I’ve heard it said that 2006 is meant to be the year of the podcast. Seeing as the number of podcasts out there in many categories has increased exponentially over the past year or so, drawing in a large number of major media producers, such as NPR, the BBC, and the New York Times, as well as the myriad of vanity projects out there, this may well be so.

Being based in Japan, it seemed high time to take a detailed, rational survey of what was out there in English and from Japan, then write thoughtful reviews of as many as possible. This, however, proved to be daunting to say the least, so I fell back into the safety net of a Google search and some time spent with the top few results and a couple of others that were mentioned by those podcasters. For the purposes of this review, I have eliminated podcasts with a focus on Japanese language instruction, although “i??? learn Japanese” seems to be one of the most popular podcasts coming out of Japan, especially for listeners outside of Japan.

“Tokyo Calling” was mentioned by a number of other podcasters and, being popular, is at least partially responsible for some of the traffic to a number of other Japan-based blogs and podcasts. It also claims to be “Japan’s First Podcast,” which, anecdotally, seems to be true. Around since at least October 2004, “Tokyo Calling” has had 59 numbered episodes and comes out, as do most of the podcasts reviewed in this piece, somewhat irregularly, the podcast being a hobby of its creator’s. It takes a casual tone and the content is capricious, often in a good way. The intended audience is people either outside of or new to Japan and the host, Scott Lockman (who also produces “Comprehensible Input - The Podcast,” not reviewed here), gives his perspective on life in the Tokyo area. Although married with children and apparently rather a long-term resident of Japan, Mr. Lockman’s occasional bewilderment at certain aspects of life in Tokyo makes it easy for all, from those who have never visited Japan to those who make their home here, to relate to his podcast and get an occasional laugh or useful morsel of information.

In this vein of reflecting on and attempting to explain life in Japan are most of the other podcasts, including “Made in Japan” whose host calls himself Tokyo Joe - another long-term resident married with children. Unlike the other podcasts reviewed here, “Made in Japan” is designed more like a conventional radio show than a casual podcast - Joe includes pop and pop-country tunes, appropos of little, and long, local radio-esque intros to segments on his podcast, which is planned and scripted better than it’s researched, but comes across better for not being free-form, which can get tiring. Perhaps the best thing about “Made in Japan” is that Tokyo Joe does not just ramble on whatever pops into his head, but makes an attempt to put together something coherent. Now if only he’d lose the songs and lengthy pre-recorded intros - never one of conventional radio’s endearing points.

Also from long-termers is Amy Chavez and Doug DeLong’s “Planet Japan,” which recently put out its 60th episode and spends a lot of time on amusing news from around the world that is not directly related to Japan. Although well-scripted, but unfortunately fond of a slick, lengthy intro, like “Made in Japan,” “Planet Japan” differs in most other respects. It seems to target foreign residents of Japan and non-residents more or less equally and fills a very different niche - each show begins with a cutesy joke of the groaner variety and the banter, while friendly is tame, apparently by design. While I haven’t seen any demographic info on the podcast, I’d say it’s safe to assume that “Planet Japan” attracts a slightly older audience than its counterparts. Commendably, “Planet Japan” is a well-researched show whose producers apparently do some fact-checking, which is a special treat in the podcast/blogosphere.

From the opposite end of the spectrum comes “Josh in Japan.” Josh deserves the most-improved award. To be honest, I wasn’t a fan at first, but after listening to a few episodes (jumping back and forth between his earliest podcasts and his most recent), I have come to appreciate the important niche that “Josh in Japan” fills. Josh is in the Navy, but this fact does not directly inform his perspective; in fact, he talks less about his job than any of the other Japan-based podcasters to which I listened. Like his counterparts, he’s married with children; unlike them, he’s been in Japan for a far shorter time (just over four years, if my deductions based on his podcasts are correct) and is a lot younger. He also appears not to speak much Japanese and works for an employer that tends to give its employees fewer chances to encounter local culture in a “normal” context. In this way, the US Navy indirectly affects his podcast. This is not to be lamented, though, as it gives his podcasts a decidedly different feel and perspective from others. For long-term residents, it can provide a reminder of how bewildering a place Japan can be or remind them of the humiity that comes as one begins to know what he doesn’t know. Perhaps because Josh has been in Japan for a shorter period of time and views it through different, if not more lenses than other podcasters, listeners can sort of figure things out with him.

Saving the best for last. Of all the podcasts to which I listened, the one which most grew on me and the one I’d most like to continue listening to is Rich Pav’s “Herro Flom Japan.” I was a bit put off by the name - it sounded cheesy, culturally insensitive, and so on, but I got off my high horse and was won over fairly quickly by Mr. Pav’s candor and relaxed charisma. Like the others, he’s a husband and father with a full-time job, but his take on things, despite calling himself a dissatisfied perfectionist, is much more relaxed. He rambles on his walk to the station and his listeners become engaged. I found myself agreeing with a lot of what he said and curious to hear what he was going to say next. Best of all, though, Mr. Pav seemed to put a lot of thought and care into how “Herro Flom Japan” sounded. Not the content or his voice, but the technical side of things. His binaural microphones and attention to sound quality made this a rich, detailed podcast with an edge over others regardless of content. Unfortunately, “Herro Flom Japan” is no longer being produced as a podcast, although his blog of the same name is still regularly updated and many past episodes of his podcast are still available there.

For podcasting in Japan to reach higher levels of both quality and listernship, there remains a good bit to be done, though. It’s safe to say that those podcasts I’ve reviewed here represent the first wave - inevitably labors of love with narrow foci in which the producers figure out what works for them as they go along. The next generation will come into its own when someone decides it’s worth the time, effort, and expense of regularly putting out a technically proficient podcast with solid content, which is no small feat for independent producers. Nevertheless, I trust I am not alone in looking forward to it.

Her ‘real’ name is Christine Dolce, and she has a Wikipedia page in her own name - so you know she must be someone. Online, she’s known as ForBiddeN, and 976,420 ‘friends’ currently link to her MySpace page, making her one of the three most popular personas on that website.

A recent Economist article describes Dolce as follows: “Bleached, buxom and with impressive marketing savvy, she is arguably the most successful brand to emerge from MySpace, and has already launched a line of clothing.” (That line of clothing is “Destroyed Denim.”)

The print version of the Economist ran a photo of Dolce with the caption, “The future of marketing? Really?” underneath. It does seem a bit hard to believe. Blogger Mathew Ingram points out that MySpace superstars such as Dolce and Tila Tequila are, “busy making themselves, rather than having others make them.”

That’s the part I don’t buy. As Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0 points out, “It’s not clear whether MySpace is getting any revenue from ForBiddeN’s [commercial] deal[s] or any of the ads she runs for her own products…MySpace is serving ads on ForBiddenN’s page.”

Both Dolce and Tequila remind me of Japan’s Kano sisters, who are famous for…well, just for being famous. In this case, the Kano sisters were essentially a pre-packaged product developed by media and PR firms that knew exactly what they were doing and how to build an image that would sell.

I don’t know who’s behind Dolce’s “brand building” efforts, but it’s clear that what has been done so far goes beyond the bounds of what one person could reasonably do. A recent Stuff magazine piece on Tequila noted, “Being famous now has become it’s own reward…Tila Tequila has used simple, and some might agree Punk DIY ethics to create her stardom, one fan at a time…”

That last line is what I don’t (and you shouldn’t) believe. It’s part of the ‘brand’ image, what a PR firm somewhere would like consumers to believe. Rupert Murdoch didn’t pay $580 million for MySpace to stand by while other people collect the ROI.

Japan Media Review has reported on an interesting tactic currently being emplyoed by national television broadcaster NHK in Japan. In the wake of a series of scandals at NHK, scores of Japanese households have refused to pay their annual dues to the public broadcaster. Although it’s illegal not to pay if a household owns a television, there is no legal recourse for NHK to take against non-payers.

So, NHK has decided to invite members of the public to special screenings of childrens’ television programs. Those who attend will have their contact information checked against a list to see whether or not they’ve been keeping up on their NHK payments. Certainly, tremendous pressure will be placed on those who haven’t paid to cough up (in front of their children and hundreds of other adults). Embarassment always helps people come clean…

Maybe there will be some bloggers in that group of non-payers. The Wall Street Journal claims, “The greatest hope of most Web amateurs is to cross over into “old media” outlets like TV networks and Hollywood.” In Japan, that might prove a bit more difficult, since NHK is apparently set to shed 10% of its workforce.

Experience the Message had a little entry the other day about US Airways’ decision to place advertising on air sickness bags. ETM asks, “What’s worse: this or urinal advertising? Piss or vomit? You decide.”

I’m not sure we have to choose what’s worse. Both are seemingly obvious bad marketing decisions. However, what’s even worse is the motivation behind the idea to place advertising on air sickness bags. US Airways spokesperson Morgan Durrant stated, “It’s a way to boost revenue to keep fares as low as we can.”

So, it’s for the good of the consumer. Now I see. Some other folks weighed in on the decision:

US Airways Spokesperson Phil Gee: “[Air sickness bags] are in every back seat pocket. We figure while it’s there, why don’t we make it multipurpose?”

Aviation consultant Michael Boyd: “Barf bags have a lot of shelf life. people aren’t barfing as much in planes as they used to.”

Back to Mr Durrant: “When you think about it, the audience is captive. That’s a draw for most advertisers.”

I hear a lot of buzzwords being abused here: multipurpose, shelf life, captive audience. The problem is that they’re being misapplied. There’s a line being crossed here, one that everyone who desires to build a successful brand image needs to keep in mind: Don’t associate your brand with bodily excretions or fluids…

…unless you happen to be the Red Cross.

Today, Slashdot reported that a Japanese company has found a way to write characters on standing water. According to Engadget, it’s “difficult to coax a standing pool of water into forming recognizable shapes and characters.” Pink Tentacle tells us that the device is called, “Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin,” or AMOEBA for short (Japanese article at FujiSankei).

One Slashdot poster wondered what practical applications this device might have. For one, still water sits all over Japan. Such a device might generate advertisements in the sento (pubic bath), onsen (hot springs) or even a urinal (place where men pee while standing). Public ponds or swimming pools could be transformed into wonderfully offensive floating advertisements.

And with the spread of Google Earth and the viewership of satellite imagery in general, wouldn’t creating advertisements within bodies of water seem like a good idea right now? Imagine if you could take out ad space in Lake Michigan near Chicago or inside of Tokyo Bay. How much might such ad space be worth? How many millions of people might see such a promotion on Google Earth? What if they could click through that ad and get to your website?

What other practical purposes do you see?

Thanks to Gen Kanai weblog for some interesting links concerning Mozilla’s marketing campaign in Japan. Naturally, the main Spread Firefox marketing page in Japanese is almost identical to the original English one.

Here’s the banner for “Spread Firefox in Akihabara.” Of course, Akihabara has become famous not only for its plethora of computer and electronic shops, but also for the ubiquitous ‘Maid Cafes‘ that have sprung up in the neighborhood. Here we have some images of girls dressed like maids hawking free CD-ROMS of Firefox. I do find it curious that the CD-ROM has ‘trial’ written on it, given that the software is freely available to download.

The “Spread Firefox” campaign has taken place in Akihabara, Shibuya and Kamakura, according to Mozilla’s Japanese events page.

According to onestat.com, Firefox’s global share of the browser usage market stands at 12.93% (Japanese article | English article). Although this is up 1.14% since the beginning of June 2006, Firefox’s Japan share still hovers around a paltry 4%. Blogger Himazu has some interesting thoughts concerning why Firefox’s penetration into the Japanese market has not yet been successful.

His is a post well worth reading, and Firefox’s Japan marketing a case well worth further examining…

Cyberkinetics is working on the kind of software that will allow our brains to control our computers. In their ‘Business 2.0′ online department, cnn.com touts that this technology will render keyboards and mice as, “medieval-style torture devices for the wrists.“

As someone who works with digital design, I can see this being huge for a company like Adobe. Imagine being able to create shapes by thinking about them, being able to adjust photos by thinking of the changes or even simply having less lag time between the imagined graphic concept and the digital representation. Graphic designers charging by the hour might finally be forced to change to a project-based compensation system.

What would you market as being mind-controllable? How could mind-control based applications improve your workflow?

Onalytica.com has recently released their report on the difference between the most ‘influential’ and the most ‘popular’ authorities on the topic of blog marketing (link goes to .pdf file). The New York Times tops both lists, while Seth Godin ranks #3 for being ‘influential’ and #4 on the ‘popular’ list. Josh Hallett, on his Hyku blog, says, “Scratching your head? So am I?” over being ranked #2 in the ‘influence’ category.

The final conlcusion stated in Onalytica’s online report is that, “Sheer popularity can give influence, but…popularity is not a requirement for influence.” In his recent take on YouTube, Mr Godin states, “Right here, right now, it’s about people, not organizations.”

Though New York Times may beg to differ, I hope we are on the cusp of a deluge of online individual expression. Though what happens if we spend more time navigating through it instead of creating and adding to it?

There are 47 million “.com” domain names currently on the web.

Is the above statement true or false? Does it even matter?

It’s actually true (according to the Startup Journal). In an artcile titled, “All the Good URLs Have Been Taken,” they report on the fear that web marketers can no longer find a URL that suites their taste. And, in response to the second question above, no - it doesn’t really matter that there are 47 million domains ending in “.com”. Although many folks certainly do worry that all the ‘good’ .com extensions have been taken and that they no longer have the advantage of a snappy name to reach their potential online customers, it doesn’t really matter.

So what does matter? 47 million is quite a lot. Let’s take a look at exactly what 47 million means:

1. A woman in Nagano, Japan has been swindled out of a total of 47 million yen on over 100 occasions.

2. Dennis Forbes, the world’s “pre-eminent domainologist,” has made a hobby of studying those 47 million “.com” domains in his spare time.

3. Cellular phone services in West Africa now reach 47 million people.

4. There have been 47 million abortions in the United States since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

5. Heather Mills is reported to have settled for a $47 million divorce settlement from Sir Paul McCartney.

And twisting the numbers a bit:

6. Million dollar home sales are reported to be up 47% in California.

So there you have it. Numbers never lie, but statistics do all the time. Does the existence of 46,999,999 other “.com” domains mean that yours can’t reach its intended audience? Not by a long shot.

But it does mean that you’re going to have to be more creative in order to reach them. Besides, you should have been doing that already, right?

Because everyone knows that some million dollar homes are worth more than others.