A new channel to help businesses in Eastern Japan

Cross posted from the Official YouTube Japan Blog

We in the Tokyo office just opened “YouTube Business Support Channel” to assist businesses in areas of Eastern Japan affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami. We wanted to let everyone know that many businesses in Eastern Japan are rebuilding and operating once again.



We worked with seven local newspapers in Eastern and Northeastern Japan to produce short videos introducing small businesses such as hot springs inns and organic rice farmers. In each video, the proprietor appears on camera to talk about recent conditions and show off the premises or a few recommended items that can be purchased. Videos also feature on-screen annotations that link directly to Google Places pages, e-commerce sites, and travel services so that people in Japan can easily buy the shops’ goods or reserve rooms at the ryokan spa hotels. The channel currently has almost 90 of these videos, and our partners are planning to shoot more over the coming weeks.

Thanks to the support of companies Studio Alta and Avix, the videos will be broadcast around Tokyo on giant outdoor screens like the famous Shinjuku Alta Vision.

We hope the videos can contribute in some way to the economic recovery of the disaster-stricken areas.

Tai Hasegawa, Product Marketing Manager, Japan, recently watched “Wankosoba (soba noodles in broth eaten repeatedly in small servings) Shop is open for business in Iwate.”