About 5.4 million people come to Channel 2 each month (http://www.2ch.net), many of them several times a day (wow - ed) Founded in 1999, "ni-channeru," as it is called here, has become part of Japan's everyday culture as no other Web site has.
New York Times - Possible evil registration requiredThe site also provides a community setting for people wanting to discuss topics that are still avoided in public in Japan: gays who may be thinking of coming out or people suffering from depression. In a forum in which a father discussed whether to tell his child of the family's background as burakumin, an outcast group in Japan and a very delicate subject, one user wrote, "As a resident of eastern Japan, I've learned that this problem remains a severe one only thanks to Channel 2."
But Channel 2 is also a window into Japan's ugly side. Many of the contents tend to be nationalistic and xenophobic, especially toward Koreans. When Sony and Samsung recently announced a joint project, users attacked Sony for cooperating with the South Korean company. "Die, Sony!" read several comments. "Die, Koreans!" Many wrote that they hated Koreans, using a derogatory term to describe them.
Chanell 2 - Ni chanell (vernacular)
Q&A with Hiroyuki Nishimura - Founder of Channel 2In keeping with his detachment, Mr. Nishimura said he was bored with his Web site and did not believe it was worth enough to attract buyers. Asked about Channel 2's role in Japanese society, he said people used it simply to "kill time."
"Many people who write on Channel 2 are stupid," Mr. Nishimura said, making a statement that many Channel 2 regulars would agree with but one that will surely draw a flurry of attacks. "They cannot change the world by writing about it. If they really want to have an impact, there are other things they could be doing."
