"Metaverse" and "Instagram Youth Protection" to ask Facebook Japan Azawa

In October 2021, Facebook changed the company name to META.It is a movement with a view to "metavers", which has the meaning of virtual space, but what kind of effects do you have in Japan?

We asked Masahiro Azawa, Representative Director at Facebook Japan, a Japanese subsidiary of META, about the background and future prospects.

—— In October 2021, Facebook changed the company name to Meta.Please tell us your reasons, background, and your vision as META.

The company name has changed, but the fundamental mission of "supporting community creation and realizing a world where people are closer" remains the same.As a new Internet experience (by becoming META), the vision is to build a new person's connection and a new social experience.

Looking at the Internet world from a device, in the last decade, it has changed from a desktop PC to mobile.The communication itself has changed diverse, starting with textbooks, photos, videos, and live.

The various aspects of the next Internet platform will change the various aspects, but the biggest difference is the immersion.Instead of a simple two -dimensional world that shares the same “space”, enjoying and working in what happens can be together in the same space even if the physical distance is far away.That is very different, and it can be said that it is completely different from the small screen mobile.

Also, it may seem to be strongly launching a meta spring, but it does not mean that something has begun.Until now, we have been building technology while investing in the field of AR/VR.The big direction is not the so -called social platform, such as "Facebook" and "Instagram", but building a metaberth experience on it.

Our services have begun with one application, Facebook, but have spread their portfolios in the last 10 years, including Instagram, VR, and messages apps such as "WhatsApp" and "Messenger".With the fact that the company name Facebook is not matched, the change in the corporate brand for the big vision of metaharas over the next 10 years is considered very natural.

—— If you are currently working on it or change the company name, please let us know.

(Meta) Metaverse is currently being announced in various ways in the form of "HORIZON", and is often used in workrooms and virtual meeting rooms in Japan.In addition, initiatives utilizing the live event application "VENUE" are also active.It is an image that everyone can sit in the same space and chat, and it can be used by very wide people.The opportunity to experience large -scale events such as live, where many people participate, will also expand.

In addition, you don't have to go to that place.For example, I think that it will expand in business other than entertainment, such as conducting research on surgeon training and sales training, etc., and needs to be expanded.

However, they are not just what we do.In addition, it is considered that it will be made over 5 to 10 years without suddenly 0 to 100.It is necessary to create together with various industries, such as creators, developers, researchers, and governments.

I feel that the direction and path of development have been clearly transmitted by clarifying our vision.Thankfully, many people have heard a voice, and the opportunity to exchange information about visions and what they can do has increased.I realize that the movement is tailored to the vision of making together.

——What kind of information exchange with people has increased?

Especially in Japan, the opportunity to talk with developers has increased.

Japan has a great presence as a market.However, it is also a market where many industries already exist, including the gaming and entertainment field.The VR penetration rate is high, and there are many developers.At the same time, the IP (intellectual property) field such as characters is strong, and there are many things that can be expanded externally as VR and metabers.

In addition, I realize that a wide variety of companies are feeling the possibilities in various fields, but as a remarkable example, N high school (N high school), S high school (S) in Kadokawa Dwango Gakuen (S).There will be an initiative with.In addition to the introduction of many "Oculus Quest 2", they have also developed a learning system themselves, and it can be said that they are working on the so -called "Edotech".

Despite being a full -remote school, it provides the necessary experiences for education to share and move the same space.We are learning about.These parts can be said to be the field where Japan is very advanced.

—— I was talking about Quest, but I would like to hear the story of each service here.In addition to Quest, Facebook, Instagram, etc. are being developed, please tell us the future direction.

As a common large vision, all apps and services are being developed in the same direction.What can be said in common with each service is that the rapid growth is a video, and the live growth is remarkable.The background may be that the corona evil and the world's flow shifted to the video.

Looking at each app, especially in Japan, the user of Instagram has a high growth rate and is used in the highest engagement.There is also a development team in Japan, and we feed on how to use it to develop globally in global product development.In the video, the growth rate of the short video "reel" is the highest.This is the part that has changed rapidly in the last two years.

A typical example of launching in 2021 is the map function.Japanese users have a large number of searches on Instagram, and some countries have more than three times the difference.We have developed a function to display popular spots in the neighborhood on a map from such Japanese user insights, and are also developed in other countries.

On the other hand, Facebook feels that it is superior to the community for Instagram, which is a connection based on what you like and interest.Two years have passed since I took office, but I realized again that it was just a representative platform for social network services.

While people's connections have been reviewed due to corona evil, Facebook has evolved by implementing functions such as live and chatting.Some say that Facebook is abolished, but in fact, engagement in Japan is growing and staying is increasing.

Returning to the mission, there are various types of creators, local governments, and places and interests, even if you support the community.In Facebook, I hope that we can develop functions and initiatives that support the connection of active people.

Both Instagram and Facebook emphasize Commerce's experience.For example, "SHOPS", which provides integrated experience with Instagram and Facebook.Each app itself is independent, but it can be used to get in each other, improving usability, making it easier to use in business.

Especially in Japan, where Instagram has a large rate of use, I feel great expectations about Comas from brands.It is actually used in many businesses, but Japanese users tend to tap the product tags and move forward.It is one of the highest countries on a global average of five times compared to the United States.

Finding what you like on Instagram, a community can be made around brands and products, and a series of experiences, such as purchasing experiences, are very advanced, so it goes well with Japan and has a high possibility.I feel it.

Commerce's functions have become quite popular in SMB and small and medium -sized businesses we have recently focused on.Especially in the past 1-2 years, the digital shift of users has progressed, making it a mainstream for purchase experiences.We will provide digital commerce functions regardless of the platform, according to our new life, which still needs a physical distance.There are many things that can be used for free, so it can be said that we can contribute.It is one of the fields to focus.

The part for creators is one of the large shafts.I personally think that this industry is long, but I think that "democratization of information" is a major significance of achieving social media.

But now, the existing barriers of distribution and media, which had been needed to bring their creativity to the world, are rapidly no longer eliminated.In addition to textbooks, images and videos appeared in addition to text, and videos have appeared live and shorts.Because it can be processed with the app, it can be said that "creator democratization" is occurring.Instagram, in particular, offers a variety of expressions so that various creators can easily participate.Originally, it is a service that started as a visual communication platform, so it is a good part.

These creatorcomers are also areas where we can contribute, regardless of the platform, as before.

In addition, both data and commerce are very large factors in the metahabath world.Currently built in the 2D, so -called app world will lead to the construction of metavers seamlessly.

For example, Facebook and Instagram have long provided AR functions, such as creating AR camera effects and publishing in the Instagram Stories.It is used by various developers, but many may not recognize AR.

In the current existing apps, we are testing these AR technology.Instagram tests a commerce experience using AR in several countries.It is physically separated, such as simulating and trying cosmetics without putting furniture in the actual room.We will provide such experiences in familiar apps that we have used so far.In addition, like the smart glass announced the other day, we are developing different products.

On the other hand, about Quest, full -scale development may be a little ahead.As one of the products that evolves with more efforts, we have been testing in the United States in advance in the United States, but now it is considered to be involved in diverse companies and developers and make it together.increase.Rather than a monetization immediately, it's a place at the entrance where you buy an app and enjoy it.

However, in the context of the future metaharbus, it will be an experience that you can go back and forth with each other instead of staying in the app.There will be many businesses that you do not imagine now.