NTT Docomo Offers Home Gardening SNS

NTT Docomo from February 28th has released “Minna No Engei Hiroba TM” (Everyone’s Gardening Plaza), a social network service for enjoying home gardening. “Everyone’s Gardening Plaza” is a new SNS for gardening enthusiasts, who can record a daily cultivation log while raising plants, connect with peers, and share information.  By entering the type of plant… Continue reading NTT Docomo Offers Home Gardening SNS

“App Navi,” New Magazine Launched By International Luxury Media

International Luxury Media [J] has launched the social application and game information magazine “App Navi” from January 31st.  The price is 650 yen. “App Navi” is the 6th social game information magazine in Japan.  The first issue, as well as featuring popular titles such as “Dragon Collection,” “Gundam Royale,” “Chou Shinwa Batoru” (Great Myth Battle),… Continue reading “App Navi,” New Magazine Launched By International Luxury Media

Ameba, Yahoo! JAPAN To Initiate Joint Advertising Product

CyberAgent’s [J] community service “Ameba” has announced that they along with Yahoo’s [J] “Yahoo! JAPAN” will sell the joint product “Broad Canvas [Yahoo! JAPAN×Ameba]” which combines both company’s advertisements for smartphone. “Broad Canvas [Yahoo! JAPAN×Ameba]” is an advertisement product combining Ameba’s “Ameba for SmartPhone Touch Canvas” and Yahoo JAPAN’s “Smartphone Yahoo! JAPAN Smart Panel Expand.”… Continue reading Ameba, Yahoo! JAPAN To Initiate Joint Advertising Product

2-channel Founder And Affiliate Companies Gets Police Raid Around Drug-Dealers Comment Deletion

NHK [J], Asahi [J], Yomiuri [J]and others reported today that about 10 of Japan’s massive anonymous bulletin board service 2-channel-related homes and offices, including its founder Hiroyuki Nishimura’s house were searched by Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department from November 2011 to March 2012, this month. It turned out “according to a person in the investigation”. The… Continue reading 2-channel Founder And Affiliate Companies Gets Police Raid Around Drug-Dealers Comment Deletion

Japan’s Web News Week 9

This week’s Japanese Web/IT related news which we did not write as a dedicated article. Referred pages are all in Japanese, unless otherwise stated. Eye-Fi Invested By NTT Docomo [En], Docomo’s release 5,000 Yen Note Lunchbox Yahoo Japan To Assign New CEO, new CEO Manabu Miyasaka’s LinkedIn Profile, Nikkei, Masahiro Inoue CEO’s comments are funny.… Continue reading Japan’s Web News Week 9

Japan’s Youngest Female Mayor Complained Media On Facebook. The Media Fusses

Naomi Koshi, a mayor of Ohtsu, Shiga-prefecture, who recorded the youngest female mayor when she was elected this January 2012, was reported by several national papers that she “moaned” that her opinions do not reach for her people via Japanese media in Japanese and English. I am so frustrated at Japanese media. Does this happen… Continue reading Japan’s Youngest Female Mayor Complained Media On Facebook. The Media Fusses

“Transformers For GREE” New Social Game Release

Interspace, [J] Takara Tomy Entamedia, [J] and GREE [J] have released the new social card battle game Transformers for GREE [J] for feature phone from February 10th. “Transformers for GREE” is a card game with graphics that are true to the Transformer [J] world style, and within the game, Transformers from throughout the ages appear… Continue reading “Transformers For GREE” New Social Game Release

Colopl Offers Smartphone Application “Treasure Detective”

Colopl [J] has released “Himitsu Tantei Kari” [J] (Treasure Detective) for Android.  It’s a classic style RPG card battle game  specialized for smartphones and entirely web base. ‘Treasure Detective’ is a game with over 150 different cards available to be used to make your own strongest party and gather treasures in the realm of ancient… Continue reading Colopl Offers Smartphone Application “Treasure Detective”

Instagram Supports Japanese Social Networks Mixi

iPhone social camera app Instagram announced on its official Twitter account that it now supports Mixi, Japan’s largest real-side(as opposed to game-centric Gree/Mobage) social networking service. Hey Japan & Mixi users! We've added support in v2.2. Download the update to start sharing to your Mixi account now: http://t.co/FexfAJnU — Instagram (@instagram) March 1, 2012 Blog… Continue reading Instagram Supports Japanese Social Networks Mixi

NHN Japan’s LINE App Hits 20 Million Users – After Just 8 Months

20 million – that’s the amazing number of users that LINE, a communication app made by NHN Japan, just hit. The free voice call/messenger app for iOS and Android just took eight months to reach this milestone (it was released in June last year). LINE makes it possible for users to call or text each… Continue reading NHN Japan’s LINE App Hits 20 Million Users – After Just 8 Months