Startup Weekend is in the process of establishing itself as a “brand” and regular event in Japan’s web and startup world, and following Tokyo in August, it’s now time hold a Startup Weekend in Kyoto.

The so-called Startup Weekend X Kyoto Research Park event (Facebook page) will take place:
November 18 (Friday), from 6.30pm – November 20 at 10pm
Kyoto Research Park
京都市下京区中堂寺粟田町93京都リサーチパーク4号館

As with all Startup Weekends around the world, the goal is to “build communities, companies and projects” over the course of a weekend.

The winning team of Startup Weekend Kyoto will fly to Singapore and join DEMO Asia 2012 to represent Kyoto (along with the winning team of Startup Weekend Tokyo).

You can register for the event in Kyoto on this site.

Tags: Community, Japan by Serkan Toto
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Koshidaka, a company runs 317 karaoke shops all around Japan (and one oversea, in Korea), foretold that it would open a new category business “Hitori Karaoka”(one man’s karaoka) at Kanda, Tokyo around the end of this month, November 2011.

One-man's Karaoke, corridor

Different from many other countries where Karaoke means singing in a bar in front of other people whom you do not know, mainstream Karaoke experience in Japan is to rent a so-called “box” and let your friends hear your singing. (I see resemblance with the difference between Facebook and Mixi there)

And the term “Hitori Karaoke” has been around there by people who are too shy to sing for others (Google search gives back 3 million results [J]), but still want to sing by herself/himself. The phrase sometimes had a masochistic tone, and visiting Karaoke box and asked to rent a room by oneself might be more humiliating than singing to audience.

So this new shop, having all 24 rooms are for single person, would be a cure for those stoic tao of Karaoke seekers.

According to SankeiBiz [J], those single rooms are so small then they may cause acoustic howling. The shop will rent a head-phone for free for the case.

via Nico Nico News

release [J]

[Update 2011-11-26] The Hitori Karaoke shop was opened to media. Some media report with photos.

Tags: Japan, Trend by Akky Akimoto
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GCREST [J] has opened service of their avatar community “Selfy Channel” (USA: Tinier Me) for China’s largest SNS “Sina Weibo” [C] as “Xiaotiandi” [C] (Small World), via development and management by a major Chinese social game developer FiveMinutes Inc.

GCREST’s support base FiveMinutes will oversee development and administration of “Xiaotiandi,” and they will provide service expansion using their Chinese SNS social game management know-how.  In the same way as in the Japanese version “Selfy Channel,” you can decorate your avatar and room and enjoy communication with other users in areas within the game.  They are also planning to provide a Chinese customized version of the restaurant game “Selfy Restaurant” for “Sina Weibo.”

FiveMinutes is already working on a localized Chinese version [J] of CyberAgent’s [J] 2D virtual space “Ameba Pigg.”

＠games official guide book: Selfy Town No Arukikata (How to Get Around in Selfy Town) (Famitsu’s  walkthrough book) [J]

Translation authorized by VSMedia

Tags: China, Japan by Chiho Komoriya
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DeNA just announced [J] that it had submitted an application on acquisition of pro-baseball team Yokohama Bay Stars from current owner Tokyo Broadcasting System(TBS) group to Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB). DeNA is to pay 6.5 billion yen (US$83.3 million) for 66.92% stock of the team, and will pay 3 billion yen (US$38) to NPB when approved.

DeNA’s concern on pro-baseball business has been reported for months. As the deadline of purchase for the next 2012 season is coming close, DeNA seems to give up naming its flagship social gaming network service “Mobage” on the team name, as it is said that current owners opposed it (though many of Japanese team have “company” name on it).

There is no other companies raised hands, as having the pro baseball team in Japan tends to be in the red, many owner companies compensate the deficit in exchange of free promotion on sports news including public TV NHK (which usually do not show specific company names). That free appearances must be what DeNA wanted for selling Mobage to wider population, potential users, though the stock of DeNA has been falling down recently after the baseball things came up.

I expect that the company will rename itself with “Mobage” for the next 2013 season, though they did not want that even when they set the Mobage-Town’s global brand as “Mobage”.

Tags: Japan, Social game by Akky Akimoto
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