Reed MIDEM has revealed that Japan will be the Country of Honour at this year’s MIPCOM, which is set to take place in Cannes from October 17 to 20.
The focus on Japan will include a look at the rapid uptake of HD 4K broadcasting. According to research, penetration of 4K TV sets in Japan is expected to rise from approximately 6 percent of households this year to more than half of the marketplace by 2020, ahead of forecasts for North America and Europe.
There will also be a spotlight on Japanese animation, with next year marking the 100th anniversary of the genre in the country. Animation currently accounts for 62 percent of Japan’s TV programming exports. MIPCOM 2016 will look at the history of Japanese animation, while also introducing the latest shows on the international market.
The Country of Honour event will also include 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,” said Mabito Yoshida, the 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. “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.”
“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,” added Laurine Garaude, the director of Reed MIDEM’s television division.
