Japan’s Internet filtering initiatives

Can you regulate the Cyberspace? Should you? It seems some forces in Japan think it’s possible and you should. There has been a lot of efforts by the Japanese government in the last few weeks to regulate and censor the Internet in various ways. 2 weeks ago, Japan’s National Police Agency hinted it may soon… Continue reading Japan’s Internet filtering initiatives

Yomiuri TV Uses Skype To Interview Candidates

Japanese television broadcaster Yomiuri TV has found a novel new way to recruit young new employees to their company. They utilize Skype chat and video to conduct the interview. The thinking behind the process is not to only demonstrate how “hip” they are to new technologies but also to provide an opportunity for many applicants… Continue reading Yomiuri TV Uses Skype To Interview Candidates

Twitter Japan dev team showed some plans

On the twitter Japanese localization news, newly-opened Twitter Japan development blog explains what items are on their task list on localization process. In their current plan, They are making Japanese version on top of current (running) system. Japanese users and world users belong to the same account space. They do NOT make another Japanese version… Continue reading Twitter Japan dev team showed some plans

Mobage goes to the US

January 18th, Tokyo – DeNA, a company which runs Mobage town, will establish a subsidiary in the states. “DeNA Global,Inc.” will be located in California, supposedly San Francisco Bayarea. They will launch a US version of their very profitable mobile business there. Also they revised upward their net profit forecast from 4.5 billion to 6.3… Continue reading Mobage goes to the US

twitter goes into Japan assisted by Digital Garage

Digital Garage Inc. announced its capital and business tie-up with Twitter inc.. Digital Garage makes some disclosed amount of investment not more than 100,000,000yen(about $915,000), and also helps Twitter’s localization development in Japan. Digital Garage and Twitter will launch Japanese microblogging service for both PC and cellularphone browsers by this spring 2008. # It is… Continue reading twitter goes into Japan assisted by Digital Garage

Mobile phone companies to filter web content for minors

Mobage town, a social network and gaming site for mobile phones, is now in deep crisis. From December 10th, the Japanese government has requested mobiles phone companies to filter web content for minors. The filtering policy is very strict. It prohibits minors from accessing web sites in ‘communication’ criterion. ‘communication’ means all web sites with… Continue reading Mobile phone companies to filter web content for minors

Mixi’s CTO to step down

Mixi, No.1 Social Networking Service in Japan, today announced that Batara ETO will leave his CTO job at the end of December, 2007. Eto, who is originally born in Indonesia recently naturalized (his former name was Batara Kesuma), is well know as a person to suggested Social Network Service in E-Mercury, the former name of… Continue reading Mixi’s CTO to step down

eBay shakes hands with Yahoo! Japan

Yahoo! Japan, the Japan biggest portal, has partnered with eBay in online auction services. eBay Inc. once tried to open its popular auction service under its subsidiary eBay Japan established in 1999, retreated March 2002 without getting market share against “Yahoo! Auction” (so-called “Yafuoku”). Yahoo! Auction users will have translated eBay items listed by March… Continue reading eBay shakes hands with Yahoo! Japan

Overture Japan leaked massive customers information

via Mainichi Shimbun newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported that Overture Japan, online-advertising subsidiary of Yahoo! Japan, spilled its 28,157 customers information including address, phone number, e-mail address, etc. via P2P file sharing software Winny during March to August, 2007. Although Yahoo! Japan had found this issue on its other research before and notified to Overture Japan,… Continue reading Overture Japan leaked massive customers information

Twitter founder’s talk in Japan

According to Nikkei IT-Pro, Evan Williams, co-founder of twitter had a talk session with Tim O’Reilly at Web2.0 Expo 2007 in Tokyo and told localization plan. In the session, Williams disclosed that the 20% of twitter users are from Japan. He also said that localization to different languages is “the first priority task”, and that… Continue reading Twitter founder’s talk in Japan