Searchina
Searchina is a Japanese company predominantly involved in the business of information and news distribution relating to China. Its website covers Chinese stock market information and various China-related information, such as politics, economy, society, IT, finance and regional news, in addition to information on Japanese stocks, emerging markets and Asia. The corporate name is a portmanteau of "search" and "China".
Outline
Masakazu Motoki (端木正和, as known in Japan), originally from Fujian Province in China, left a trading company he was working for in Japan and opened a news portal site on June 4, 1998, with the name "China Intelligence Bureau", the former company of Searchina. Searchina Co., Ltd. was established on September 1, 1999. In July 2008, the 10th anniversary of the site opening, the site name was also changed from the former name "China Intelligence Bureau" to "Searchina", to match with the corporate name. Searchina contracts with China News Service (CNS) for news distribution. The site is well known as the biggest China information site in Japan,[1] covering the Chinese economy and Chinese stocks, and as of March 2010 utilizes 440,000 monitors of Chinese wealthy people and consumers in Shanghai for internet research and promotion. The company played important roles in the Japanese market for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo. In recognition of those exchanges between Japan and China, a Chinese governmental organization awarded Searchina, along with Toyota, OMRON, Panasonic and KYOCERA “Outstanding Contribution Award for Promoting China-Japan Newspaper Exchanges” (Association of China-Japan Newspaper Business Promotion). In April 2009, Searchina entered into a tie-up with Dow Jones Japan in order to jointly extend information service offering to Japanese financial business operators. In February 2010, SBI Holdings, also a Japanese investor in Wall Street Journal Japan and Morningstar Japan, acquired Searchina as a subsidiary company of SBI Group. The corporate name and services of Searchina will not be changed for the time being.[2]
Company outline
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- Trade Name: Searchina Co., Ltd.
- Known in Japanese: サーチナ
- Known in Chinese: 新秦
- Address: Asano Bldg. 7F, 1-3-11, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027
- Founder: Masakazu Motoki 端木正和
- Representative Director: Naoya Arita 有田直矢
- Vice Chairman & Representative Director：Tomoya Asakura 朝倉智也(COO & Representative Executive Director of Morningstar Japan etc.)
- Chairman: Yoshitaka Kitao 北尾吉孝(CEO & Representative Director of SBI Holdings etc.)
- Director: Daisuke Tanaka 田中大介
- Director: Yoshikazu Kaizo 海蔵義一
- Director: Li Pei Lun 李沛倫
- Director: Kaede Koutsuki 江月楓
- Auditor: Yasuhiro Ikuta 生田八洲紘(Former Executive Vice President of Toyo Securities)[3]
- Capital: 111,200 thousand yen (changed as of May 16, 2005)
- Capital Reserve: 61,200 thousand yen (changed as of May 16, 2005)
- Number of Full-time employees: 25 (as of February 1, 2009. Head Office employees)
- Affiliates: Searchina (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Corporate history
June 1998 : Opened “China Intelligence Bureau” (“Searchina”) September 1999: Established the Company. The Head Office was located in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku September 2001: Published “Chinese Company Information”, Company Information as China Version (Ended with the 2007 version. Withdrew from publishing business)
- September 2002: Established Searchina (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Shanghai)
- April 2004 : Relocated to Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku. Started news distribution on Yahoo! News.
- November 2004 : Started distribution of Chinese stock information on Yahoo! Finance.
- September 2005: Received an order from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for its public offering project, “Feasibility Study of Credit Control for Chinese Companies”.
- February 2006: Started a periodical, “Corporate Brand Strategy in the Chinese Market” (in collaboration with Nomura Research Institute).
- March 2007 : Awarded “Outstanding Contribution Award for Promoting China-Japan Newspaper Exchanges” along with TOYOTA, OMRON, Panasonic and KYOCERA (Association of China-Japan Newspaper Business Promotion).
- April 2007 : In charge of the public solicitation in Japan for a mascot design used for Shanghai World Expo.
- August 2008 : Entered into a tie-up with CHINA.ORG.CN. Opened the Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Japanese Version).
- April 2009 : Entered into a tie-up with Dow Jones Japan.[4]
- February 2010: Placed under the umbrella of SBI Holdings, also a Japanese investor in Wall Street Journal Japan.[5]
Business contents
Finance Business providing domestic securities companies and major portal sites by ASP with Chinese stock contents, such as stock prices, market conditions, stock trends, stock rankings and related business systems in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Publishing “Chinese Company Information”, Company Information as China Version (Withdrew from publishing business). Currently, also offering information on Japanese stocks, FX, CFD and emerging markets. The main clients include Toyo Securities, Daiwa Securities, Okasan Securities and Cosmo Securities.
Media Business operating its portal site, “Searchina” (Formerly, China Intelligence Bureau. Renamed in July 2008). Distributing various kinds of China-related information, such as politics, economy, society, IT, finance and regions as well as information on Japanese stocks, emerging markets and Asia.
Research Business conducting by its subsidiary in Shanghai (Searchina (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.), internet research and promotion utilizing 440,000 monitors of Chinese wealthy people and consumers (as of March 2010), providing solutions and consulting service based on such research, and publishing white papers by theme. Making joint research with Nomura Research Institute and Tsinghua-Nikkei Institute of Media Studies, part of the University's School of Journalism and Communication.
Transition of PVs[6]
The monthly page views (PVs) have been steadily increasing since the end of 2008. The feature contents are “Global On-site Blogs” which introduce views toward Japan, for which private blogs are gathered up from various countries in the world, selected for translations and added with the relevant country’s information. About 30% of the visitors come through Yahoo, while about 70% directly visit “Searchina”. It is said that their corporate slogan is, “Overtake Nikkei!”[7]
- January 2009 : 41.29 million PVs
- February 2009: 45.37 million PVs
- March 2009 : 53.37 million PVs
- April 2009 : 66.83 million PVs
- May 2009 : 68.21 million PVs
- June 2009 : 77.54 million PVs
- July 2009 : 87.06 million PVs
- August 2009 : 98.46 million PVs
China Intelligence Bureau
The portal site, “China Intelligence Bureau” was opened in June 1998, prior to the establishment of the company and exited until renamed to “Searchina” in July 2008.
Notes
- ^ The Diamond Weekly, Interview with an Entrepreneur: Masakazu Motoki, President of “Searchina”, the biggest China information site in Japan, who has realized a dream of a Chinese student overseas (pp.120～121 2009/2/14 issue)
- ^ Press Release announced by SBI Holdings, Inc.: Notice regarding the acquisition of stocks of Searchina, Co., Ltd. (to be owned as its subsidiary)
- ^ Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO of SBI Holdings took office as Chairman of Searchina: on the executive appointments after a capital alliance with SBI Holdings
- ^ Nikkei BP, Searchina and Dow Jones Japan jointly operate a global investment information site
- ^ japan.internet.com: Searchina to Become a Subsidiary of SBI Holdings
- ^ Searchina had its monthly accesses exceed 100 million PVs for the first time since opening the site － Press release
- ^ The Diamond Weekly: “Global On-site Blogs” at “Searchina”, whose accesses surprise that Noriko Sakai (2009/11/25 issue)