Advanced Television

Japan MIPCOM 2016 Country of Honour

April 6, 2016

Colin Mann @ MIPTV

Event organiser Reed MIDEM has revealed that Japan has been named the MIPCOM 2016 Country of Honour. MIPCOM, the world’s entertainment content B2B trade event, takes place in Cannes, France, from 17-20 October 2016, with senior Japanese government officials suggesting the status will allow the country even greater scope to showcase its work in 4K Ultra HD.

The Country of Honour programme is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). The focus of Japan’s Country of Honour showcase in Cannes will be twofold. The rapid uptake of high-definition 4K broadcasting will be one area in the spotlight. According to research by Mitsubishi Research Institute, penetration of 4K television sets in Japan is poised to explode, from around 6 per cent of households this year to more than half of the marketplace by 2020 – ahead of forecasts for either North America or Europe.

Japanese operators are already broadcasting in 4K via satellite, cable and IPTV. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are set to be broadcast in not only 4K, but also 8K. Japan’s production sector is also shifting widely to 4K, as witnessed by the programming on show at MIPCOM.

The second key focus will be on Japanese animation, with 2017 marking the 100th anniversary of the genre in Japan. Animation today accounts for 62 per cent of Japan’s TV programming exports. MIPCOM 2016 will feature a look back at the history of Japanese animation, and will introduce the latest shows on the international marketplace.

The MIPCOM Country of Honour event will also encompass presentations on Japanese tourism and cuisine.

“We are very proud that Japan is marking a new chapter in the history of MIPCOM as Country of Honour 2016. The Japanese television industry offers many exciting innovations, notably in the field 4K and High Dynamic Range Imaging, which we hope you will explore here in Cannes. Just as we hope delegates will appreciate the best Japanese animation has to offer, both past and present,” said Mabito Yoshida, Deputy Director-General of the Information and Communications Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which is a partner of the MIPCOM Country of Honour event.

“This Country of Honour showcase will enable industry executives worldwide to appreciate the breadth and depth of Japanese TV output, as well as the cutting-edge innovations that are being tried and tested in the Japanese marketplace,” said Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division.

Categories: Articles, Business, Equipment, Production, UHD, Ultra-HD/4K