Daum, the largest portal site in Korea started new map features (ROAD VIEW and SKY VIEW) on January 18th. Daum has been providing map service in Korea. But they were not so competitive in the map service market. By providing this map features, I think Daum’s map has quite competitive in Korean map service market.… Continue reading Daum Starts Advanced Map Services in Korea
Osaka-based Tech Start-up Launches A “Meddlesome” SNS
The Osaka-based tech start-up Qript Inc. launched Friday its eccentric SNS called “Tsutsunuke [J]“, which has several features to avoid its user’s long silence to the service. Note: “Tsutsunuke” means a situation where the thin wall deprives you of any privacy, and you can hear the tone of your neighbor’s voice in a typical type… Continue reading Osaka-based Tech Start-up Launches A “Meddlesome” SNS
Japanese Social Media Prism
Based on the concept presented at www.briansolis.com, H. Yoshikawa, Y. Yamagichi, and T. Nakamura rendered the Japanese Social Media Prism. This prism is being maintained constantly, so make sure you visit the original blog post for updates. Each Flower petal represents a Service Category (written outside the petal). Better known services are placed closer to… Continue reading Japanese Social Media Prism
Telecom Venture Presentations Held By Japan’s Governmental Incubator
On Tuesday, NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology) held its annual conference providing telecom-related start-ups the opportunity to present their business plans. An audience of more than 200 attended the event in Akihabara. NICT is a governmental venture, incubation, and research organization with a special focus on future telecommunications technology development, and is… Continue reading Telecom Venture Presentations Held By Japan’s Governmental Incubator
Lang-8 Raises Angel Round Just Under 10M Yen
Lang-8, a multi-lingual social network / language-learning site, has raised 9,570,000 yen ($100K) from prominent angel investors: * Kiyoshi Nishikawa, a founder of ngi group * Takashi Yoshida, ex-CTO of Rakuten * Masahide Nakamura [JP], CEO of Allied Architects * Shuichi Takenaga, CEO of Aucfan [JP] CEO, Youyou Ki, is going to use the investment… Continue reading Lang-8 Raises Angel Round Just Under 10M Yen
Fujitsu to offer Android related services
In a recent PR [JP], Fujitsu announced a complete services and consulting suite for Google Android. According to Fujitsu, Google Android will not only be used for Mobile phones, but as an embedded platform for various applications: Car navigation systems, Set Top Box, Office Appliances and the obvious Smart Phones. Based on Linux and maintained… Continue reading Fujitsu to offer Android related services
$8.70: Emobile Introduces Japan’s Lowest Monthly Phone Fee
Emobile, the No. 4 major cell phone carrier in Japan, said Wednesday that it will introduce a new cell phone price plan on February 7, which is the most attractive in Japan – at least if you aim for the lowest possible prices. For an almost unbelievable basic fee of 780 Yen ($8.70/6.80 Euros), Emobile… Continue reading $8.70: Emobile Introduces Japan’s Lowest Monthly Phone Fee
Comic Giant Officially Allows Bloggers To Republish One Of Its Titles
Kodansha, Japan’s leading comic and novel publisher, announced today that it is allowing bloggers to republish the comic titled “Mikako-san [J]” authored by famous cartoonist and illustrator Kyo Machiko [J]. The title appeared serially in Kodansha’s weekly comic magazine “Morning”, and the same content is also on the magazine’s official website [J]. Her fans can… Continue reading Comic Giant Officially Allows Bloggers To Republish One Of Its Titles
Laptop users plugging in at stations risk police visit
In US airports, many people can be seen using their laptops plugged in to nearby outlets. If you do that in Japan, you could be arrested by the police. In February 2004, a man using a power outlet in Nagoya Station was questioned by railroad police. The case was reported to the prosecutor’s office as… Continue reading Laptop users plugging in at stations risk police visit
A Brief History Of Japan’s Social Media Scene
This rough overview shows how the social media landscape evolved in Japan from 1987 till today. Hideyuki Yoshikawa is the man behind this. The original blog post can be found here [JP]. In the past, Asiajin covered Kakaku.com, 2channel, Hatena, Nico Nico Douga, Mixi, Twitter (Japan) and Pixiv.