Interview by JM Alcala, staff writer, Inside AX- Anime Expo
Transcribed by Jason Young, staff editor, Inside AX- Anime Expo
Inside AX recently concluded a round of interviews with several Guests of Honor at Anime Expo 2011. I recently had the privilege of sitting down with accomplished Internet blogger/television personality Danny Choo who is the creative force behind the Japanese television show, Culture Japan.
I know that a lot of people have interviewed you regarding what you do, etc. However, this time I want to focus on the social media aspect as you have a huge presence in that regard. What role do you think social media will play in the dissemination of information?
DC: I think that it does already play a huge role as it helps to reach out to people across the globe. I think what a lot of people misunderstand about running a blog is that they try to get everyone to go to the blog. What I wanted to do is get everyone to consume that information, and I don’t care if that’s on Flickr, Twitter or Facebook. So these social tools really do help me to disseminate this information effectively as a writer.
Yeah, because with iPubs we have a traditional sense of social media. Here’s our blog, post links in regards to our coverage and then you realize that there’s an entire subset of social media that helps bring together our entire audience so that they can share the information together. So in that regard, do you think that we will see a gradual shift towards embracing that form of a hybrid media rather than just solely traditional social media in Japan?
DC: In Japan there is a news business show called World Business Satellite that has a Facebook page that lets people post questions in their Facebook Corner and they answer them on television. About a year ago that would have been very odd for a Japanese company to do that. Now it is very normal for companies to use Facebook or Twitter to share their information. I think one of the things that really helped was the introduction of the iPhone and Android OS as they come with tools that enable users that allows users to connect to Facebook or Twitter by default. So that exposes these social networks to folks who have discovered that they could share this information on their phones.
Do you think that it is usually the younger players, rather than the older people, who have embraced this new technology?
DC: Yes, I believe it is the younger folks that have embraced the technology. I think in many cases it is the younger folks who are helping the older generation to understand the implications and benefits that can be brought upon by using social media.
So you think it’s the ease of being able to do it on say your phone than having to do 10,000 different things on the computer, that’s helped to bring upon a slight change in the way Japanese companies view social media.
DC: Yes, that’s right.
How does posting on Facebook, Twitter or comments on your blog help foster a relationship with your audience on an intimate level and sharing ideas?
DC: For me, it’s by connecting with everyone throughout the world with social media that’s enabled me to make friends all over the world. Not only to make new friends however, but to discover new talents as well. For example, I’ve connected with many readers, and discovered that they have particular talents like programming, vector art, etc. So I work with them to give them an opportunity so that they could work in a field that they are interested in. So that communication really gives me a chance to discover who would be suitable with a business for example.
Do you think that being that close one-on-one with a reader helps to break down traditional barriers on how we do things and how companies are run?
DC: Yes, that’s right.
Why do you think that Facebook hasn’t taken off in Japan as much as say Twitter or blogs?
DC: One of the things about Facebook is that you’re required to you’re required to have a photo of yourself and stick with your real name. Many folks in Japan aren’t used to that. If you go on Mixie or Twitter, a lot of users use avatars of their favorite anime character and many don’t use their real names, so it’s it’s a way for them to protect themselves. However, by being open with who you really are, you are able to connect more people to share similar values and help to enrich one’s life.
A lot of your fans love sharing their photos and their personal “otaku” space or work space, how did this come about? Why would you want to share your personal area?
DC: I think that the work space is something that we all relate to because we all have a work space. And the work space is where we are creative and we want this area to be as efficient as possible. By looking at other people’s work spaces, it really inspires us with new ideas on how we can improve our workflow and how we can make it look nice at the same time.
In all of your travels, what would you say inspires you the most in general? What drives you to “do what you do?”
DC: I think what drives me is that there’s not much time left. Time passes by very quickly, especially as of late and before I know it, I’ll either be old and grey or dead. So I just want to make sure that while I’m alive I want to make sure that I’m doing everything that I could to live my passion. Passion is another thing that keeps me going. Once you discover your passion, goals become much more clearer to you. It’s not just one goal, but as you’re living your passion you discover multiple goals and there’s a drive in you that makes you want to achieve these goals. So that’s just one of the things that keeps me going.
Yeah, my cousin and I talk about it. Basically, if you do what you really feel inside, that personally will drive you to do what you want. Once you find out what makes you happy, everything just kind of falls into place.
DC: Yes, that’s right.
This question is in regards to the natural disaster in Japan, how would you say that people should keep their collectibles safe in preparation for a natural disaster?
DC: I think that collectibles have a different meaning to different folks. Some people want to keep them in mint condition so they can try to sell them. Some people just want to enjoy them. However, as long as something has shape and form it’s not going to last forever as they’re breakable. I personally want to have them without their boxes, and of course I dust them, as I want to fiddle around with them and enjoy them. So that’s what I want to do while I’m alive rather than just see them in boxes. So it really is up to the person and their values of their own collection.
So would you say that because of your own personal values of “I want to live,” is that why you don’t want to keep anything boxed up as you want to enjoy everything that you can while you’re still alive versus sterile and in a museum and compartmentalized?
DC: Definitely, definitely.
Alright, so thank you for your time. Hopefully people will take your advice to heart and follow their own dreams.
DC: Hopefully.
------Tags: Anime Expo 2011, Danny Choo, interview
