Nikkei Reports Docomo To Copy KDDI’s Successful Android App Subscription Program “Smart-Pass”

Nikkei Business reported as a “breaking news” today [J] that Japan’s largest telco NTT Docomo is planning to start the fixed rate Android app subscription service such like #2 KDDI’s au Smart Pass earliest in June. KDDI’s Smart Pass, which charges 390 yen (US$4.00) every month for variety of Android apps set, recently passed 5… Continue reading Nikkei Reports Docomo To Copy KDDI’s Successful Android App Subscription Program “Smart-Pass”

Docomo’s LTE Passes 10 Million Subscribers

NTT Docomo announced [J] today February 19, 2013 that their LTE service Xi got 10 million users yesterday, February 18, 2013. Here is a chart from their release. Docomo’s Xi began December 24, 2010. [Update] other English news Japan’s DoCoMo hits 10 million LTE subscribers, doubling its numbers in 6 months – The Next Web… Continue reading Docomo’s LTE Passes 10 Million Subscribers

SoftBank Starts Using The 900MHz “Platinum Band”

There can be no doubt that SoftBank is the mobile carrier with the weakest network among Japan’s big three telcos, following that of NTT Docomo and KDDI. But now there is hope that things will finally change for the better. Back in March this year, the Japanese government decided to allocate the 900-megahertz band (also… Continue reading SoftBank Starts Using The 900MHz “Platinum Band”

2nd Part Of Romance Sims Series “My Forged Wedding” Released

Voltage [J] has released “My Forged Wedding,” an English version of “Chikai No Kisu Wa Totsuzen Ni♪” (Suddenly Kiss of Vow) as the second part of the North American romance simulation game “Romance Sims” series, for iPhone and Android. “My Forged Wedding” is an English Version of “Chikai No Kisu Wa Totsuzen Ni,” the number… Continue reading 2nd Part Of Romance Sims Series “My Forged Wedding” Released

Three Of Japan’s Top Telcos Standardize Display Of Email Emoticons

Three of Japan’s four biggest mobile carriers, namely NTT Docomo, KDDI au, and eAccess, are about to make it easier for their combined subscriber base of roughly 90 million people to exchange emails with other. The plan is to standardize the display of emoticons, or emoji in Japanese, across handsets offered by the three networks. As… Continue reading Three Of Japan’s Top Telcos Standardize Display Of Email Emoticons

Google Japan Runs AKB48 Commercial For Galaxy Nexus, Which Is Almost Free On Shop

Google is airing a commercial of its Android reference handset Galaxy Nexus, with AKB48, who is the top girls idol group, who also cooperates on Google+ promotion in Japanese. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZW2R9fPp-o The commercial song is sung by the selected members of AKB48 for Google+, called “Gugutasu Senbatsu”(Gugu = abbrev of Google, tasu=to add, senbatsu=selection) Gugutasu is… Continue reading Google Japan Runs AKB48 Commercial For Galaxy Nexus, Which Is Almost Free On Shop

NOTTV: Japan Gets Smartphone-Only TV Channel (Video)

NOTTV – that’s the name of a new mobile TV channel that could one day replace 1Seg, the current TV and broadcasting standard for Japanese cell phones. Japan’s biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo, the country’s biggest ad agency Dentsu, and a handful of private-sector broadcasters are planning to launch NOTTV on April 1 this year.… Continue reading NOTTV: Japan Gets Smartphone-Only TV Channel (Video)

Report: Amazon To Bring Kindle To Japan In April

Business daily The Nikkei says it learned that Amazon Japan, the country’s second-biggest e-commerce company, is planning to finally offer its e-book reader Kindle to Japanese customers. According to the paper, Amazon is expected to launch Kindle devices in April this year “for less than 20,000 yen” (US$257). Apparently, the Kindle Touch will be positioned… Continue reading Report: Amazon To Bring Kindle To Japan In April