Japanese Online Drug Retailer Forced To Go Abroad To Serve Japanese Customers

One of Japan’s largest online drug retailers Kenko.com[J] announced it had launched a subsidiary[J] last September in Singapore, which is intended for avoiding the possible violation of the new law banning online drug sales and for serving the company’s customers by the personal import scheme. (Refer to this Akky’s story and that Shun-ichi’s story for… Continue reading Japanese Online Drug Retailer Forced To Go Abroad To Serve Japanese Customers

KDDI Commits To Invest On IVP Fund

On Wednesday, Tokyo-based independent venture capital Infinity Venture Partners (IVP) LLP announced that Japan’s second largest telecommunication company KDDI has committed to invest on IVP Fund B, L.P.   The fund has fundraised from Japanese tech ventures, and is investing in mobile start-up companies in Japan and Mainland China.  (Refer to these Asiajin article [1][2] for… Continue reading KDDI Commits To Invest On IVP Fund

Mixi Launches Social App Service For Cellphone Users

Japan’s largest social networking website Mixi[J] launched a social app service for cellphone users called “Mixi Appli Mobile” on Tuesday. The app service’s PC edition called “Mixi Appli” was introduced last August, which allows any Mixi users to choose their favorites from a showcase of the apps and to enjoy playing with their social friends… Continue reading Mixi Launches Social App Service For Cellphone Users

KDDI To Increase Tribrid Powered Cellphone Base Stations To Reduce CO2 Emissions

Japan’s no.2 cellphone carrier KDDI au announced to start the deployment of a new power control system to their cellphone base stations as to switch the power sources to three ways of solar power, battery and midnight power service. Solar-powered stations used to be deployed only in the areas which have no access to commercial… Continue reading KDDI To Increase Tribrid Powered Cellphone Base Stations To Reduce CO2 Emissions

Sunshine Ranch: More Than 2M Japanese Users Join China-made Flash Game In 2 Months

Mainland China’s 2nd largest social game maker Rekoo[C] launched a flash-based social game on Japan’s largest social network service Mixi[J], which earned more than two million users in less than two months since the launch, and it’s ranked the 1st in the number of Mixi app users. The game is called Sunshine Ranch (click here… Continue reading Sunshine Ranch: More Than 2M Japanese Users Join China-made Flash Game In 2 Months

Quadlingual Midnight Weather Show Broadcasts Live Images Of Orionids

On the 24-hour Internet video broadcast channel brought to you by the world’s largest meteorological information service company Weathernews, a quadlingual weather news show was launched this month, which is aired from 1am to 3am everyday excluding Monday, Japan Time. (Refer to this article for more about the video channel) Korean weathergirl Lee Jee-youn (李芝妍,… Continue reading Quadlingual Midnight Weather Show Broadcasts Live Images Of Orionids

Google Puts Big Billboard Ad At Shinkansen Station To Promote Enterprise Use

Google started a promotion campaign that encourages corporate users to switch their BI (business intelligence) tool platform to Google Apps, which is called Go Google[J]. Go Google is the worldwide campaign, and the company displays a billboard ad at a location for each one of major cities around the world.   Here in Japan, a 6.6… Continue reading Google Puts Big Billboard Ad At Shinkansen Station To Promote Enterprise Use

Book Retailing Now Starts Digital Street Solicitation

On Monday, Kyoto-based catalog and mail-order clothing retail giant Nissen[J] launched a new promotion business using a digital signage display in partnership with the country’s second largest wholesaler in book and magazine distribution Nippan which has a nationwide dealership of 12,000 book retailers. Nissen will put the displays at the storefronts of 50 selected bookstores… Continue reading Book Retailing Now Starts Digital Street Solicitation

Enabling Speech-To-Text YouTube Videos Enhances Business Potential

On Wednesday, Tokyo-based tech start-up in media rep service and speech recognition technology development Catalog just released the closed alpha version of the brand new service that enables speech-recognize what is spoken in a movie on the video sharing services such as YouTube and Nico Nico Douga[J].   In this release, the first 1,000 applicants can… Continue reading Enabling Speech-To-Text YouTube Videos Enhances Business Potential

30min. Fundraises USD275,000 To Go Next Round

Japan’s best-known LBS (location-based service) app 30min.[J] (pronounced “san-zero minutes”) allocated new shares to Mitsui Ventures (MVC), and Mr. Yohei Nishikubo joined the company as the managing director today.   Mr. Nishikubo is a venture partner of MVC and formerly served as the president of search ad agency and SEO (search engine optimization) consultancy J Listing[J].… Continue reading 30min. Fundraises USD275,000 To Go Next Round