Nikkei Trendy Net reported [J] that Facebook Head of International Growth Javier Olivan told them Facebook’s Japan branch status and their first goal, specially customized site for Japanese cellphone.
According to the report, Facebook already opened their Tokyo office on February 2nd, which was announced in last fall (our report). The main task of them is to make a Japanese cellphone version of Facebook to chase Japanese social networking services. The number of Japanese Facebook users is about 1 million, whilst the No.1 Mixi holds about 18 million.
The name of the new Japan office head, who “has 10 years of experience in Japan’s largest internet company for decade”, will be public soon. May the “largest internet company” be Yahoo! Japan?
In 2008, I was asked if Facebook comes to Japan, by an English media. the comments were not used so I wrote them on Asiajin. On it I predicted that Facebook wouldn’t understand cellphone importance in Japanese market, which turned out to be wrong.
Thanks for the new link kwmr.
[Update 2010-08-09] The Japanese cellphone version is released and being tested.
