(Geinoukai=芸能界=Japanese show business world)
I think there are 3 things genuine in the NAVER JAPAN portal site:
1- the game-like user interface
2- the "matome" function (user generated content)
3- and the overwhelming show business related information
In fact, NAVER JAPAN search engine is only one thing: a search engine for the Japanese show business world.
On the one hand, NAVER is a Korean company. On the other hand, most of the Japanese show business is said to be owned by the so-called ZAINICHIS (*), the Japanese native speakers that have a Korean ancestry.
NAVER wants to spread in Japan. They need a special niche. If they can get special information or special rights to display certain type of photographs or videos about certain actors or singers, then they have a substantial advantage on Google or Yahoo!
And at the same time, if the Japanese show-business wants to get promoted and advertised on the Internet at special rates, then NAVER can provide them with such prices.
It's a deal that would make a lot of sense, don't you think?
(*) I created recently a twitter account called "zaihaato" to promote my love ♥ for ZAINICHIs. I put the name and the pic of the person that I suspect (in the good way) to be "ZAINICHI".
I think that this post makes a lot of sense even if it does not prove anything at all;
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Naver Japan has to be remarkable, has to be a "purple cow" in the Godin sense of term, among all the available search engines in Japan.
And indeed, it makes much sense for them to be the search engine of Japanese Show Business =芸能界 which is "said" (though without any real proof) to be operated mostly by the Zainichi, the Japanese people with Korean or Chinese ancestry.
As for Naver Japan, it should be easier for them to have prioritized business and personal relationship with 芸能界 just because they share a common cultural root.