KAYAC Inc.[J] has released a smartphone transportation game application called "Go Go Cargo" for North America, and it's a free download at App Store and also Android Market.

"GO GO CARGO" is a simulation game in which the player serves as an operator of an express company and delivers the requested load by designing a transportation route across the tracks. As each designed delivery route carries a load more efficiently, the delivery area is expanded, with the goal of becoming the "transportation king." They are going to add actual US' places in the map.

"Unity" is a game engine for developers.
A map and GUI (graphical user interface) that lets you use many scenes simultaneously and control multiple cameras. Particle physics bring the track to life, with train smoke and a lively town that looks real.

The fundamental way of playing of GO GO CARGO
1) Choose Quest, choose a load and its delivery route, and send a load to the destination.
2) If a load is successful, you earn experience and money. If a delivery route is designed well, you get bonuses such as better gas consumption.
3) The map of the delivery area can be reset for each new attempt.
4) Try to clear the entire delivery area.

GO GO CARGO features
Try to make the best designed track across all areas, such as price, speed, load size, and other aspects.
A maximum of 32 tracks can be owned.
If you have a friend, you can work toward common goals and use each other's maps.
Your friends can earn experience and reliance points, which can increase their rank to get additional bonuses and gifts.
You can also customize the different towns by bringing decorations to them on the train. You can plan your towns freely after each trip.
You can earn many titles, but only the best can become the Transportation King.

Download：
Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.kayac.gogocargo
iPhone http://itunes.apple.com/app/id469051412?mt=8

Kayac Releases Smartphone Transportation Game “Go Go Cargo” For North America

“AmebaPico,” the overseas 2D virtual space managed by CyberAgent, has acquired 4 million users.  This was brought to light from their English version Twitter account.

“Ameba Pico” is this company’s overseas English version of their Japanese virtual space Ameba Pigg [J], offered as a Facebook application.  Like ameba Pigg, you create your own avatar, customize your clothing and make your room, and users enjoy communication with others.  However the space adjoining with foreign users and the item design as well as the system has been arranged.  This service opened in March of 2010 and since then has done well picking up users.

Translation authorized by VSMedia

Ameba Pico Reaches 4 Million Users

NTT, or rather NTT West subsidiary NTT Solmare, is planning to sell 100 e-comics from China in its home market of Japan, Asia and the US. NTT Solmare partnered up with Zhejiang Publishing United Group and will initially offer two e-comics each in Japan and the US by the end of this year.

In 2012, the plan is to expand the business to Malaysia and Singapore. According to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, most of the comics will be sports or comedy titles. Zhejiang Publishing will be responsible for handling rights and translation into Japanese and English.

All titles will be delivered to smartphones and tablets only. NTT Solmare plans to ink deals with other Chinese publishers in the future and aims at expanding its international business volume from the current US$1.3 million to US$13 million.

NTT Solmare is currently offering mobile content (manga, e-books, games) in a total of 31 countries.

NTT Solmare To Sell E-Comics From China In Japan, Asia And The US

Geekwire has been reporting (1, 2) US Amazon's locker experiment in Seven-Eleven in Seattle, USA. With the locker, US Amazon customers will be able to receive their items not at home but at store.

I noticed that this news may be big as many other popular English blogs referred it. For me it is interesting because that option is totally common in Japan.

Amazon Japan has been doing it since July 2008 at Lawson, which has 8,600 stores nationwide.

Only Lawson supports this service among 6-7 major convenience store chains, however, as Japan is slightly smaller than California, and if you see the number of California Starbucks is about 2,000, Lawson exists 4 times more than Starbucks in California. It is pretty dense. I would say you can expect Lawson on your commute path.

English blog NHK wrote this Amazon Japan's service before.

Some major Japanese online bookstores offer the service that you can pick up the ordered books at convenience store. If you have an Internet connection in Japan, this way is better.
There are a lot of convenience stores in any cities in Japan and it is very easy to find some stores near any hotel or destination. Almost stores are open for 24 hours and 365days. They provide not only foods and drinks but also various kinds of services.

There are other "receiving at store" delivery offered by following major online shopping services.

Yamato Transport - 7-11, Family Mart, Three F

Rakuten Books - Circle K, Sankusu, Family Mart, Mini Stop

Seven and Y 7-11 (they are in the same company group)

BK1 online bookstore - Newdays (in Japan Railway stations)

Yahoo! Shopping - depends on shop tenants

Tower Records Online - Family Mart, Sankusu, Circle K, Mini Stop
(Tower Records Japan has no capital connection with US Tower Records now)

Dinos - Family Mart, Lawson, Mini Stop, 3F, Circle K, Sankusu

Docomo Online Shop (cellphone) - Circle K, Sankusu, Family Mart

One big difference from Seattle's experiment I notice is that there are no lockers in Japanese store, the delivered parcels are just kept under shop clerks, most of who are part timer and often foreigners in urban area.

What’s So Exciting? Amazon’s Seattle Delivery-To-Locker Experiment At Convenience Store

The so-called Mashup Awards have a relatively long history in Japan's web world, with the 7th event scheduled to be held in Japan next month (here's Asiajin's report on the last event from December 2010).

It has been organized in Japan every year so far, but now the Mashup Awards 7 (MA7) event is coming to Silicon Valley, too: on October 19, there will be some sort of sub-event in Palo Alto called "MA7 Ninja Challenge".

The organizers explain:

At the event, up to 10 startups interested in the Japanese market will be presenting in front of industry experts in the market to get professional advice.

At this event, developers in the US (including CTOs in startup companies or engineers who are interested in the Japanese market/ Asian market) will give a presentation (pitch) about their products, services or technologies they have developed.

In contrast, for the companies which participate in MA7, the experts who are familiar to the Japanese/Asian markets will participate in this event. Expert advisors will give advice through Q&A of each participant and discuss about how to expand as well as support the product's growth into the Japanese market . Also, this event becomes a great place to meet developers and partners in Japan.

What's cool is that the winner of the contest in Palo Alto gets the chance to move to the 2nd Round of the so-called "Mashup Battle" and win MA7 as a whole, too.

The call for presentations ends on October 12. All US-based startups/individuals interested in entering the Ninja Challenge can apply here (in English).

Details of the MA7 Ninja Challenge event:

When: 6:00pm, Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Where: DOCOMO Innovations, Inc.
Map: 3240 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Tickets: http://ninjachallenge1.eventbrite.com (the event is free)

More information about MA7 in English can be found here and here.

7th Mashup Awards “Ninja Challenge” To Take Place In Palo Alto October 19 (Call For Presentations Ends October 12)

On Nico Nico Live tonight, 20:00 July 27 (Japan Standard Time), Christopher Poole aka moot and Hiroyuki Nishimura's talk session is being broadcast now. (if you prefer Japanese page, here is Nico Nico Live Japanese version)

Moot x Hiroyuk​i Social Media​ Talk Session

Join in on the entertaining talk show featuring 4 chan founder Moot and 2ch founder Hiroyuki!
This will be Moot and Hiroyuki's first official meetup. Within this show, we will find out what exactly does "social media" mean to them and more! Niconico oversea director James will also be joining with us so don't miss out!!

Nico Nico Douga English version announcement

2-channel is Japanese massive anonymous online forum, and 4chan is a kind of ground-son service in English.

Moot: On the day it was founded, 4chan was posted to the anime sub-forum of [huge forum] Something Awful and so many of the first users from from there, but the site itself is 100% based on a Japanese site called Futaba Channel, or 2chan.net.
Futaba Channel is in turn based on 2channel, which is a huge text BBS that's inspired a lot of the anonymous and otaku culture in Japan.
I had the opportunity to meet 2channel's founder, Hiroyuki Nishimura at SXSW Interactive this year, and it was a real treat.

Business Insider

Partially helped by James, Nico Nico Douga's oversea director, Hiroyuki talked with moot about 4chan, his new project Canvas, his purpose of this visit, etc. Earlier today they took moot to a new video-streaming disco Nicofarre. Hiroyuki explaining Amezo, from which he cloned 2-channel, and how he named it 2-channel (implying Amezo was the first one) was interesting.

Nico Nico users asked questions via Nico Nico overlay comments. Question like "What do you think about Anonymous?", "What is the key feature to make consumer generated site stand out?", "2-channel is infamous in Japan, how is 4chan in US?", "To both, what is the social media going like 10-20 years from now?", "How about having longer talk with you two and publish a book? (There are several Japanese books featuring Hiroyuki and other popular persons like ex-Livedoor Takafumi Horie)"

At the end of 80-minutes session, there were over 23,000 watchers with 42,000 comments. They closed the session with telling that they would be going somewhere in Roppongi.

[Live] 4chan’s moot Talk With 2-channel Founder Hiroyuki

Brandon Hill, the CEO/founder of San Francisco-based web consultancy btrax, gave us an invitation to potential presenters and attendees at a must-join tech start-up demo event that will take place next month.

As of this writing, four start-ups of Kayac, Chatwork, J-Grab, and Conyac have passed the first screening.   Entries to present are acceptable until May 20.

Here's some of what we have covered the previous event. (including Ustream video)

• Live: Six Japanese Tech Start-ups Present At SF NewTech Japan Night
• Event Report: San Francisco Japanese Tech Entrepreneur Night

Who's Brandon Hill:

Born in Hokkaido, Japan.  He has a Japanese mother and a American father.  Prior to founding web consultancy btrax in San Francisco in 2004, he was attending San Francisco State University where he started his carrier as a designer and programmer.

SF New Tech:

It is literally a tech start-up's demo and presentation event that takes place monthly at a nightclub in San Francisco.   The event celebrated its 5th anniversary last month.   Some events in a year feature start-ups from outside the US., which are titled like Belgian Night and Japan Night.   btrax is deeply involved with organizing Japan Night.

In light of the Japan’s worst disaster, web tech startups are giving the nation of Japan some hope for normalcy and economic recovery with their efforts to go global. In fact, the entry point for web tech globalization seems to be San Francisco.  In a local SF article, San Francisco was named as the second-fastest growing city in high-tech employment, with 65 percent growth over a five-year period.  The whole region which includes San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco supports over $48 Billion in payroll.

Last year we wrote about a first of a kind tech event featuring Japanese start-up web tech companies called SF Japan Night. This year, the organizer, btrax, Inc. a multicultural Web agency, is going to hold the event again this year.

Last year’s SF Japan Night event was the capstone of a week of Japanese tech events and was a huge success. Over 500 people attended the week long event with over 300 people just showing up for SF Japan Night alone. One of the presenters, myGengo received seed funding after the event from the Dave McClure’s incubator program 500 Startups.

This year’s event hopes to be even better with many start-up companies from Japan showing great interest including a company including Kayac. Kayac Inc. is a Japanese digital agency with a strength on developing games and apps and plans to go public within the next year.

In partnership with SF New Tech, btrax hopes to continue the theme of helping Japanese web start-ups go global. Brandon K. Hill, president/CEO of btrax, said “We are again excited to help organize this event and with the great interest in sponsorships we hope to defer the web start-up expenses.”  In fact, Mr. Hill told us that the event just received a sponsorship from NTT Investment Partners deferring a portion of the event’s costs.

This is one of the better platforms for Japanese web start-ups to begin their global journey. btrax works on coaching the start-ups in various aspects of the event, from developing a presentation style to coaching on how to answer business model questions that the SF Tech community audience typically asks. This gives Japanese start-ups an opportunity to interact with the SF Tech scene which is debated to be the hottest tech venues in the world. The btrax team helps the applying companies by providing a free feedback report on their services and if selected the presenting companies will get a more comprehensive feedback from the event’s audience.

Mr. Hill is also planning to hold "International Startup Night" in 2011, and a couple popular companies from SF Japan Night could get a chance to present and compete with other global start-up from around the world.

If you are willing to sponsor please contact them at sfjapannight@btrax.com and if you are willing to apply for demonstration please do so from here.

SF New Tech Calls For Entries To Present At Japan Night

[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.

Japanese Virtual Diva Hatsune Miku First US Tour In July

A cross-post to Asiajin and Startup Dating.

SXSW is currently taking place in Austin, Texas.   Asiajin contributors Serkan Toto and Paul Papadimitriou are there for moderating panels on Japanese web services and social media.  A team of the moderators, the presenters and the panels are now joining forces to help the disaster relief efforts in Japan.

We just got a press release from Who's Free (an LBS for smartphone to find your friends nearby) and Tonchidot (known for its augmented reality app called Sekai Camera), and it says, the two companies expect to have an event titled SXSW Save Japan Fundraising Night on 14th local time, which is the morning of 15th Japan Time.   It will be officially announced at Japanese Mobile Leaders Forum, a sectional meeting of this year's SXSW.

The two companies has already held parties to save the efforts, and nearly 20,000 US dollars have been fundraised on their donation website. (as of 4pm, March 14th, Japan Time)

As well as Tonchidot, attending Japanese key social media players such as GREE, Geisha Tokyo Entertainment and Mixi will join the event and appeal for awareness and international assistance.

It is coincident that the massive earthquake has attacked just during this year's edition of SXSW.   Serkan and Tonchidot teams were forced not to leave Narita Airport but to stay for a while, but they fortunately arrived in Austin.

It is very important to tell what's going on in our country to those who will visit the event and to appreciate their consideration.  Furthermore, we would like the Japanese teams to tell the world that we will never give up however much difficult the situation is.

@fumi is attending the event individually, we found she had summarized tweets related to the campaign on Chirpstory.

The press release is as follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT
JD,CEO: (415) 425-8621

jd@meebee.com

“WHO’S FREE” SXSW SAVE JAPAN FUNDRAISING NIGHT
Fundraiser to help save Japanese earthquake victims at SXSW
** Official Announcement at Japan Mobile Leaders Forum Monday 14th, 11am, Hilton **

MARCH 13, 2011 - Austin, TX - Who’s Free, the new social location app that “lets you see your friends who are nearby & FREE to hangout” along with Japanese mobile leader Tonchidot, creators of Domo, & a selection of Japanese Social Media leaders will be officially announcing a SXSW Save Japan Fundrasing night on Monday 14th with Who’s Free founder, JD, Japanese TV celebrity & veteran of Japan.

At the SXSW Japanese Mobile Leaders forum set for 11am, Monday 14th at the Hilton, Japanese mobile thought leaders including: Gree, Mixii & Tonchidot, will announce the location & time of the SXSW Save Japan Fundraising night on Monday. Who’s Free founder, JD, will be in attendance to possibly help with the announcement of the SXSW fundraiser, where the night will be dedicated to help save the victims of the Japan earthquake & tsunami.

More info on the Japanese Mobile leaders forum, where the announcement will be made: http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_IAP8378 All funds raised at the SXSW Save Japan Fundraising night will be contributing to the American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan.

ABOUT WHO’S FREE
Just because you’ve checked in doesn’t mean you’re free to hangout! Launched by Australian startup MeeBee, a Techcrunch top 100 global startup & Red Herring Europe Winner, Who’s Free is the best, fastest way to meet up. Ready for SXSW attendees scattered amidst Austin, Who’s Free is bringing them together by bridging the gaps between online and physical, social worlds. No other app lets you know when your friends are free to hangout!

ABOUT JD
JD is founder and CEO (Creative Entrepreneurial Officer) of the NEW mobile app Who’s Free. An Aussie & Samurai at heart after 20+ years as a Japanese TV celebrity, he is a serial entrepreneur and Internet visionary having created numerous world firsts for the Internet and mobile market. JD is also author of 2 books, and has been an Internet pioneer since the mid 90′s. He’s climbed Mt. Fuji backwards in a Guinness World Record attempt. Always at the epicentre of where the Web meets Mobile & TV.

More: www.jd-profile.comRemember, before you go anywhere, see Who’s Free for …? WhosFreeApp.com

Who’s Free And Tonchidot To Hold Fundraising Party At SXSW To Help Relief Efforts

It's no secret that in recent years, quite a few foreign (mostly American) web brands have made it big in Japan: Google, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, Amazon etc.

But what about startups that don't have huge budgets to internationalize, no staff in Japan and - in some cases - not even a Japanese user interface (usually a dealbreaker for most local web users).

Here's a recent (yet surely incomplete) list:

• Instagram (we just recently reported about the silly printed how-to-use-Instagram book available in Japan)
• Foursquare (KDDI wants to help Foursquare to become bigger in this country)
• Bump
• Hootsuite
• Jimdo
• Tweetdeck
• Tumblr (official data submitted from Tumblr to Quantcast shows Japan is their No. 5 market worldwide)
• Seesmic

In 2010, Evernote established an office in Japan, the company's No. 2 market worldwide, so it can't really be part of this list - even though the app was already very popular before that.

Which foreign web and mobile startups flying under the radar in Japan have we forgotten?

Which Foreign Startups Are Doing Well In Japan “Under The Radar”?