by Thomas Caldwell

Internet-based news sources

I was recently asked about my favorite websites for news and information. When I replied that I didn't really have any, the expression on the questioner's face was one of shock, bordering on fright. I might as well have told him there was a centipede about to enter his ear.

To me, having a "favorite" Internet site is akin to having a favorite TV channel or newspaper. Sure, humans are creatures of habit. They do things in a repetitive fashion. It saves on brain power. But how many people tell others how they love reading through the Japan Times every morning or savor every second of bilingual news coverage on NHK every evening? Finding out what is going on in the world around them is just another daily habit, like sleeping, eating, or other regular actions humans engage in.

Philosophy aside, for the purpose of this column, the question as posed to me will be interpreted as meaning what are some good, Internet-based news and information sources for those of us living in Japan and wishing to learn about Japan. Here goes.

First, a qualifier that few people like to admit. The Internet is still a very immature medium. If its history can be compared to television, it is about as far along as the idiot box was around 1952 (in Japan, about 1949). It's still a little hokey and not much of a looker, but it has enormous potential. Decades from now, the young nerds of today will be sitting in tacky bars, old and grossly overweight, crying for the good 'ol days before their unique art form was ruined.

Now, as for information, a site called Mix Pizza is supposedly making a big splash. I checked it out, but found it wanting. It was trying to be all things to all people, and not doing any of it very well (too many cookies for my taste). It is basically an online tourist/businessman's guild. Such things have their place, but not if you have been here for a while (I found the section on Immigration quite amusing). Impressive corporate sponsors.

Tokyo Classified online is not bad, but most people will probably prefer the paper edition. One recent addition to the online English info sources in Japan is TokyoAds. So far it has the best, most organized design I have come across. It seems to be well engineered, and not trying to be too much to too many. Good, organized announcements and classifieds. Worth checking out.

Good computer news sites are few and far between anywhere in any language, and too many of them do little more than rewrite press releases. If the computer industry is your thing, and you want to know what is really going on, check out Slashdot. To borrow from a cheesy ad campaign of the 1970s, it is "the shape of things to come." The description of the site is "News for Nerds. Stuff That Matters." Slashdot's contributors are all sorts of interesting people, mostly unknowns, who actually know what they are talking and writing about. The site covers computers and technology, and in adddition examines social issues affecting the nerd community around the world. No guesswork by media personalities who don't know how to reboot a PC. This is news by nerds for nerds and the envy of every media baron on the planet.

If you are in the computer biz, you can probably learn more about what is really going on in the biz from Slashdot than from a meter-tall stack of overpriced research reports from a big shot consulting company. If a Japanese equivalent were to come into being, you can kiss half the computer magazines in Japan goodbye. Check it out. It will probably become a daily habit.

As for general Internet-based news services in Japan, in my opinion none of them are there yet. Few of the major services seem to be trying hard, but are still short of the mark, mainly due to the economy and the general disinterest in Japan overseas. Ask me again in about a year.

Tom Caldwell is a Tokyo-based freelance writer. Contact him at caldwell@gol.com.

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