CURRENT TOPICS
Reporting on News and Topics via our home page twice a year both in June and December causes me to deeply reflect how much our world has changed even in only a six-month period. I also feel this phenomenon especially in our line of business academic information service because the book business has been impacted by the IT development. I think we can say, "who needs newly printed encyclopedias now?"
I wish to share with you an interesting example. Based on a statistical report published in 2004, the handy and portable electronic dictionary (ED) sold about 3 million sets. The average retail price of one unit is about ¥20,000 so this means a total of 60 billion yen. This amount is almost 6% of the total book sales in Japan, which is about one trillion yen. Needless to say, we can conclude that the ED has supplanted some sales of the printed dictionaries, which then would affect the total turnover of the dictionary publishers. However the ED has had a rather strong impact overall since more people are using this ED when compared to those who have never used any kind of printed dictionary or encyclopedia. So this has contributed to the high success rate of the sales of the ED but at the same time does not give any real margin or profit to publishers as royalties.
Nowadays Japanese people, not only the young generation but also statesmen etc. have been quickly changed by the IT phenomenon and people have come to believe that communications are settled by IT and that it is no longer necessary to have any discussions or meetings. However I truly believe that human trust and human relations should be based on discussions and meetings whereas IT says that it is no longer necessary to have these types of communications. I especially felt this very strongly when I attended the memorial service of the late Mr. Muir Dawson at Los Angeles on April 9th. I made just a one-day trip from Tokyo to LA and back to attend the service. Muir Dawson was a second-generation book dealer among the LA Antiquarian Book Dealers since 1905. In 1956, when I was a college student, I stayed at his home and this was my very first opportunity to experience staying with an American family. From Mr. Dawson I learned his way of life and his philosophy of the book business and this in itself gave me a very strong impact. I consider him to be one of my important teachers of my business career. Michael Dawson, the son of Muir, introduced me to the 200 people who attended the service with these words: “Mr. Nitta comes here from Japan and my father often told me about him in explaining Japan; we are proud to have such a long term family relationship with him.” Most of my teachers, who gave me opportunities and information in my business care, are gradually passing on and so now I feel that I have the responsibility to take care of their children. This coming summer, the daughter of a very active Taiwanese IT publisher, will stay with us for the duration of the summer. All of these personal contacts will contribute to the success of Yushodo’s business in the future. And so once more I wish to say again that it is necessary to meet and have discussions much more often and to exchange frank opinions in order to reap a profit in the future.
Just recently I was invited to Polish National Day at the EXPO in Aichi on May 9th. During my visit, I was able to exchange ideas with the Polish delegate on how to exhibit the Chopin MS Facsimile of Piano Concerto #2 in the Pavilion, starting from the summer. Yushodo has signed a contract with the Polish Chopin Institute and Bernardinum Publishing House of Poland to co-publish this coming autumn a facsimile of the above mentioned concerto, which is a Polish National Treasure. Poland is not so experienced in promoting their publications world wide but based on my long experience in the publishing business, I can say that Polish paper, printing, typesetting and binding - especially leather binding - is already top quality in the world. Of all Eastern European nations, Poland has the largest landmass of all countries and a very highly educated population and I think that I can rightfully say that within ten years, Poland will become one of the important publishing nations in the world.
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