Google today came to an agreement with the JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers), Japan’s largest music copyright administration body to pay royalties for music protected by local copyright and used in YouTube videos. YouTube members are now free to upload video clips containing JASRAC-protected music (the organization controls over 1.5… Continue reading Google agrees to pay royalties for Japanese music played in YouTube clips
Author: Serkan Toto
Branding social networks the Japanese way: Put ’em on juice bottles and noodle cups
After having drawn 15 million members to the site (or approximately 1 in 6 Internet users in Japan), Nippon’s biggest social network Mixi now thinks the time has come for some offline cross-promotion. What you can see above is Mix Fruits & Calpis, a special version of Calpis, a popular Japanese soft drink that normally… Continue reading Branding social networks the Japanese way: Put ’em on juice bottles and noodle cups
EmoHeart: Japanese universities develop solution to visualize “human” emotions in virtual worlds
One major problem that leads to a low level of identification with avatars in virtual worlds is the lack of visualization of emotions carried in typed messages (through which users usually communicate). In Second Life, for example, users can choose between a number of emotions to be displayed but have to time them manually, disconnecting… Continue reading EmoHeart: Japanese universities develop solution to visualize “human” emotions in virtual worlds
Mixi gets pre-installed on all SoftBank phones, starting with the Sharp 931SH
It seems that Japan’s biggest SNS Mixi and the country’s third largest cell phone carrier SoftBank are getting closer and closer. Following the announcement of the general partnership in the mobile web space, all SoftBank handsets sold from now on will feature a pre-installed Mixi widget. Sharp’s awesome Aquos 931SH cell phone, which features an… Continue reading Mixi gets pre-installed on all SoftBank phones, starting with the Sharp 931SH
Shake-up in Japan’s mobile web: Mixi, MySpace, Mobage, Yahoo, Dwango and SoftBank Mobile collaborate
The mobile web is huge in Japan, meaning the alliance between Japanese Internet powerhouses Dwango, Mixi, MySpace Japan, Mobage-town, Yahoo and telecommunications company SoftBank Mobile announced on Thursday has to be taken very seriously. Details are rather scarce at this point but SoftBank, for example, says [J] Dwango will provide content from its super-successful video… Continue reading Shake-up in Japan’s mobile web: Mixi, MySpace, Mobage, Yahoo, Dwango and SoftBank Mobile collaborate
Register for the New Context Conference 2008 in Tokyo (November 5-6) [UPDATE]
Canceling this year’s Web 2.0 Expo in Tokyo was considered a mild disappointment in the Japanese web world. But now it seems Digital Garage‘s New Context Conference 2008 [J], a 2-day event full of high-profile speakers from the Japanese and international Internet industry, can more than make up for it. The event is being organized… Continue reading Register for the New Context Conference 2008 in Tokyo (November 5-6) [UPDATE]
Tokyo2point0 Event: Press Army and social learning site iKnow!
This month’s Tokyo2point0 event (our reports on former events) took place on Monday again at the Super Deluxe in Roppongi. These two presentations were delivered. UltraSuperNew’s Press Army UltraSuperNew‘s director Michael Sheetal delivered a presentation on “Press Army”, a bilingual web service, which is geared mainly towards companies. Press Army enables users to automatically monitor,… Continue reading Tokyo2point0 Event: Press Army and social learning site iKnow!
Tomorrow’s Rainbow: 86-year old Japanese nun writes cell phone novel
Novels and poetry written, bought and read on cell phones are nothing unusual in mobile phone-crazy Japan. Now it came to light that Jakucho Setouchi, a 86-year old Buddhist nun has written a long-running cell phone novel series (keitai shousetsu in Japanese) without disclosing her real name for several months. Setouchi is an accomplished writer… Continue reading Tomorrow’s Rainbow: 86-year old Japanese nun writes cell phone novel
Daily Portal Z: Social learning platform iKnow! cooperates with nifty
Tokyo-based social learning platform iKnow! and Japanese telecommunications and web powerhouse nifty (most famous in the web space for its portal of the same name) are cooperating. The companies have set up the “Owarai eigo dojo” (Funny English Training Hall), giving Japanese iKnow users the possibility to translate funny stories from nifty’s mega popular “Daily… Continue reading Daily Portal Z: Social learning platform iKnow! cooperates with nifty
Dwango releases 61 minute-ringtone, wants to be listed in the Guiness book of records
Dwango, the Tokyo-based company behind Japan’s uber video portal Nico Nico Douga and the ringtone for dogs, has officially filed an application to get listed in the Guiness Book of Records. Why? The company has developed what they think is the world’s longest ringtone at 61 minutes and 40 seconds. Say what you want, but… Continue reading Dwango releases 61 minute-ringtone, wants to be listed in the Guiness book of records