Infinity Ventures LLP[J], a Tokyo-based independent venture capital unit investing in tech start-up companies, announced today it had invested approximately USD2.1M (JPY200M) in WAPTX (registered in Cayman Islands) running China’s largest mobile SNS called tx.com.cn(天下网)[C] (pronounced as tiān-xià-wǎng). The service owns 9 million users as of July 2009, and Tokyo-based mobile SNS company DeNA announced… Continue reading IVP Fund Invests In China’s Largest Mobile SNS
Unidentified “Floating” Objects Are Introduced In Osaka This Summer
In commemorating the series of water-oriented events which are now underway in Osaka, NTT Facilities, a property management company of NTT Group, developed two solar-powered and UFO-shaped water purifiers, which are to be installed in Dotonbori[Wikipedia]-canal running through the center of the city, and in a moat around the Osaka Castle. That machine is a… Continue reading Unidentified “Floating” Objects Are Introduced In Osaka This Summer
Mixi ex-CTO Helps Singaporean Mobile Startup Xsago
Batara Eto, who suggested to make a Japanese social network to his boss in late 2003 and programmed Japan’s biggest social network Mixi, let the company (E-mercury) to change their primary business and rename (to “Mixi”, of course) with the huge success, then left his CTO job in 2007 [J], is reported to invest to… Continue reading Mixi ex-CTO Helps Singaporean Mobile Startup Xsago
Japan’s DeNA brings its mobile social gaming platform MobaMingle to India
Tokyo-based mobile social gaming giant DeNA takes the international version of its super-successful gaming platform Mobage-town [JP, PC version], Mobamingle, to India (find some detailed background info on MobaMingle here and here). According to a report in the Nikkei, the service will be made available to Indian users in English as early as at the… Continue reading Japan’s DeNA brings its mobile social gaming platform MobaMingle to India
Election Campaigning On The Net: When Does Law Catch Up With Social Trends?
Prior to the general election scheduled at the end of this month, Rakuten publicized a letter from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) in response to the question by 60 Japanese business leaders including Rakuten’s CEO Hiroshi Mikitani. The leaders asked both parties about their policies on six subjects… Continue reading Election Campaigning On The Net: When Does Law Catch Up With Social Trends?
First China, then the US: Japan’s No. 1 online shopping mall Rakuten (again) outlines plans to go global
Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and president of Japan’s leading online shopping mall Rakuten, has never made a bis secret of his seeing Rakuten as a global brand (here is some detailed background). This is especially interesting since Rakuten is the biggest “purely” Japanese web company there is (its market cap exceeds $8 billion currently and SoftBank… Continue reading First China, then the US: Japan’s No. 1 online shopping mall Rakuten (again) outlines plans to go global
Herbivorous-type Boys Scouter: What Animal Are You?
Motion Portrait, a Tokyo-based tech start-up and expert in image processing, and Gigno System Japan, a mobile app developer and a subsidiary of Tokyo FM Broadcasting[J], jointly introduced a new mobile service called “Herbivorous-type Boys Scouter （草食男子スカウター[J])“, which allows you to measure how aggressive you are for girl hunting. Author’s Note: Herbivorous-type boys or 草食系男子… Continue reading Herbivorous-type Boys Scouter: What Animal Are You?
Top 20: Japan’s most valuable web companies
About a year ago, I wrote an article on Asiajin that contained a list of Japan’s most valuable web companies by market capitalization. A lot has happened since then (thanks to the exchange rate we now have 12 large-cap companies instead of six, for example), so let’s see how the list looks today. I am… Continue reading Top 20: Japan’s most valuable web companies
UGC Song Parody: Freedom Of Expression Or Libeling Her?
Noriko Sakai, who used to be a popular J-pop idol in late 1980s and is now an actress starring on several TV commercial films, was arrested on a suspicion of possessing illegal stimulants last weekend. She has an enormous number of her fans in Asian nations, especially Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and several… Continue reading UGC Song Parody: Freedom Of Expression Or Libeling Her?
If The Shoguns Were Alive Today, Which Would Be Their Favorites?
Softbank Mobile released new five line-ups of luxury-textured and japan-lacquered covercase for iPhone 3GS/3G, which imitate an “inro” or a feudal pillbox used in Japan’s turbulent age. The list price is JPY 99,800 for each, which is approximately USD 1,050. The line-ups were designed on the concept of what kind of iPhone case the five… Continue reading If The Shoguns Were Alive Today, Which Would Be Their Favorites?