Manga Mode: DoCoMo brings e-manga to European cell phones

Japan’s biggest cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo and major publisher Shueisha have teamed up and plan to launch an e-manga delivery service for cell phones in Europe. Dubbed Manga Mode and launched yesterday, the service already lets manga enthusiasts in France choose between about ten different titles. Certainly the manga with the biggest potential is… Continue reading Manga Mode: DoCoMo brings e-manga to European cell phones

Japanese Manga/Anime: Simulcast and Same Day Release On Two Sides Of The Pacific

This coming Sunday, Toei Animation, Shueisha[J] and Fuji-TV will start broadcast the popular Japanese TV animation series “One Piece” on the Internet for North American audience, in association with U.S. based largest Internet animation distributor, FUNimation Entertaiment (inaccessible from Japan). Every episode will be available just one hour after its original broadcast in Japan. (c)Copyright… Continue reading Japanese Manga/Anime: Simulcast and Same Day Release On Two Sides Of The Pacific

Seasonal Celebration At Shrine For Akihabaran Soil And Soul

A shrine located in the Akihabara electric district and was built more than a millennium ago, Kanda-Myojin celebrates its annual biyearly festival in the town, and live streamers are shooting the people who thank the local deity, pray for peace in the town and carry portable shrines on their shoulders. As of this writing, the festival… Continue reading Seasonal Celebration At Shrine For Akihabaran Soil And Soul

Giant Partnership of Game and Ad Sets Off New Wave Of Video Broadcast

Coincidentally I write up several stories featuring video services using media other than terrestrial TV broadcast system in this Japan’s serial holidays season. Nintendo and the world’s largest advertising agency Dentsu started Friday a video broadcast service on a 3D virtual world designed for Nintendo’s game platform Wii. The new service is named “Wii no… Continue reading Giant Partnership of Game and Ad Sets Off New Wave Of Video Broadcast

Japanese Broadcasters Jointly Launch 24hr. Int’l TV Channel

Japan International Broadcasting (JIB) launched Friday its 24-hour English-language TV channel called jibtv, and started Internet-based broadcast as well as satellite broadcast service worldwide. Former NHK’s news anchor and former spokesman at Japan’s foreign ministry, Hatsuhisa Takashima serves as the president of the company, and it is fund raised by NHK, NTT Communications, Microsoft and… Continue reading Japanese Broadcasters Jointly Launch 24hr. Int’l TV Channel

Avex and NTT DoCoMo Launch TV Station Exclusively For Cellphone Users

On Friday, a joint venture of the Tokyo-based emerging music company Avex Group and Japan’s largest cellphone operator NTT DoCoMo, Avex Broadcasting & Communications Inc. launched a TV service called BeeTV[J], which is fully designed for cellphone handsets viewing. Unlike 1-seg TV service using a segment in terrestrial digital broadcast wave to carry visual and… Continue reading Avex and NTT DoCoMo Launch TV Station Exclusively For Cellphone Users

Nico Nico Douga Introduces Its iPhone/iPod App

Niwango[J], the owner of Japan’s most popular video sharing site “Nico Nico Douga[J]“, released its iPhone/iPod appon Monday. The app is for free and available only at Japanese AppStore. With 3G or WiFi connectivity, the app allows you to search/play videos and leave your comment on Nico Nico Douga, however it does not cover the… Continue reading Nico Nico Douga Introduces Its iPhone/iPod App

Amateur Paparazzis Livecast A Pop Star Under Arrest For Indecent Exposure

As you might hear from the news, the Japanese pop star Tsuyoshi Kusanagi(草彅剛, a.k.a. 초난 강 or Chonan Gang in South Korea), a member of popular group SMAP[J], was arrested Thursday for public indecency after being found drunk and naked at a park near Roppongi, Tokyo. On the popular video sharing site Nico Nico Douga[J],… Continue reading Amateur Paparazzis Livecast A Pop Star Under Arrest For Indecent Exposure

Another Way To Have Mobile Broadband, It’s Neither WiMax Nor HSDPA

Japan’s only PHS operator Willcom announced today it would start trial of new high-speed mobile data service next week, which is called XGP and enables logically 20Mbps Internet access not only in downstream but also in upstream. Starting on April 27th, the trial will be in operation until the end of coming September, and the… Continue reading Another Way To Have Mobile Broadband, It’s Neither WiMax Nor HSDPA

Sony Transfers Their Video Sharing Site Eyevio To A Startup

Sony will transfer their video sharing site ‘eyeVio‘ [JP] to a Tokyo-based startup company called Sprasia on May 29th. Eyevio is a video sharing site which can connect to Sony hardware products. Eyevio has 1 million unique visitors and 10 million page views per month. The site was started in April 2007. Sony stated that… Continue reading Sony Transfers Their Video Sharing Site Eyevio To A Startup