Category: Service

Golf Digest Online Suspended Its Service due to Malicious Attacks

Golf Digest Online (GDO in short) suspended the entire service because they found malicous attacks and the website tampered.   GDO is a subsidiary of a golf magazine publisher, and one of Japan’s most popuar website selling golf goods and enabling golf course booking on-line.    It is also highly ranked as active e-commerce websites.   They found some unintentional… Continue reading Golf Digest Online Suspended Its Service due to Malicious Attacks

A report of ESPer2008 conference

ESPer2008 conference has been held with 100+ attendees in Shinagawa, Tokyo at 14th September 2008. ESPer is a conference held by alumni of the Mitoh software grant (Exploratory Software Project) (in English). The Mitoh is a grant by Japanese government which is given to individual software developers. There are around thousand Mitoh alumni in Japan… Continue reading A report of ESPer2008 conference

Two Japanese startups launch at TechCrunch50

OpenTrace is a service that “Traces items through the supply chain and adds them together to show the impact of products on the environment” (from TechCrunch). OpenTrace is run by Rinen Inc, which is owned by Hirofumi Manganji and Hiroaki Shimachi. Rinen has received a Japanese government grant called Exploratory Software Project which is given… Continue reading Two Japanese startups launch at TechCrunch50

Hatsugen komachi – an anonymous online forum for women

In Japan, 2channel (2ch) is the biggest anonymous online forum, and they are very notorious for its unregulated contents. Hatsugen komachi (Komachi) is another huge anonymous online forum with 100 million page views per month. Komachi is operated by the world’s largest newspaper company Yomiuri-shimbun. Unlike 2ch, it’s moderated by operators. Still words are not… Continue reading Hatsugen komachi – an anonymous online forum for women

Twitter-like Mixi Echo keeps going

Despite of Twitter’s founder Evan Williams’ unplesant, Mixi’s microblogging feature “Mixi Echo” one month trial is announced to be extended for “uncertain period”. This feature was originally planned to be closed on September 1st 2008, however, because of “popular demand”, we decide to extend the period of service. The end date is undecided. Mixi’s main… Continue reading Twitter-like Mixi Echo keeps going

Facebook will possibly fail in Japan

Last month I was asked some comments on how Facebook will do in Japanese market by other media. Unfortunately my comments were not taken so I post my answers here. What is the biggest obstacle for Facebook in Japan? The biggest problem is lack of Japanese applications. I agree that Facebook third-party applications are a… Continue reading Facebook will possibly fail in Japan

Mobile Party – mobile wedding party assistant service

Mobile Party is a website which supports Japanese wedding celemony afterparty, by utilizing atendee’s cellularphones. In Japan, usual wedding day goes with the celemony (one of Shinto, Buddism, Christian-style, etc. no matter what their religion), formal reception and casual after-party. The first two usually involves families and relatives with few close friends (the size depends… Continue reading Mobile Party – mobile wedding party assistant service

Japan’s biggest CosPlay site “Cure” overhauled with English

livedoor announced its popular Cos-Play (Costume Play, dressing up in fictional characters most of which are from Anime/Manga) site’s renewal and English localization today, June 12th 2008. The site “Cure” was opened in 2001, has been getting 300,000 registered users including 60,000 “Cos-Player”, and now 50 million page views in a month, which is the… Continue reading Japan’s biggest CosPlay site “Cure” overhauled with English

Japan’s Blockbuster Video wants to to become Japan’s Netflix

What Blockbuster Video is to the USA, Tsutaya is to Japan. The company is currently operating over 1,300 video rental stores in this country and boasts 27 million members. Now, Tsutaya finally came to realize their future is the web: The company now wants to transform into this country’s Netflix – at least kind of.… Continue reading Japan’s Blockbuster Video wants to to become Japan’s Netflix