[Update] Although first on hologram system, Hatsune Miku already had a regular screen concert in San Francisco. (hat tip to @miyagawa)

Japanese virtual singing instrument application Vocaloid character Hatsune Miku will hold a concert at "ANIME EXPO 2011" in Los Angeles on July 2. This is the first time that she holds concert oversea.

Recently, Toyota USA featured Hatsune Miku for its Corolla promotion.

Therefore ANIME EXPO and TOYOYA jointly hold the concert of Hatsune Miku.  Sega produces 3DCG and Crypton Future Media takes charge of the entire supervision.

She already held three concerts in Japan (The first live was in 2009).  Huge transparent screen of 2m×6m was fixed in the stage and her 3DCG was reflected over it. All other members of her band are real human.

Movies from her 2009 stage,

The concert in Los Angeles will be held with the improved version of this concert.

Hatsune Miku topped Japanese music chart the first time as non-human in 2010.

See also:

Hatsune Miku Live in Los Angeles

Asiajin articles on Hatsune Miku

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsune_Miku

(C)SEGA
(C)Crypton Future Media, Inc.

Tags: News, USA by Chiho Komoriya
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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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Rakuten, Japan's huge online mall, announced on 10th that they are to use Google search on their portal Infoseek Rakuten.

Infoseek Rakuten has been using Yahoo! Japan search backend, and requested Japan Fair Trade Commission to investigate if Yahoo! Japan-Google search alliance is antitrust.

Naver, Korean-originated search engine running Japanese search site, announced [J] on 11th that the new Infoseek's image search is run on Naver's engine.

Rakuten also agrees [J] with Google to use Google AdSense on several services, such like Infoseek, Rakuten Toolbar and Zenryaku Profile.

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
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