Category: Japan

Google copies icon from Japanese portal goo (maybe not)

You might notice that Google changed their favicon image which you see on your browser addressbar this week. Here is NTT Resonant’s portal site “goo“‘s icon, goo is one of the biggest portal in Japan, though the gap to the leading Yahoo/Google is big, goo is ranked at 10th among Japanese websites in Alexa traffic.… Continue reading Google copies icon from Japanese portal goo (maybe not)

Kiseki – Cellularphone lifelog service starts

NTT Resonant, who is doing the portal site “goo”, released a mobile lifelog service “Kiseki” integrating GPS automatic recording and mobile/PC diary/blog in greater Tokyo area on 29th May, 2008. With supported cellularphone (FOMA 905i/904i/903i series having GPS) in Tokyo/Kanagawa/Chiba/Saitama prefectures, Docomo users can download a free i-appli (mobile application) and set it as a… Continue reading Kiseki – Cellularphone lifelog service starts

Gal-Moji: leetspeak for Japanese highschool girls

If l33t is an English phenomenon mainly among Geeks, “Gal-Moji” (“Moji” = letters) is the counterpart for Japanese cellphone users, especially teenaged girls. As with leetspeak, Gal-Moji users replace a standard Japanese character with a different but similar-looking character. This is made more chaotic, however, by the fact that the Japanese language has 3 different… Continue reading Gal-Moji: leetspeak for Japanese highschool girls

Japanese magazines start to go online and for free

Even the Tech-savvy Japanese still love their print media. In fact, this country is one of the biggest markets for printed information in the world and the variety of magazines is sheerly amazing. At one time for example, there were eight periodicals specifically catering to homemakers who made a living by trading stock online! Also,… Continue reading Japanese magazines start to go online and for free

Lunarr founder invites famous US-bloggers to Japan

Toru TAKASUKA, known as a very few Japanese entrepreneur challenging in US internet market by his Lunarr (covered on TechCrunch, Mashable, and a lot more), invites popular bloggers from US for one week Tokyo and Japan web technology meetings trip. The invited bloggers are: Tom Foremski from Sillicon Valley Watcher Marshall Kirkpatrick, Read/Write Web Kristen… Continue reading Lunarr founder invites famous US-bloggers to Japan

Google Maps Japan hats off to Mixi

Mixi (on Asiajin), the biggest Social Network Site in Japan, announced that Google Maps Japan now has an specialized Mixi button for users who wants to embed Google Maps on their users diary (Mixi Nikki). “Embed this map to other service: mixi” Mixi has been having the “embed Google Maps” feature for a year which… Continue reading Google Maps Japan hats off to Mixi

Applications from Japanese companies welcome for Techcrunch 50

Over 700 web and web-related companies from all over world handed in an application for last year’s Techcrunch 40 event, organized by the famous Tech blog of the same name. This year, the competition is called Techcrunch 50 and it is again organized by Techcrunch USA. It will be conducted from September 8-10th in San… Continue reading Applications from Japanese companies welcome for Techcrunch 50

Japanese national TV network expands to Youtube

Japanese copyright holders in the music, TV and movie industry are known to be very protective of their contents when it comes to distribution on the web. Youtube has been “cleaned” several times in the past after complaints filed by media companies from this country. Now, for the 1st time for a major TV network,… Continue reading Japanese national TV network expands to Youtube

Japanese government plans to restrict mobile web access for children

We covered political initiatives in Japan to censor the web a few times on Asiajin in the past. In a new move announced today, the Japanese government urges parents and schools to tightly control how children use their cell phones. A panel recommended a handful of concrete steps which were nodded through today by the… Continue reading Japanese government plans to restrict mobile web access for children