Sunday, September 18, 2011

Japanese Government to Invite Foreigners Who Have Large Facebook and Twitter Followers to Tohoku So That They Can Tell Their Followers "Japan Is Safe"

It's buried in my previous post about radioactive canned fish and wheelchair out of Tohoku as ODA, but this merits its own post because of its sheer absurdity.

(Who do you call someone who tweets, anyway?)

From Mainichi Shinbun (9/19/2011):

東日本大震災:「日本安全」つぶやいて 風評対策、海外からツイッター発信者ら招待

Tweet "Japan is safe" to dispel "baseless rumor": Japan to invite Twitterers from overseas

 外務省は、東京電力福島第1原発事故による日本の農 産物や観光などへの風評被害対策として、フェイスブックやツイッターなどソーシャルメディアの発信者を海外から招く準備に入った。世界で5億人以上が利用 するとされるソーシャルメディアが、中東政変などで大きな影響力を見せていることに着目した試験事業。被災地を回った発信者に、安全性や感動を伝えてもら うことで、風評被害の緩和を狙う。

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have started to make preparations for inviting people from overseas who disseminate information via the social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as part of the countermeasures against "baseless rumors" that have damaged sales of Japanese agricultural products and tourism industry. More than 500 million people in the world are said to use the social media. The ministry has seen the great impact of the social media in the revolutions in the Middle East, and decided to use the social media to counter the "baseless rumor" by having people disseminate the messages of safety and favorable impressions.

 東日本大震災からの復旧に向けた11年度第2次補正予算で、外務省は風評対策のため、15億円を計上した。外務省として初めての発信者招待は、この対策の一環。

In the second supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2011, the ministry obtained 1.5 billion yen for the countermeasures against "baseless rumors". This plan to invite Facebook and Twitter users with large followers is part of the countermeasures.

 11月ごろから、欧米や中国、中東などから、読者の多い発信者約15人を数回に分けて、福島、宮城、岩手県などに招く方向で、在外公館を通じて参加者を選ぶ。

Starting November, the ministry will invite the total of about 15 people over time from Europe, the United States, China and the Middle East who have large Facebook or Twitter followers. They will be selected by the Japanese embassies and consulates overseas, and they will be invited to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.

 ソーシャルメディア関係者が、日本に好意的な書き込みをする保証はないが、外務省の担当課は「現地に足を運び、特産物を食べてもらった上での発信だけに、風評ではない信頼性の高い内容になる可能性が高い。迅速、大量、広範囲に情報を届けることもできるはず」と期待。さらに、海外の新聞やテレビ関係者を数十人ずつ被災地に招き、より広範囲に日本の農産物、観光情報を発信したい考えだ。

There is no guarantee that these social media users will disseminate messages that are favorable to Japan. But the section in charge of the project at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hopeful that "They will send out messages after they actually visit the places and eat the local specialty food. We believe that the messages will be more credible, not the baseless rumor. The messages will be sent out fast, in great numbers, and widely". In addition, the Ministry will invite foreign media - newspapers and TV stations - to the disaster affected areas, so that they can send out information on Japanese agricultural products and tourism to a wider audience.

 風評対策事業ではこのほか、日本産品の安全性を伝える著名人のテレビコマーシャルを海外で流し、各国の在外公館で被災地産品の物産展や試食会の開催も計画している。

Other countermeasures against "baseless rumors" include airing TV commercials outside Japan using celebrities telling the foreign viewers how safe the Japanese goods are, and fairs and food tasting events at the Japanese embassies and consulates overseas that feature the goods and produce from the disaster-affected areas.

So the Ministry correctly identified the social media like Facebook and Twitter that played a significant role in the Middle East uprisings. What they have chosen to ignore was that the social media was used by the protesters as a countermeasure to the government propaganda, not the other way around.

Using the same budget, the Ministry is hiring two people with collage or graduate degrees to tweet in English on behalf of the Ministry, and take care of these social media foreign visitors when they come. The message that they should tweet is about how charming Japan is and how well it has recovered from the earthquake/tsunami disaster. The position is temporary, lasting 6 months starting October 3, and you are to work 5 days a week excluding weekends and holidays for up to 29 hours per week. One hour lunch break. English proficiency is a must.

If you think you've got what it takes to do the government propaganda, contact:

外務省外務省大臣官房広報文化交流部総合計画課 経理庶務班
電話番号:03-5501-8127
ファックス:03-5501-8126

I wonder who will appear in the commercials? Which celebrity will be purchased? Anyone that you would recommend?

19 comments:

Canarybeatback said...

We are experiencing how the old regimes and systems that do not work like banking, insurance or countries are falling down.

Instead of admiting that they cant control the situation and move on to new technologies or systems, they try to stick to their old antihuman machine, that is proven no to work anymore.

Good example of this is the ridiculous bonuses of AIG, Government lobbying and falling countries like Greece, Spain, Italy, Siria, Lybia. Japan, US, etc...

This 60 to 80 years old leaders instead of being honest, they used third parties, people with no jobs to clean up an image, instaed of aiding the most needed like Fukushima people.

Again their actions speak louder than their words, you can read between the lines how this wealthy man got to their power, not much different to a dictator by out of law actions and corruption.

I guess this is our last chance to change things if not we will see much more fukushima events around the globe, till world population decrease in a drastic ways... what a future....

Sebaschan said...

I visited Tohoku last month, and it's not safe. At least not safer than a visit to Chernobyl these days.

How are they going to convince the "visitors" that it is safe? I guess they won't show them the Geiger counter readings but probably a huge amount of money :)

Anonymous said...

Well...you know what we must do, then...start Facebooking and Tweeting TEPCO, Japan's government and the nuclear industry have no credibility.

I ask everyone who reads these articles to repost them on their pages--get the word out:

JAPAN IS NOT SAFE AND THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IS RISKING EVERYONE"S LIFE WITH RADIATION POISONING.

Anonymous said...

Anyone reading this blog with a facebook following or twitter please post it on and make this info go viral.. that should get the word out that the fucking pricks who run Japan and their propaganda machine are full of shit hopefully will fail in their attempt to brainwash people.... this is psychological war now.

Anonymous said...

Someone who tweets is called a "twit".

Anonymous said...

Lady Gaga was in Japan a few months ago. Is there any bigger name in the blogosphere? She acted exactly like the shill the Japan government wants now. And how did that work out?

So far, social media has worked better as a vehicle for truth. Hopefully, Japan's attempt at e-washing will fail.

Anonymous said...

Damn straight on that psychological war stuff; these people who run Japan need to be exposed at every turn.

Anonymous said...

Hello - I posted this Article at HP PLUS a combo of some of your comments (which are SpotOn!). Thank you EX for all you do!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/northeast-japan-earthquake_n_964767.html
Thread is Moderated so takes awhile to appear.

mrjohn said...

Foreign talent for TVCs ? It's gotta be Arnie, he eats radiation for breakfast.

Anonymous said...

his is psychological war now. "now" "now"? WYB, your seat must be in the front row.
Japan governor interested in & wants to transfer "fair use" from virtual world & into Fukushima actual.

Anonymous said...

Poor japan.
Its over.

see last earthquakes and wait.

Anonymous said...

Lady Gaga is a sellout bitch who thinks she is cool but far from it, as for the Foreign celebrities in Japan expect Phil Spector to kiss ass and tell us its all ok in Fukushima... Spector is a well known sell out on the Nanking massacre by the way..

Anonymous said...

@Anoymous 6.38am , ... what the fuck are you talking about man? why post drivel?

Anonymous said...

They could ask George Clooney, he's not ashamed to act for Nestle...

Anonymous said...

Talk to your friends. Talk to your families. Post these articles EVERYWHERE!!! Tell everyone, ya'll! Japan's citizens need our help and we must protect our future!

POST THIS EVERYWHERE:

NATIONWIDE ANTINUKE RALLY OCT. 1 !!!!

TELL EVERYONE!!!

Here's the info:

http://www.prleap.com/pr/181214/

Anonymous said...

No problem even if it is contaminated, just rinse it and you'll be fine:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fs20110920a2.html

Anonymous said...

@Anon 11:26 AM

Phil Spector has been in prison for the second degree murder of Lana Clarkson since 2009. He's serving 19 years to life and all appeals have been exhausted and denied Japan would need to pull some major strings to spring his crazy ass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Spector#Murder_of_Lana_Clarkson

I think Borat, Ali G and Bruno would be good candidates to speak on Japan's behalf. The upside is they'd only need to hire one guy.

BORAT: " Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat. I like you. I like sex. Is nice! Nuclear energy give you powerful "khram" for "mouth-party" and "hand-party" sexy time!

Ali G: Booyakasha! The Geezer what made this mess he iz a criminal! And not even da good type wot deals drugs and does drive bys.

Bruno: Ich was going to become famous by solving a world problem! But which one? Clooney's got Darfur, Sting's got the Amazon, and Bono's got AIDS! Luckily, there was still one Scheißloch left to fix and here I am. How do you protect yourself from a dildo? You must protect the poopenschafte. Japan must must stop bending over, bowing to the people in charge it only entices them to go balls deep.


P.S. the past tense of twit is twat

logosky said...

Who is not smart enouth to go there??!!

No one will like to step on radioactive waist, even one single time.
they better get all the people out of there before it is too late.

Anonymous said...

I have been wondering what Daniel Kahl's agenda is....Now it's becoming clear. He must be paid by the Japanese government under this initiative!!!

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