Summary
1. Market Expansion via Automated Translation
The automated translation feature on X (formerly Twitter) is effectively dissolving language barriers, expanding markets that were previously confined to the Japanese-speaking world onto a global scale. As a result, the viral potential of posts is expected to increase by an order of magnitude, drastically boosting opportunities for everyday users and creators to generate substantial revenue.
2. The Risk of Global Backlash
With language barriers removed, domestic expressions and content are more likely to clash with overseas values, heightening the risk of global public outcry (backlash). In response, corporations must implement meticulous brand-protection measures in their advertising and communications, carefully evaluating from the outset how their messaging will be perceived through a global lens.
3. The Arrival of "Glocal 2.0"
The transition toward "Glocal 2.0"—a paradigm where local cultures are reinterpreted on a global stage—is accelerating. Concurrently, however, there are growing concerns that extreme political polarization from abroad could bleed into the domestic sphere, sharpening internal divisions. As translation accuracy continues to improve, it is vital to keep a close watch on both the positive aspects of cultural exchange and the potential for diplomatic and cultural friction.
——X (formerly Twitter) was suddenly updated, allowing automatic communication with people all over the world in their native languages. Although still imperfect, what kind of future awaits us as IT technology eliminates language barriers?
Shunichi Sasaki (hereinafter, Sasaki): X's automatic translation function has had a significant impact, and I feel its effects are spreading to various sectors. For example, I heard from an acquaintance in the advertising industry that, "From now on, when placing online ads, we have to consider how they will be viewed overseas."
Until now, Japan's business has thrived within a market protected by the highly unique Japanese language. With a population of approximately 120 million, media industries such as television, newspapers, and publishing were sufficient to operate domestically, and there wasn't necessarily a strong need to be globally conscious.
However, since the spread of the internet, this structure has changed. During the blog boom of the late 2000s, "professional bloggers" emerged who aimed to earn advertising revenue, but the income of Japanese bloggers was said to be "about one-tenth of that of English-speaking countries."
This is because the Japanese market is limited to approximately 100 million people, while the English-speaking market can reach up to 1 billion, resulting in a significant difference in blog revenue. I believe that if this problem is resolved all at once, a more mixed world may emerge.
While it's unclear how far this will spread at this point, a Japanese X post that previously received 5,000-10,000 likes and was considered "amazing" might now go viral with 500,000-1,000,000 likes.
If the language barrier disappears, the scale of virality will increase by an order of magnitude, allowing even ordinary users to earn 100,000-200,000 yen, and top users to expect millions of yen in revenue.
