Softbank Corp. is set to invest $11 million for a 12% stake in the site, Ran by Masayoshi Son, CEO and president of the Japanese Internet services company, and Oh Yeon Ho, founder and CEO of the Korean Internet newspaper, the two companies have created OhmyNews International Co. Ltd. to spread participatory journalism worldwide, with the Japanese branch their first effort.

The site, which started with 727 citizen reporters, now incorporates the work of over 41,000 citizen journalists, including more than 700 overseas who report in English for its international page. The site receives over 700,000 repeat visitors daily and once exceeded 25 million page views per day (in a country of about 48 million), the company said.

Although the site competes directly with the conservative mainstream media in South Korea, the company said the Japanese edition would not (citing examples of mainstream media like Shimbun or the Asahi Shimbun).

Attributing the lack of involvement of professional journalists in Japan or, as some have said, the fact that the Japanese tend not to express themselves, citizen journalism may have trouble taking root in this country. Although citizen journalism in Japan isn’t as popular of a trend as it is in South Korea, the site is making efforts to change that.

Source: Japan Media Review [Through the Ifra Executive News Service]