Reports say Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has begun coordinating to dissolve the “Cool Japan Fund,” which has supported the overseas expansion of Japanese anime, food culture, and other content. The fund’s cumulative losses have reached ¥54 billion, sparking debate on 5ch’s News Express+ board over whether its investments were sound, the circumstances of its founding in 2010 under the Democratic Party of Japan government, and its reputation as a landing spot for retired bureaucrats (“amakudari”).
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has begun coordinating to dissolve the “Cool Japan Fund,” which has supported the overseas expansion of Japanese anime, food culture, and other content. Its ballooning losses have reached ¥54 billion.
[See in photos] Cool Japan Fund to be dissolved… losses hit ¥54 billion — were the investments appropriate?
■ “Cool Japan Fund” to be dissolved, with losses at ¥54 billion
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
50 billion yen, fine, I can live with that.
The Children and Families Agency's 7-trillion-yen money pit is way worse and hasn't shown any results at all.
The Children and Families Agency's 7-trillion-yen money pit is way worse and hasn't shown any results at all.
>>6
Yeah, honestly, this is the one we could really do without.
Yeah, honestly, this is the one we could really do without.
>>6
[Budget Request] METI to invest ¥7.7 trillion in AI, semiconductors, and other growth sectors [Flea Market★]
https://asahi.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/newsplus/1787265626/
[Budget Request] METI to invest ¥7.7 trillion in AI, semiconductors, and other growth sectors [Flea Market★]
https://asahi.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/newsplus/1787265626/
>>6
The Self-Defense Forces still haven't even taken back Takeshima, you know.
The Self-Defense Forces still haven't even taken back Takeshima, you know.
Nobody's going to take responsibility for this.
If you want them to actually feel it, the only way is to vote them out.
If you want them to actually feel it, the only way is to vote them out.
>>48
No chance — their support base is corporations and wealthy asset holders.
No chance — their support base is corporations and wealthy asset holders.
You see a lot of armchair critics online saying 'they should've done it this way' only after a project's already failed — pure hindsight bias.
But Nico Nico Douga and Cool Japan are cases where people were already calling them bad news at the time, and sure enough, they flopped.
But Nico Nico Douga and Cool Japan are cases where people were already calling them bad news at the time, and sure enough, they flopped.
>>52
Was Nico Nico Douga really being called risky back then?
It's past its peak and lost a lot of users, sure, but it hasn't pulled out or gone under — you can't really lump it in with Cool Japan, which just kept bleeding money.
Was Nico Nico Douga really being called risky back then?
It's past its peak and lost a lot of users, sure, but it hasn't pulled out or gone under — you can't really lump it in with Cool Japan, which just kept bleeding money.
Was this ever the kind of business that was going to turn a profit in the first place?
At best, the only ones coming out ahead are the companies that actually own the content.
At best, the only ones coming out ahead are the companies that actually own the content.
>>61
If the point was just introducing Japanese culture abroad, then returns shouldn't have mattered — makes you wonder what they were actually thinking.
In February 2010, under the DPJ government, the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters — headed by then-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama — adopted the 'Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2010,' launching the government's full-scale push for the Cool Japan strategy and public-private support for overseas expansion.
Background
June 2010: The Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, headed by PM Yukio Hatoyama, adopted the 'Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2010.'
Content: Positioned overseas expansion, localization, and IP utilization for Japan's pop culture and industries (anime, fashion, food, etc. — 'Cool Japan') as national strategy.
Debate at the time: Early in the DPJ administration, plans surfaced for a national Media Arts Center (nicknamed the 'Anime Shrine'), but objections from the opposition, public opinion, and even within the ruling party over its budget and structure led to a rocky path and an eventual review.
If the point was just introducing Japanese culture abroad, then returns shouldn't have mattered — makes you wonder what they were actually thinking.
In February 2010, under the DPJ government, the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters — headed by then-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama — adopted the 'Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2010,' launching the government's full-scale push for the Cool Japan strategy and public-private support for overseas expansion.
Background
June 2010: The Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, headed by PM Yukio Hatoyama, adopted the 'Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2010.'
Content: Positioned overseas expansion, localization, and IP utilization for Japan's pop culture and industries (anime, fashion, food, etc. — 'Cool Japan') as national strategy.
Debate at the time: Early in the DPJ administration, plans surfaced for a national Media Arts Center (nicknamed the 'Anime Shrine'), but objections from the opposition, public opinion, and even within the ruling party over its budget and structure led to a rocky path and an eventual review.
The fund put ¥8 billion into Katana, the company running that JUNGLIA theme park.
Thanks a lot, LDP.
Thanks a lot, LDP.
>>64
Guess milking the system (the so-called 'chu-chu scheme') really is the most efficient way to go.
Guess milking the system (the so-called 'chu-chu scheme') really is the most efficient way to go.
With ¥50 billion, how much could they have paid animators instead?
Thanks to the Cool Japan Fund, tourist numbers to Japan exploded, though.
>>85
No, they didn't.
[Their heads are Cool-Crazy-Crazy Japan] (wordplay on 'head gone loopy' + 'Cool Japan')
No, they didn't.
[Their heads are Cool-Crazy-Crazy Japan] (wordplay on 'head gone loopy' + 'Cool Japan')
The whole point was securing secondment slots and post-retirement landing spots for METI officials — those guys probably don't even care about the business itself.
The original scheme was to turn investment targets into amakudari landing spots, but with losses piling up everywhere, that plan fell apart, which is why the fund became unnecessary.
The original scheme was to turn investment targets into amakudari landing spots, but with losses piling up everywhere, that plan fell apart, which is why the fund became unnecessary.
>>86
The retired baby-boomer/bubble-era bureaucrats who'd been parachuting into this thing all collected their full retirement payouts and stepped down one after another, before anyone could pin responsibility on them.
Now that the old misers have finally cleared out,
there's no reason left for it to exist, so they're shutting it down.
Of course, there's also a theory going around that bureaucrats are timing this shutdown just to undermine the current administration.
The retired baby-boomer/bubble-era bureaucrats who'd been parachuting into this thing all collected their full retirement payouts and stepped down one after another, before anyone could pin responsibility on them.
Now that the old misers have finally cleared out,
there's no reason left for it to exist, so they're shutting it down.
Of course, there's also a theory going around that bureaucrats are timing this shutdown just to undermine the current administration.
>>66
Each of them definitely walked away with several million yen.
Cool Japan's ¥54 billion in losses is bad, but the Children and Families Agency demanding '¥7.8 trillion, hand it over!' is way worse.
Each of them definitely walked away with several million yen.
Cool Japan's ¥54 billion in losses is bad, but the Children and Families Agency demanding '¥7.8 trillion, hand it over!' is way worse.
>>109
The Children and Families Agency's budget is really just funds reshuffled over from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and similar places.
It's not like the budget actually grew because of the agency.
The Children and Families Agency's budget is really just funds reshuffled over from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and similar places.
It's not like the budget actually grew because of the agency.
>>123
If it's not actually doing anything, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare might as well spend it on something useful instead.
If it's not actually doing anything, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare might as well spend it on something useful instead.
>>123
The bad part is they went out of their way to create the Children and Families Agency just to make it easier to push budgets through.
Same people, same places doing the milking either way.
The bad part is they went out of their way to create the Children and Families Agency just to make it easier to push budgets through.
Same people, same places doing the milking either way.
¥14 billion to a biofiber startup — what exactly is 'cool' about that?
>>113
Honestly, investing in the textile industry in the first place seemed like a stretch to me.
Honestly, investing in the textile industry in the first place seemed like a stretch to me.
I think the key to Japan's revival is boosting the budget for science, technology, and academic research.
That's how you aim to bring back a technology powerhouse.
The current government has this in its policy mix too, at least nominally, but it's Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People pushing it hardest.
Not trying to promote him or anything, but if there's one place to focus, it's this.
No more wasting budget on 'Cool Japan' slogans — this is the time for targeted investment.
That's how you aim to bring back a technology powerhouse.
The current government has this in its policy mix too, at least nominally, but it's Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People pushing it hardest.
Not trying to promote him or anything, but if there's one place to focus, it's this.
No more wasting budget on 'Cool Japan' slogans — this is the time for targeted investment.
>>128
Japan's science and technology were never the problem — it's the neglect of patent protection that's why people say Japan 'has no technology.'
Japan's science and technology were never the problem — it's the neglect of patent protection that's why people say Japan 'has no technology.'
>>128
Prioritize STEM, cut back on humanities/social sciences at private universities (budget for the STEM shift)
¥300 billion fund to support universities shifting toward STEM — 'more popular than expected,' though some projects stalled
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASTCV2D7GTCVUTIL02GM.html
According to government sources, the Ministry of Education will add ¥20 billion to the fund for launching new STEM departments in this fiscal year's supplementary budget.
The fund was created in fiscal 2022 with a total of about ¥300 billion, an unusual program that supports universities from the survey stage, even before a new department is finalized.
Part of the remaining balance plus the increase — about ¥100 billion combined — will mainly go toward encouraging large private universities in major metro areas, which currently lean humanities-heavy, to shift toward STEM and blended STEM/humanities education.
The Ministry of Education has set a goal of raising the share of university students majoring in science, engineering, agriculture, and health fields from the current 35% to 52% by 2040.
National university operating grants: Ministry of Education requests ¥1.2 trillion, an all-time high
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA200LN0Q6A820C2000000/
Up to ¥4 billion per school to expand STEM programs at urban private universities… Ministry of Education responds to future labor shortages
www.yomiuri.co.jp/kyoiku/kyoiku/news/20251112-OYT1T50057/
Prioritize STEM, cut back on humanities/social sciences at private universities (budget for the STEM shift)
¥300 billion fund to support universities shifting toward STEM — 'more popular than expected,' though some projects stalled
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASTCV2D7GTCVUTIL02GM.html
According to government sources, the Ministry of Education will add ¥20 billion to the fund for launching new STEM departments in this fiscal year's supplementary budget.
The fund was created in fiscal 2022 with a total of about ¥300 billion, an unusual program that supports universities from the survey stage, even before a new department is finalized.
Part of the remaining balance plus the increase — about ¥100 billion combined — will mainly go toward encouraging large private universities in major metro areas, which currently lean humanities-heavy, to shift toward STEM and blended STEM/humanities education.
The Ministry of Education has set a goal of raising the share of university students majoring in science, engineering, agriculture, and health fields from the current 35% to 52% by 2040.
National university operating grants: Ministry of Education requests ¥1.2 trillion, an all-time high
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA200LN0Q6A820C2000000/
Up to ¥4 billion per school to expand STEM programs at urban private universities… Ministry of Education responds to future labor shortages
www.yomiuri.co.jp/kyoiku/kyoiku/news/20251112-OYT1T50057/
Honestly, just deciding to shut this down makes it one of the better outcomes.
They spent over ¥7 trillion setting up the Children and Families Agency
and they're still planning more tax hikes going forward.
At this point it looks less like an anti-declining-birthrate agency and more like a pro-declining-birthrate one.
They spent over ¥7 trillion setting up the Children and Families Agency
and they're still planning more tax hikes going forward.
At this point it looks less like an anti-declining-birthrate agency and more like a pro-declining-birthrate one.
>>1
Takaichi's obviously going to take responsibility for this, right?
Takaichi's obviously going to take responsibility for this, right?
>>155
It was Naoto Kan who set this up, though?
It was Naoto Kan who set this up, though?
What on earth did those guys actually spend the money on?
>>159
Their favorite hostess-club girl, or a luxury car, maybe?
Their favorite hostess-club girl, or a luxury car, maybe?
Is the goal even for the government to turn a profit?
If tax money gets spent and Japanese content ends up spreading around the world, isn't that the goal achieved right there?
If tax money gets spent and Japanese content ends up spreading around the world, isn't that the goal achieved right there?
>>178
Even without tax money — actually, even with the government piling on regulations — the content industry spread around the world on its own strength.
Politicians just jumped on the bandwagon afterward and took credit for it.
Even without tax money — actually, even with the government piling on regulations — the content industry spread around the world on its own strength.
Politicians just jumped on the bandwagon afterward and took credit for it.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Cool Japan Fund to Be Dissolved… Losses Hit ¥54 Billion — What Went Wrong?“.
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