”.

socialWe understand that he assumes a new paradigm

computer-mediate

as a comprehensive viewpoint which cannot be

information policy, “computers and society,”

expressed just by the term, “synthetical”, anorganizational

independent

informatics, and so on.

academic

system.

The

term

analysisofcomputing,studies

communication
informatics,of(CMC),

interpretive“synthetical” mainly means “to sum up the results

SI studies and SI courses are organized withinof interdisciplinary researches”, and we think thatdiverse fields, including information systems,

the neglect of the essential problems of how toanthropology,

computersum up is one of the reasons of delayed development

communications,sociology,

of social informatics. We greatly agree with theinformation science, political science andconstruction of the view of the world of information.

science and technology studies (STS). SI

We would like to suggest our ideas in chapter IV.

provides a common meeting ground for isolatedscience,libraryandand scattered scholars to locate each other aswell as relevant academic programs andcourses.
74

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

Because this account of Social Informatics isand examines issues such as the way that IT

quoted in several literatures, it can be understoodshape organizational and social relations, or the

not as Kling’s personal opinion, but as a common

way in which social forces influence the use andopinion which was discussed and agreed with atdesign of IT.

HCC of TC9.
What we can see from this account is as below:

This definition of Kling’s only adds the term,“the systematic, interdisciplinary study” to the1) SI is a study which deals with the social

account earlier, and it does not show the

aspects of computerization.

fundamental and philosophical viewpoint which

2) This study includes researches concerning

Japanese researchers have been trying.

the themes such as “social influences ofIn any case, Social Informatics which is studied

computerization”, “CMC”, and “computers

here is an interdisciplinary study concerning theand the society”.

designs and use of information technology, and

3) It is interdisciplinary as an academic field.
4) It

providesresearchers

who

their results.

research

Alice Robbin, who is a successor of Kling as theseparately with a common place to meet.

director of SI center of Indiana University suggests
the necessity of examining again the way of Social

1) and 2) show that such assumption of theInformatics which has been led by Kling

objects of study is the announcement that SI deals

fundamentally. First of all, Robbin, A. (2007) points

with real problems which occur in the informationout six points as below as Kling’s Contribution tosociety; they do not necessarily show the necessity

Social Informatics (Kling’s Legacy).

of “Social Informatics” to deal with them uniquely.
3) and 4) are true; especially the aspect of 4) is

1) the adoption of a critical stance towards

important.

technology in order to destroy false illusions
embedded

Therefore, the range with which “Socialinprescriptive

education,

research, and the ideologies of ICT use inInformatics” deals is defined, but it is not sufficientsocial life.

as a definition. We would like to quote the writings2) research based on observation of empiricalwhich Kling, R. (2001b) placed in Encyclopedia ofworld.

LIS.

3) research that applies useful theories andconcepts from various fields.

What is Social Informatics?

4) research questions that cross disciplinary

Social Informatics (SI) is the systematic,

boundaries.

interdisciplinary study of the design, uses and5) education of information professionals, andconsequences of information technologies (IT)6) responsibility-centered role for informationthat takes into account their interaction withprofessionals; thus, public polices of theinstitutional and cultural contexts.” Thus, it isconsequences of computerization and athe study of the social aspects of computers,

legitimate topic of study. (pp. 2-3)

telecommunications, and related technologies,
75

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

They estimate the various knowledge and2) Develop a theoretically informed set ofachievements of Kling as the founding Father ofmethodologies.

“Social Informatics” in the West, his formation of
the

right

understandingof“information

Among these suggestions, the second applies totechnology”, his contribution to information

Socio-Informatics in Japan.

policies, and his education of the junior.

As we have seen, the definition of Social

At the same time, Robbin points out the five

Informatics and Socio-Informatics is not sufficient

points as below as “What Is Social Informatics

yet both in the West and in Japan, but we can see

beyond Rob Kling?”.

that there is something in common in the attitudes
toward the problems caused by ICTs in today’s1) Is there a compelling vision of what Social

society and their solution.

Informatics is and its agenda? Does it

We would like to develop the world-wide,

matter?

international exchange of researches of Socio-

2) Kling argued that Social Informatics wasInformatics through this JSI in the future.

defined by its “fundamental questions” about

IV. For the development of Socio-Informatics

the “social aspects of computing”. Have anyof these “fundamental questions” been

As we have seen earlier, Socio-Informatics indefined?
3) Is “computerization” the core concept?

Japan adopts “interdisciplinary” and “synthetically”

4) Or should we be talking about “technology”

aspects as its basic methods of researches. To
establish a study, three conditions are necessary:

more generally?

1) the definition of the objects, 2) establishment of5) What are the institutional and theoreticalproblems

that

Kling

and

we

the research methods, and 3) publication andhave

accumulation of the results of researches. We haveencountered?

no problem about 3) in Japan, as the results ofThese are fundamental pointing out, and they

researches have been published in the various

suggest the viewpoints toward a new change as aacademic journals including Journal of Socio-

study from the accumulation of experiential data ofInformation Studies (in Japanese) and The Journal

the problems of individuals and the society causedof Socio-Informatics for these 20 years. The

by the development of ICTs. Furthermore, Robbin

objects of researches of 1) are the process of social(ibid.) suggests six points “to make Social

information. About 2), it is not sufficient yet either

Informatics worthy of attention, to make Social

in Japan or in the West. Therefore, we would like

Informatics an influential actor, and to legitimate

to examine “interdisciplinary” and “synthetical”

Social Informatics”. We would like to introduce theaspects.

two main points:

1. Interdisciplinary aspects
1) Go beyond the definition of Social Informatics

We have already discussed the necessity ofthat Kling gave, which really focused ratherinterdisciplinary aspects, and we would like tonarrowly

supplement it now. Social information is sent and76

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

consumed in almost all scenes of our life. Thoseknowledge of all academic fields might appear andaspects of our life are the objects of researches ofwill sum them up from his viewpoint. But we nevertraditional studies such as economics, psychology,know when he or she will come along; in 10 years,sociology, management, and politics. However,or 100 years?

“information” as the object of researches is only a“To sum up” is, speaking from the point ofpart of each of the traditional studies. Masamura,cognitive psychology, “to pick up meanings fromT. (2003), whom we have introduced earlier gives

the given data”. How can we pick up somethinga simple example of this:meaningful? In order to do so, it is essential toimage in ourselves possible systems concerning

Although information has a nature which is

the matters which might be embedded in the given

not easily merchandised contrary to wealth indata. It is possible when we connect thegeneral, in the modern society where information

characteristics of the data and adjust them to the

production is industrialized, information isself images. In short, we can have “understandings”

produced, circulated, and consumed as wealth.

only when we sum up the data in one connection,

It is a theme of social economics to study its

one shape. We practice the same intellectual

structure. (p. 32)

control both when we see face a face of an intimate
friend, and when we see a face of a stranger. We

This account is an example of economics andmust not forget that we recollect what we image

information. In the case of psychology, it is its

from one viewpoint of ourselves then. Picasso’s

theme to study how human beings “process

famous paintings, “Weeping Woman” was painted

information”. However, it is obvious that it doesfrom various viewpoints, which looks odd fromnot cover all the themes of psychology.

ordinary viewpoints.

As social information crosses almost all the

To synthesize is not just to put together additively

academic fields, it must naturally adopt the results

and accumulatively, but to sum up from oneof all related studies. The point is how to sum up

viewpoint. In other words, it is the viewpoint withthe results of these interdisciplinary studies.

which we grasp general images of the objects ofresearches, and we always assume them when

2. Synthetical aspects
As

we

have

already

studying. Now we cannot help grasping essentiallydiscussed,tobethe problems which cannot be expressed by theinterdisciplinary means the common studies byterm, “synthetical”. Masamura (ibid.) calls thisthe researchers of various academic fields, and the“the view of the world of information”.
For example, traditional psychology divides

researchers participating in them cannot help
studying with their own unique methods andhumanknowledge. There, grasps and solutions of

thinking, intelligence, and personality”, and studies

problems are challenged from various viewpoints.

them each separately. It discusses “human beings”

How can we “sum up” (synthesize) the results ofseparately from the viewpoints of the academic

researches

viewpoints?

fields such as “psychology of sensation, psychology

Normally they will be confused because of varietyof perception and psychology of thinking” andof viewpoints. Or, a great genius who has wide

hardly studies “general images of human beings”.

from

these

various77

beingsinto“sensation,

perception,

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

It is typical of “a study without one view of thestudy concerned under some kinds of generalworld”.

images concerning the objects of study analyticallyAlso, one of the most famous theories in theand synthetically. We would like to describe ourhistory of science, “the Copernican theory” can beideas of the methods of approaches to the objects

said to have been established on the basis of aof study in social informatics.

totally original view of the world at that time.

3. Basic unit of study of Socio-Informatics

Onuma, M. (1982) explains the accomplishmentof Copernicus, N. (1473-1543), opposing to the

As for how to define the objects of study, we

Ptolemaic theory of Ptolemaeus, C. (83-168) which

would like to introduce the pointing out of

was officially recognized by Church at that time

Vygotsky, L. S. (1944-1969), who aimed at(the 16th century) as below:

establishment of scientific psychology, as areference. He emphasizes the necessity of focusing
on units, as “all the basic characteristics of the

In Ptolemy’s case, it was true that he could
explain each of the five planets by thewhole.” saying, “The unit is a vital and irreducible

combination of the circular movement of thepart of the whole.” (Vygotsky, 1987, p.46), andcelestial sphere rather accurately at that time,

does not divide the objects of study into “factors”

but he could not explain what connections of thesuch as sound and meanings when studying the

movements of these planets built up thisrelationships of “thinking and languages” inuniverse (the solar system). On the other hand,

psychology.

the

Vygotsky (ibid.) takes the example of the caseconnections between the movements of thein which the object of study is water, points out theplanets, and made efforts to do mathematical,

problems of resolving it into its factors of hydrogengeometrical calculations over 30 years, andand oxygen to study, as the research method

came to the conclusion that the Copernicanconcerning “thinking and languages”. He says thattheory was necessary for their explanations. In

they also apply to the study of “thinking andother words, he had not only the idea of thelanguages”:

Copernicus“observed

manytimes”

Copernican theory, but also observation and
The essential feature of this form of analysis

calculations to prove it … (pp. 70-71),

is that its products are of a different nature than
The idea which Copernicus adopted then, in

the whole from which they were derived. The

fact, exists in heliocentricism advocated byelements lack the characteristics inherent in the

Aristarchus (BC310-BC230), an astronomer inwhole and they possess properties that it did notAncient Greece. Copernicus could establish thepossess. When one approaches the problem ofCopernican theory premised on this model as an

thinking and speech by decomposing it into its

analysis of the solar system.

elements, one adopts the strategy of the man

Therefore, “general images” or “models” of the

who resorts to the decomposition of water into

objects of study play an extremely important part.

hydrogen and oxygen in his research for a

To establish social informatics as a peculiar study,scientific explanation of the characteristics of

we must establish methods to grasp the objects ofwater, its capacity to extinguish fire or its
78

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol. 3 No. 1 Sep. 2010

conformity to Archimedes law for example. This

with pointing out of Vygotsky, the basic unit ofman will discover, to his chagrin that hydrogenstudy of social informatics is “the process of social

burns and oxygen sustains combustion. He will

information in the certain relationships between

never succeed in explaining the characteristics

person to person, person to society, organizationof the whole by analyzing the characteristics of

to organization, and society to society”. Thus, in

its elements. (p.45)

the process of social information as infinite
combinations existing in the modern society, it isThus, it is not possible to study “water” without

an important theme to grasp the all basic“treating it as water”. It is obvious, of course that it

characteristics of the whole of these components

is necessary to resolve water into hydrogen andcomprehensively.

oxygen as a study of the factors of which it isconsisted; however, he points out that it cannot be

V. Expectation

the study of water if we study the elements ofInformatics

ofSocio-Informatics/Social

which water is consisted as the objects of study.
If we consider “studies of Socio-Informatics”

As is often said, human beings began to walkfrom this viewpoint, because the factors of which

upright 5 million years ago, strengthened thesocial information process is consisted are 1)

functions of hands, developed sticks and stones

human beings, 2) various information and media,

into the tools of hunting and eating. The

and 3) human beings/the society/organizations,development and use of tools not only make it

we can hardly differentiate them from the existing

possible to hunt and collect effectively, but also

traditional studies when we study them separately.

raise the abilities to use them in ourselves. Thus,

In other words, studies of each factor are done by:

we change ourselves every time we invent, improve1) “psychology, sociology, pedagogy, and literature,and use new tools. Therefore, tools and machines3) “economics, law, politics, sociology”, as social

also are the media that are inserted between

sciences.

human beings and nature. At the same time, in theThus, if we try to make clear the basic units ofprocess of such development of tools, we developed

study in Socio-Informatics, we need to synthesize

languages as a tool of communication. Vygotsky

the pointing out of Vygotsky above and thecalls the former technical tools, the latter

opinions of Masamura (ibid.) which we have seen

Psychological tools. Today, it is possible to call theearlier.

former technical media, the latter PsychologicalTo sum up the pointing out of Masamura first: 1)

media, as their essence is tools. We have takensocial informatics is a study to clarify social

both of the two media in ourselves and havephenomena from the viewpoint of “information”,

expanded2) information is a basic factor of which the humanrelationships.

society is consisted, 3) therefore, we must not

humanbeingsandhuman

In this sense, the pointing out of McLuhan, M.

study information by extracting it independently,(1964) is to the point:

and 4) human beings and the society are also basic
factors of which phenomena of the social

During the mechanical ages we had extended

information are consisted. If we synthesize themour bodies in space. Today, after more than a79

In Search of a Paradigm of Socio-Informatics

KUROSU

century of electric technology, we have extended

international relationships in globalization haveour central nervous system itself in a global

become common problems everywhere both inembrace, abolishing both space and time as far

big and small countries.

as our planet is concerned. Rapidly, we approach

In this sense, “Socio-Informatics” and “Social

the final phase of the extensions of man – theInformatics” are expected to go hand in hand totechnological simulation

form global communication in order to solveof consciousness,when the creative process of knowing will bevarious problems of the society of ICTs.

collectively and corporately extended to thewhole of human society, much as we have

References

already extended our senses and our nerves by1) Center for Social Informatics, Indiana University.

the various media. (pp.3-4)

About social informatics. http://rkcsi.indiana.edu/
index.php/about-social-informatics

With the development of ICTs, the earth is2) Endou, K., and Abe, K., (2008), “On the Occasion ofprogressing to globalization more and more, andPublication of the Journal of Socio-Informatics,”

politics, economics, and the society are getting

The Journal of Socio-Informatics. Vol. 1, No. 1.
3) Hamada, J. (1997), “Shakai Jouhougaku nomerged.
We need a viewpoint to grasp the whole human

Gakusaiteki Tenkai (Interdiciplinarily Development

society comprehensively more and more in suchof Socio-Information)” In Kobayashi, K. et. al.,new reality. That is the viewpoint of Socio-(eds.)

Informatics we have seen above, in short, the(Dynamism of Socio-Information) Fujitsu Books (inviewpoint to grasp the information process as one

Japanese)

ShakaiJouhougaku

noDainamizumu

unity when studying the social information

4) Hiromatsu, T. (2010) (Greetings of the chairperson

connecting person to person, and person andof JASI) http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jasi/about/index.

society as the object of study.

html (in Japanese)Thus, as an academic system to answer such5) Itou, M. (2010)(Greetings of the chairperson ofthemes, “Socio-Informatics” was planned in Japan,

JSIS) http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jsis/ (in Japanese)and “Social Informatics” was planned in the West.

6) Iwanami-Shoten (2004) Iwanami Kagaku Hyakka

Many researchers are making efforts to solve(Iwanami Encyclopedia of Science.) (in Japanese)7) JSIS (1995) “A purpose of the Establishment ofvarious problems in reality.

JSIS.” Shakai Jouhougaku Kenkyu Vol.1, No.1. (in“Social Informatics” in the West has its roots in
IFIP, a society mainly consisting of information

Japanese)sciences.

8) Kling, R. (2001a) What is Social Informatics?

“Socio-Informatics” in Japan was born out of the
ideas

of

humanities,

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andinformatics)

philosophy, rather than out of those of “information

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sciences”. However, we find no essential difference(http://rkcsi.indiana.edu/archive/SI/si2001.html)

between these English terms. The problems10) Masamura, T., (2003), “Jouhou Shakairon karaconcerning ICTs and human beings/society which

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and Masamura, T.(eds.), Paradaimu toshiteno

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as15) Robbin, A. (2007), “What Is Social Informaticsabeyond Rob Kling?” http://rkcsi.indiana.edu/

Paradigm.) Waseda University Press. (in Japanese)media/ASIST2007_SIKeynote.pdf
16) Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) The collected works of L.S.

11) McLuhan, M. (1964: 1994) Understanding Media:

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81Editor’s Notes
JSI (Journal of Socio-Informatics) is the only academic journal in the field of Socio-Informatics inJapan. We the researchers and the students, Japanese or not, who study Socio-Informatics can enjoy
establishing new theories and sharing the results of Socio-Informatics studies in this journal. In thisvolume, the Editorial Board issues one paper as an original refereed paper, two special articles, four
invited papers. A submission to JSI is open to any researcher and student who studies SocioInformatics.
(Editor in Sub-chief: Yasunori OKADA)

Editorial Board of the Journal of Socio-Informatics
Editor in Chief
Kaoru ENDO, Gakushuin University
Editor in Subchief
Yasunori OKADA, Shizuoka University
Seiichiro SAKURAI, Meiji Gakuin University

Editorial Board Members
Keiichi ABE, Aichi Institute of Technology
Akiyuki ANDO, Tokyo Keizai University
Hisaki GOTO, Nihonbashi Gakkan University
Yoshiaki HASHIMOTO, The University of Tokyo
Hirofumi IMADA, Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University
Sangmi KIM, Nagoya University
Tadamasa KIMURA, The University of Tokyo
Hiroyuki KUROKUZU, Kansai University
Toshio KUROSU, Kokushikan University
Hiromu MAENO, Otsuma Women’s University
Tatsuro NIIKAWA, Doshisha University
Toshizumi OHTA, University of Electro-Communications
Akio SUMITANI, Otsuma Women’s University
Hideyuki TANAKA, The University of Tokyo
Takao TERANO, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Jun YOSHIDA, Kyoto University

Journal of Socio-Informatics Vol.3, No.1
Sep. 30, 2010
Published
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