Online Video Content

Online videos were used a great deal in this protest campaign. As a satellite television station that also distributes its content via the internet, Channel Sakura was the primary provider of online videos in this case. None of the other organizations that participated in the protest movement had their own television studio or access to high quality video production techniques, so they relied on Channel Sakura to spread their message through this medium. Leaders of the

pro-Taiwan groups frequently appeared as guests on Channel Sakura programs and linked to Channel Sakura videos to lend further support to the views they expressed on their websites and e-magazines.³¹⁰

Channel Sakura’s distribution of television programming via YouTube made its viewpoint accessible for free to anyone with an internet connection.

Dozens of Channel Sakura videos containing detailed attacks on the NHK documentary were available. This distribution method is radically different from NHK and Japan’s major private television networks, which limit free online video content to breaking news videos, usually available only on a temporary basis.³¹¹

The fact that NHK only airedA First Rate Asian Poweron two occasions would typically mean that protesters and people filing complaints about the documentary would have needed to watch it on their television sets in order to formulate an opinion on its contents.³¹² However, in the era of high speed internet, anyone with a computer and internet access can log in to YouTube at any time and view videos from Channel Sakura that provide detailed criticisms of the documentary. And, as was mentioned earlier in this chapter, some of the commentary programs were from people who had themselves missed the

original broadcast of the documentary (and presumably had to watch a recorded copy).

310 One example from the Voice of Taiwan newsletter :「「台湾の声」【ＮＨＫ問題】報道動画と抗議活動案内（東京・岡山」

<http://sv3.inacs.jp/bn/?2009100097078774001950.3407>（2010/12/12アクセス）

311 Examples include http://www.nhk.or.jp/news/ (NHK News), http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ann/ (ANN News), and http://www.news24.jp/ (NTV News)

312「プロジェクトJAPAN：未来へのプレーバック。［放送予定］｜NHK」

<http://www9.nhk.or.jp/japan/pjyotei/archive_2009.html>（2010/12/11アクセス）

The documentary itself has also been distributed for free on the internet – but not by NHK. Anonymous internet users who supported the anti-NHK

campaign uploaded the entire documentary to video sharing websites. One unauthorized upload of the full-length version of A First Rate Asian Powerhas been available on YouTube since April 15^th2009. As of December 17^th, 2010, it had received over 72,000 views, and as of August 1, 2014, that number had grown to over 202,000 views.³¹³ The anonymous uploader put “NHK’s Great Sin”

in the title line of the video. The video description contained a warning about the

“subliminal” images that could be found in the documentary. Anyone who came across the documentary on YouTube was thus introduced to it in a way that depicted it as anti-Japanese and biased.

Figure 10: The documentary was uploaded to YouTube

313 The video clip can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVH5WaT2byU

Unauthorized uploading of copyrighted television content is a violation of YouTube’s terms of use, and copyright owners need only to file a complaint with YouTube to have any unauthorized videos deleted from the site.³¹⁴ Under such circumstances, the video’s continued presence on YouTube suggests that either NHK is unaware that this program is being distributed by third parties, or those within NHK who do know about it are not in the proper bureaucratic position to file a formal copyright complaint with YouTube. Either way, it demonstrates how an incumbent organization within the strategic action field was unprepared to employ new technologies and tactics. NHK did not seek out public support via the internet through the free digital distribution of its documentary, and did not act to prevent anti-NHK protesters from distributing a pirated version of the

documentary in a manner that presented the documentary as anti-Japanese.

In the months immediately following the airing ofA First Rate Asian Power, Channel Sakura uploaded anti-NHK videos several times a week, updating

viewers on the latest developments in the movement. In addition to the earlier-mentioned interviews it filmed with Taiwanese people, Channel Sakura regularly aired discussion panels about the content of the documentary. Panelists

included members of the pro-Taiwan groups participating in the protests, conservative historians, and journalists.³¹⁵

314 YouTube, "Guidelines and Requirements: Report a copyright violation," Accessed December 15, 2010.

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113113.

315 An example can be found at :“1/4【桜プロジェクトＳＰ】ＮＨＫからの抗議状、そこから何が見えるのか？[H21/7/24]”.日本文 化チャンネル桜(2009年7月24日). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc6J-B-jGF8.

Beyond its videos aimed at educating viewers about the views of the anti-NHK protesters, Channel Sakura produced videos aimed at promoting direction action and participation in protest activities. These included advertisements for protest marches, information seminars, and other offline protest events.³¹⁶ There were also after-action reports praising people who participated in offline protest activities.³¹⁷ When a class-action lawsuit against NHK was prepared and filed, Channel Sakura made programs calling on viewers to join the lawsuit as plaintiffs.³¹⁸ Videos advertising books and magazines with anti-NHK content were also included among Channel Sakura’s YouTube uploads. ³¹⁹