Lang-8 is a unique social network service started by a young entrepreneur Youyou Ki who lieves in Kyoto, Japan. Language Exchange SNS Lang-8 It works in this way. 1.First join to the service. 2.Then write a diary in the language you’re learning. 3.Native spekers of that language who are aslo users of Lang-8 will correct… Continue reading Lang-8: Multi-lingual social network service for learning foreign lanugages
Ruby craze sweeps Fukuoka, Japan
Programming language Ruby was created by a Japanese programmer, Yukihiro Matsumoto. However, Ruby was a minor hobby language until the appearance of Ruby on Rails. After the Ruby on Rails fad reached Japan, the government people became interested in Ruby, because it is the first made-in-Japan programming language which is commonly used worldwide. Shimane prefecture,… Continue reading Ruby craze sweeps Fukuoka, Japan
ZMP co-developed Brandnew Tune Recommendation Service
A Tokyo-based robot manufacturing venture ZMP [J] (pronounced as Zett-Em-Pee) developed a new tune recommendation service jointly with Dr. Yasufumi Takama, associate professor at Faculty of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University. ZMP is well-known as manufacter of “Miuro” or a small robot on two wheels that can play tunes and follow you around the house. Refer… Continue reading ZMP co-developed Brandnew Tune Recommendation Service
100 Japanese companies to participate in new online mall in China in January
Japan’s biggest business newspaper, the Nikkei, is reporting that around 100 Japanese companies are planning to participate in an online shopping mall to be set up on the Chinese web next month. According to the Nikkei, major electronics retailer Yodobashi Camera, drugstore operator Matsumotokiyoshi, children’s clothing retailer Narumiya and mail order company Cecile are among… Continue reading 100 Japanese companies to participate in new online mall in China in January
Mixi Nengajou sends Real New Year Cards to your Social Network Friends
Mixi launched Mixi Nengajou (Nengajou = new year greeting card), on which user can send a real(=paper) greeting card to your MaiMiku(My Mixi = online friend) WITHOUT knowing their real address. You may choose 400+ designs from 98 yen (48 yen with sponsors’ ads, more expensive designed cards are also available). Mixi works with the… Continue reading Mixi Nengajou sends Real New Year Cards to your Social Network Friends
Teenager Prefer Cellphone Keypad to PC Keyboard
For many Japanese adolescents, cellphone is inseparable partner of their lives, you might have heard. Different from PC, kids can have their own (not-shared with your family/siblings, not filtered by home-broadband), can bring it with you to school, outside, anywhere (it is important when your writing back within 5 minutes to your friend’s mail is… Continue reading Teenager Prefer Cellphone Keypad to PC Keyboard
Japanese company expands to India, will sell mobile games there
India with its massive population of 1.1 billion people and nearly 300 million mobile phone users (second only to China) should be a natural target for any company that’s in the web or mobile web business. But still, relatively few companies, for example from Japan, are seeing the subcontinent as a lucrative target market, at… Continue reading Japanese company expands to India, will sell mobile games there
Coming soon: Sushi encyclopedia for the iPhone and iPod Touch
This news should be especially interesting for anyone who loves sushi and happens to be an iPhone owner: Major Japanese publishing company Shogakukan is planning to release a virtual sushi guide for the iPhone (J). The sushi encyclopedia will be available for download on both the iPod Touch and the iPhone by the end of… Continue reading Coming soon: Sushi encyclopedia for the iPhone and iPod Touch
When Japanese say Yes, it means No
Well, I am joking. “Yes” means “Yes” here, too, most of the time. However, if you dive deeper into the Japanese web, you may get totally lost in the conversations because of new expressions that continue to emerge. One phrase which has become very popular since early 2008, is this: “(subject) desune, wakarimasu.” (～ですね、わかります) which… Continue reading When Japanese say Yes, it means No
Nintendo ties up with Hatena, opens door for user-generated content
Nintendo, a company that’s usually not really famous for embracing the web, now lets users publish content they create through Moving Notepad (“Ugoku Memo Chou”) online. Moving Notepad is a free notepad application for Nintendo portable gaming machine DSi. Users can write memos, record sounds and create animations with the downloadable program (that’s made by… Continue reading Nintendo ties up with Hatena, opens door for user-generated content