Asiajin

Kayac[J], a funny web app developer based in Tokyo’s suburb, and Tokyo Sports[J] (a.k.a. Toh-spo), a daily sports newspaper company,  jointly introduced a blodget[J] on Wednesday, which may make your blog much catchier.

Toh-spo covers sports and show biz news everyday, and it is an yellow paper having a large circulation.   Tokyo businessmen love the paper because of its catchy and unique headlines.   When you put a mouse cursor over the blodget, a catchy headline generated from the content on your blog will be appeared as the paper’s cover page alike.   It has three lines of news ticker which keep you update with a number of “real” and interesting Japanese showbiz news.

The two companies are planning three web-based services starting with the blodget.    Kayac released 77 web services in 2007, and 88 services in 2008.   The company is stretching itself to make a new record in the number of services released by the end of this year.

Toh-spo is being sold here and there in Tokyo, and the catchy headlines attract passers-by.
(The picture above is a news stand at Hachiko Square, Shibuya Station.)

Tags: Company, Japan, Joke, New Service by Masaru IKEDA
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On this weekend, here we can get a chance to witness three great tech events in a row.

As first of all, a Tokyo-based social entrepreneur Todd Porter, the co-founder of Tokyo International School Patrick Newell and their companions will have the first event of TedxTokyo on this coming Friday at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, called Miraikan, which is located in Tokyo’s waterfront.  The event’s official site is here.   And for those who have no chance to attend, the organizers will bring you a livecast streaming here.   The livecast will probably start in Friday morning in J.S.T., meaning around Friday midnight in U.T.C.

Secondary, an independent venture capital unit founded by three Japanese tech-finance experts, Infinity Venture Partners[J] intends to have a bi-annual presentation event for Japanese tech start-ups, which is titled Infinity Ventures Summit (IVS) 2009 Spring, in Japan’s nothern city of Sapporo, Hokkaido.   We have not confirmed if they bring a livestream on the event.    (Basically the event is opened only for invited attendees, and not all the event scenes have been disclosed for the previous editions.)

Thirdly, O’reilly Japan[J] will hold Make: Tokyo 03[J] on this coming Saturday and Sunday in association with Tama Art University, Digital Hollywood University and Tokyo Polytechnic University.   Many gadget developers and inventors come together in a place and use this opportunity to proudly exhibit their works to the public.

Following Japanese mobile carriers’ presentations on their brand new products and services for summer 2009, a number of tech events are scheduled in this season, which may make us a little bit busier.   But we Asiajin will try out best to cover these events as much as possible.   Don’t miss it.

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May 26th update:

Serkan Toto, who is an Asiajin contributor as well as a TechCrunch writer, covered  Infinity Ventures Summit 2009 Spring on his blog post on TechCrunch.   Here for Day1, and here for Day 2.

Tags: Event Report, Japan by Masaru IKEDA
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