Using imported mobile devices may be illegal
Residents of Japan may be shocked to learn they are technically violating the country's Radio Law by connecting computers, smartphones and tablets that have been purchased outside of Japan to domestic WiFi sites. Although legislation says such violations are punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine of up to ¥1 million, the regulation has never been strictly enforced. But the law is quite cle
Point systems stir privacy fears among Net users
Point of concern: Some 40 million people are members of Culture Convenience Club Co.'s T Card program. | BLOOMBERG The battle for point card supremacy in loyalty programs is hotting up across the country, causing consumers to express concern over privacy issues as a growing number of companies get in on the act. Franchises have been running loyalty programs for more than a decade now, with Culture
More and more smartphone users in Japan look to news curation
Curation isn't just for museums anymore. There has been a recent uptick in the popularity of smartphone apps that customize news for users in Japan, and this customization is called kyurēshon. The idea of getting news via your mobile phone goes back to NTT Docomo's i-mode service, which was launched in 1999. However, when smartphones arrived from overseas, the control Japanese carriers traditional
Who holds the deeds to gossip bulletin board 2channel?
Who holds the deeds to gossip bulletin board 2channel? Matome sites show the online buzz on Jim Watkins, otherwise known as Jim-san. | SATOKO KAWASAKI Massive anonymous bulletin board 2channel has played an important role on the Japanese Web for 15 years (mostly on the dark side). Riddled with gossip and rumors, the site has always kept its ownership vague to avoid legal conflict, but recently a l
'Kantai Collection': Social game of warships sets course for big money
'Kantai Collection': Social game of warships sets course for big money Casual online games based on military themes and with a kawaii (cute) twist are currently a surprise hit in Japan. Is this related to the recent rightward tilt in national politics, or just part of Japan's creative desire to "cutify" everything. It's no secret that Japan loves cartoon characters, attaching them to any and every
Japan's social-networking pioneer turns matchmaker
There was a time when the only social network that mattered in Japan was Mixi, but these days, after years of stagnation, it is hardly heard of in daily conversation — being replaced in popularity by rivals such as Gree, Mobage, Twitter, Facebook and most recently Line. Now, however, Mixi is adding marriage/dating businesses to its basket. Is this simply a desperate move to regain relevance or a f
Japanese adults spend crazy money on cellphone games
Over the last decade, people's behavior during their daily train ride has completely changed. In the past, Japanese were known to be avid readers of paperbacks (bunko) and manga magazines, and would do so even on Tokyo's notoriously crowded trains. Now, however, it is rare to spot someone on the train who is not staring into their cellphone. A large amount of them are playing social games. And com
Japan expresses its love for Apple and Steve Jobs, in manga
Japan expresses its love for Apple and Steve Jobs, in manga Seeing double: 'Steves' by Ume, the first episode of which has been translated into English, tells the tale of Apple's cofounders, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. | UME Apple Inc. has been always loved by people in Japan. Even during its toughest years, in the 1990s, after cofounder Steve Jobs had been expelled and the company was almost de
Freeware has animators dancing to the Hatsune Miku beat
If you search for the acronym MMD on Niconico or YouTube — the two most popular video-sharing sites in Japan — the resulting list will have over 100,000 anime videos, most of which have 3-D anime-style girl characters singing and dancing to electronic J-pop music. What's surprising is that these (usually short) videos are not created by professional anime studios; they are mostly made by amateurs.
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