DeNA Reports USD100M On Quarterly Profit; They To Focus On Social App Business

Last Friday, Tokyo-based mobile game platform developer and game publisher DeNA announced the company’s quarterly consolidated financial result ended March 2010, which shows us good figures like USD200M in the net sales (81% increase compared to that of last year) and almost USD100M in the operating profit (240% increase compared to that of last year).… Continue reading DeNA Reports USD100M On Quarterly Profit; They To Focus On Social App Business

Tokyo Giants & Hanshin Tigers, Both To Introduce Specially Designed Handsets For Better Fan Engagement

The Yomiuri Giants[J], a professional baseball team based in Tokyo, announced it would introduce a new cellphone handset especially designed for their fans in late June in association with Japan’s second largest mobile operator KDDI and MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) Inphonix[J]. The team’s logo is printed on the handset, and player’s portraits and the… Continue reading Tokyo Giants & Hanshin Tigers, Both To Introduce Specially Designed Handsets For Better Fan Engagement

Cartoon Illustration Sharing Site Tinami Introduces Streaming Integration And API

Tinami[J], a fourteen-year-old illustration sharing site for cartoonists and animators, completed the integrations with Ustream and Stickam last week, and it now allows users of the service to broadcast live videos of their drawing processes via the two streaming services and to communicate with their fans. Furthermore, the site introduced an API[J] for developers who… Continue reading Cartoon Illustration Sharing Site Tinami Introduces Streaming Integration And API

Softbank To Stop Further Development Of Japan-Made Mobile Technology And To Take Chinese 4G Standard?

Softbank, a Japanese telecom and media company who will take over the next-generation PHS service called XGP[J] from the service’s predecessor Willcom in corporate reorganization proceedings, is reportedly considering to adopt China Mobile‘s TD-LTE standard instead for the service in Japan, several Japanese news sources reported. If Softbank adopts TD-LTE, Softbank’s subscribers in Japan and… Continue reading Softbank To Stop Further Development Of Japan-Made Mobile Technology And To Take Chinese 4G Standard?

Tokyo-Bay Fishermen Start Seafood E-Commerce; Line-ups Are Updated From Boats Every Morning

A fishermen’s cooperative[J] in Yokosuka, a Tokyo suburb known for having a U.S. fleet activities, launched a fish and seafood e-commerce site that sells what have been caught in Tokyo Bay in the morning of the day. Fishermen on boats take pictures of their fishing results and put them on the website with retail prices… Continue reading Tokyo-Bay Fishermen Start Seafood E-Commerce; Line-ups Are Updated From Boats Every Morning

Gourmet Navigator Plans 1-Seg TV Service For Mobile On Tokyo Subways

NKB[J], the transit ad agency running well-known restaurant guide Gourmet Navigator(Gournavi) on the web, is now discussing in-subway 1-seg TV service (refer to these stories about 1-seg) with Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for obtaining a TV station license.   The company expects the service will be provided in subway trains running, at subway… Continue reading Gourmet Navigator Plans 1-Seg TV Service For Mobile On Tokyo Subways

Uniqlo Runs Powerful Web Promos In Prior To Shanghai Real Store Launch

Tokyo-based global fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo started the Internet promotion campaign using China’s Facebook-like social network Kaixin and YouTube-like video sharing platform Youku, in prior to the May 15th opening of  the company’s first flagship store in Shanghai. On Kaixin, the company set up an exclusive account[C] for the promotion, and is announcing news updates and… Continue reading Uniqlo Runs Powerful Web Promos In Prior To Shanghai Real Store Launch

GMO-AP To Acquire Sanoh From Unoh To Obtain Mobile Ad Network

GMO Ad Partners(GMO-AP)[J], a web ad agency of Shibuya-based web juggernaut GMO Internet Group, announced it would acquire Sanow Inc.[J] who has been developing a behavioral targeting and content-match ad network for mobile.   Sanow has been a subsidiary of Unoh Inc.[J] who has developed several web application services including Machi-Tsuku (described in this story). GMO-AP… Continue reading GMO-AP To Acquire Sanoh From Unoh To Obtain Mobile Ad Network

Softbank Mobile To Start Giving Away Femtocell Equipments In May

Japan’s third-ranked mobile carrier Softbank Mobile, also known as the exclusive carrier for iPhone in Japan, will start user application for the complimentary distribution program of femtocell base stations for individual customers and small-sized stores next month. The company is considered as being relatively poorer than the other carriers in terms of the quality of… Continue reading Softbank Mobile To Start Giving Away Femtocell Equipments In May

Governmental Disclosure: Japan’s Revitalization Unit To Broadcast Budget Screening Live Via Five Services

Since the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has been ruling the Japanese Administration, the styles of governmental disclosure has been changing.   Unlike U.S. having several politically-oriented TV networks such as CSPAN-1, CSPAN-2 and CSPAN-3, Japanese diet sessions and minister’s briefings used to be televised only on public broadcaster NHK.  But its limited number of TV… Continue reading Governmental Disclosure: Japan’s Revitalization Unit To Broadcast Budget Screening Live Via Five Services