Rakuten Announced Kobo Touch For Japan, Priced 7980 Yen(US$99)

Rakuten is having a press conference now, just announced that they release Kobo Touch e-book reader for Japanese market, with a price 7,980 yen ($US 99). Rakuten, and its e-commerce/e-book rival Amazon announced their e-book readers coming to Japan on the last Tuesday, June 26th. The sales will start on July 19, pre-order starts today… Continue reading Rakuten Announced Kobo Touch For Japan, Priced 7980 Yen(US$99)

Young Band RPG “Rock Heroes!” Released For iPhone

Q Entertainment [J] has released an iOS version of the social game “Band Heroes!” now offered for Mobage. [J] “Band Heroes!” is a young rock band RPG that was until now offered for Mobage for Android.  You form a band with friends, make songs by connecting phrases, rev up your fans at concerts, and aim… Continue reading Young Band RPG “Rock Heroes!” Released For iPhone

GREE Opens Global Site “Come Play GREE”

GREE’s [J] American subsidiary company GREE International has opened “Come Play GREE,” a global promotion site. This site is open to the public for general users overseas.  Including titles planned to be offered from this point on, they are introducing Japan-American social games made by GREE and its partners such as “Zombie Jombie,” “Dino Life,”… Continue reading GREE Opens Global Site “Come Play GREE”

KDDI’s Subsidiary Wire And Wireless To Offer Free WiFi At Starbucks, Starting From Tokyo

Wire and Wireless (wi2), a subsidiary of Japan’s second largest cellphone carrier KDDI, announced [J] its new free WiFi program at Starbucks Coffee chain-store in Japan. Free WiFi at cafe? If you have ever tried to find free WiFi in Japan, you know this is a news. The free WiFi program, “at_STARBUCKS_Wi2”, is sponsored by… Continue reading KDDI’s Subsidiary Wire And Wireless To Offer Free WiFi At Starbucks, Starting From Tokyo

Anonymous Hackers Personified As A Clumsy Girl On Japanese Web

Anonymous, a hacker group known by several internet protest attacks against the recently passed Japanese anti-copyright bill which penalized music downloaders, who are being reported to be attacking Japanese government and political parties websites, gets a little troubles on its first contact with Japanese. Until this attack began, Anonymous and its hacktivism were known as… Continue reading Anonymous Hackers Personified As A Clumsy Girl On Japanese Web

KDDI Releases Pilgrimage Application for Android

KDDI’s [J] consumer Shikoku branch has released Itsu Demo O Henro [J] (Anytime Pilgrim), an Android application which allows you to experience pilgrimage in everyday life using smartphone’s GPS function.  Download is free. “Anytime Pilgrim” is a public app in which prioritizes au Smartpass, and depending on the distance walked in everyday life, you can… Continue reading KDDI Releases Pilgrimage Application for Android

Social Game “Majimon” Has Campaign With Energy Drinks

NHN Japan [J] is doing a tie-up campaign for their smartphone social RPG “Majimon” involving Suntory Beverage and Food Limited’s [J] “Vitamin Water Speed In” as well as “Energy Gear Water.”  The time period is from May 29th until June 18th. In this campaign, when users input the 16 digit ID (serial number) on targeted… Continue reading Social Game “Majimon” Has Campaign With Energy Drinks

Rakuten Launches Teaser Site For Kobo e-Book Reader In Japan

Some time on the exact same day when Amazon Japan informed its customers Kindle coming to Japan market, Rakuten, the nation’s largest e-mall platform, is turned out to launch an information site of its e-book reader Kobo, which Rakuten bought November 2011. The site has a single page with Kobo Touch eReader image, which has… Continue reading Rakuten Launches Teaser Site For Kobo e-Book Reader In Japan

Amazon Japan Preannounces Kindle Coming “Soon”

Amazon Japan’s top page is showing a new text banner that says its e-book reader Kindle will be sold in Japan soon, today on June 26. The time it was displayed seemed around 15:15, 30 minutes ago, by Twitter tweets. Amazon periodically expressed their putting Kindle to Japan market. There have been also several leaked… Continue reading Amazon Japan Preannounces Kindle Coming “Soon”

Japan’s Web News Week 25

This week’s Japanese Web/IT related news which we did not write as a dedicated article. Referred pages are all in Japanese, unless otherwise stated. Naver LINE Launches Brand Accounts With Coca-Cola, Lawson, Zensho And Nippon TV 70 Japanese Companies Form iOS Consocium To Encourage Apple Products On Business, The Verge [En] NTT Docomo backs Silicon… Continue reading Japan’s Web News Week 25