If you still doubt that Japan is in the middle of a smartphone revolution, here is another news item that serves as a good piece of evidence for it: Japanese pop sensation AKB48 released apps for the iPhone and Android today – in both English and Japanese (iTunes, Android market link).

Fans of the country’s most popular girl pop band can download the apps for free to view the latest AKB48 news, profiles of all 48 members, their discography, and to access the band’s YouTube channel.

For 350 yen ($4.30), users get a number of additional features, for example access the blogs of the girls and staff members, a Q&A corner for members, etc.

The official AKB48 blog on the PC can be found here. Some of the singers’ blogs are among the most popular in Japan as a whole.

Screenshots of the AKB48 iPhone app:

Tags: Cellular Phone, Japan, New Service by Serkan Toto
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Feel on! is a Twitter client service by a Japanese startup L is B.

This client analyze your Twitter timeline with its Social Emotion Engine(SEE), and show each tweet with emotionally matched comic character and color.

Feel on! web browser version was released on today May 13th. iPhone version (English and Japanese) was released already in April. Although it says English, it looks that it is only available on Japanese iTunes Store.

From the clients, you can also explicitly direct a comic strip from selections on your tweet.

Tags: Japan, New Service by Akky Akimoto
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Tokyo-based tech start-up Vasily[J], who is known for running a fashion recommendation site called iQon, has fundraised JPY140M (approx. USD1.7M) from Itochu Technology Ventures and GMO Venture Partners.

iQon does not sell clothes online but recommends you a bunch of ready-to-wear collection of fashionable clothes, accessories and shoes etc. with links that take you to sales stands of online fashion retailers that the company has partnered with.  You can create a collection of your own on the site, which the other users may prefer, and the company will give away rewards to users whose collection particularly impress others.  Every time you purchase a piece of clothes through any of collections showcased on the site, the company can receive a commission from the retailer that you have actually purchased it at.  All clothing pictures on the site are being collected from the websites of the retailers.  They will use the raised money to develop smartphone apps that may encourage more customers to join the service, which is expected to be introduced this summer.

Vasily was launched two years ago by two men who had been previously worked with Yahoo Japan and been involved with development of their fashion e-commerce services[J].

Tags: Company, Japan, News by Masaru IKEDA
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