- Japanese losing interest in next-generation games machines15 May 2012, 3:36 pm
goo Research recently took their third regular look at games machines, and according to the report on japan.internet.com, interest in the newest devices is waning. Demographics Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2012 1,083 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.3% [...]...
- Japanese would prefer no mobile ads14 May 2012, 5:07 pm
goo Research recently conducted their fourth regular survey into advertisement viewing on mobile devices, and the figures reported by japan.internet.com were much less anti-ad than I expected. Demographics Between the 16th and 19th of April 2012 1,037 members of the goo Research mobile monitor group completed a mobile phone (including smartphone) based survey. 59.0% of [...]...
- Fifteen ways Facebook friends annoy Japanese13 May 2012, 3:34 pm
Or any other SNS for that matter, in this goo Ranking survey looking at what words or actions by friends on social networking services rile people. Demographics Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample [...]...
- Japan’s 20 most sinister omens13 May 2012, 2:56 pm
goo Ranking took a look at what people think are sinister omens. Demographics Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, 16.5% in their twenties, 29.3% in their thirties, [...]...
- Less than one in ten have bought video online8 May 2012, 4:21 pm
japan.internet.com recently reported on a survey conducted by goo Research into video sharing services, and found, not much to anyone’s surprise I would guess, that very few had actually paid for video content online. Demographics Between the 10th and 13th of April 2012 1,095 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private [...]...
- Japanese men’s dilemmas6 May 2012, 3:13 pm
As the famous Japanese movie series puts it, Otoko ha tsurai yo!, so to see how tough, goo Ranking asked...
- Childish actions Japanese still do as adults5 May 2012, 4:13 pm
Since today is Children’s Day, goo Ranking celebrated by publishing this survey looking at childish actions that people can’t quit. Demographics Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, [...]...
- Majority of Japanese may never buy electricals from Taiwan, China or Korea3 May 2012, 4:04 pm
With Japan’s Asian neighbours of Taiwan, China and South Korea making inroads into areas of Japan’s market that Japanese companies used to dominate, this survey from goo Research, performed in conjuction with the Nikkei Shimbun (Japan’s Financial Times), into Chinese, South Korean and Taiwanese makers’ digital devices and home electronics provides some insights into the [...]...
- Opinions mixed on online translation tools1 May 2012, 4:41 pm
According to a survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into online dictionaries, the satisfied, dissatisfied and on the fence online translation tool users each make up significant groups. Demographics Between the 16th and 19th of April 2012 1,099 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% [...]...
- When Japanese men want to divorce30 April 2012, 4:17 pm
goo Ranking can be serious too, with this look at when men feel that it is time to split with their wives demonstrates. Demographics Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% [...]...
- This Will Damage Japan's Own Security As Well18 May 2012, 10:39 am
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- That Unanswered TEPCO Question16 May 2012, 9:44 pm
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- Catching up with Toru and Yoshihiko16 May 2012, 9:28 pm
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- The Enemy Of My Enemy Is Not My Friend16 May 2012, 2:15 am
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- This Morning15 May 2012, 8:56 pm
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- He Always Has Something Interesting To Say15 May 2012, 8:16 am
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- In Lotus Land14 May 2012, 1:53 am
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- That Pinoy Magic13 May 2012, 9:20 pm
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- Japan As A Normal Nation - Bic and Kojima13 May 2012, 8:23 pm
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- Of The DPJ And Children - Special Mother's Day Edition12 May 2012, 10:48 pm
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- Incorporation and Legal Specialists22 April 2012, 11:30 pm
When incorporating a company in Japan or registering a Japan branch of a non-domestic company, you will need to consult with various different types of specialists. This is because the Japanese legal profession is divided into several types of specialists, each with their unique field of specialization. When starting a business, there are four such [...]...
- J-Seed Ventures launches business incubator Venture Generation26 March 2012, 4:59 am
Tokyo, Japan, March 26th, 2012 – In response to the increasing demand from entrepreneurs, J-Seed Ventures, Inc. announced the launch of a new international business incubator in Tokyo, called Venture Generation. Targeting early-stage Japanese ventures and foreign companies entering the Japanese market, the Venture Generation incubation center will provide a platform from which these companies [...]...
- Interview: Incorporating in Japan20 February 2012, 12:00 am
As a legal services firm that among other things specializes in company incorporation, the professionals at Shinonome have a wealth of experience in assisting both domestic and non-domestic individuals establish businesses in Japan. One recent expat client was John Daschbach, founder and president of JD Media Co Ltd, a business specializing in multimedia production and information [...]...
- Starting a business in Japan: Wendy’s25 December 2011, 11:30 pm
Two years after exiting the Japanese market, American fast-food restaurant Wendy’s returns to Japan Tuesday with the first store opening in Omotesando, located at 5 chome Jingu-mae. It is the result of a joint venture agreement between Wendy’s/Arby’s International Inc and Higa Industries Co Ltd, a successful food importer and distributor based in Tokyo. Higa [...]...
- Foreigners in business: Outdoor Japan Media18 December 2011, 10:00 pm
Adventure, travel, fun, culture, lifestyle – that’s what Outdoor Japan Media is all about. The company, founded by American Gardner Robinson, is best known for its Outdoor Japan website, celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, and Outdoor Japan Traveler magazine, marking its 6th year of publication. Outdoor Japan also publishes the Japanese version of the [...]...
- Incorporating in Japan – KK or GK28 November 2011, 12:00 am
If you are thinking about incorporating a company in Japan, you will quickly find that the standard choices for incorporation are either a kabushiki kaisha (hereafter “KK”) or a godo kaisha (hereafter “GK”). While both are limited liability, each has certain characteristics which may make one or the other more attractive to you when considering [...]...
- STARTING A BUSINESS ~Are you getting ready for take-off ?~8 November 2011, 12:00 am
Would you like to start a business in Japan? If you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit and are thinking of starting a business in Japan, an Administrative Scrivener (Gyosei-shoshi Lawyer) is one of the first contacts that you should be making. The red tape is a potential nightmare and even most Japanese business owners don’t [...]...
- Starting a business: Everdream Soft25 October 2011, 9:00 pm
One of the fastest-growing mobile card games right now is Moonga, a product from the fertile imagination of Shaban Shaame, founder and CEO of Swiss firm Everdream Soft.The game runs on the iPhone and the iPad and may be purchased at the app store. Once the game starts, players are invited to register using nicknames [...]...
- Foreigners in business: Fullcircle Innovations10 October 2011, 10:32 pm
When you meet Flavio Souza, the first thing you notice is how passionately he speaks about the goals of his company Fullcircle Innovations – a digital company set up to develop and promote technological innovations in favor of a better sustainable planet.To do that, Souza, who comes from Brazil, has set up two sites so [...]...
- Case Study: Starting a Nightclub29 August 2011, 12:00 am
There are no shortages of nightclubs and bars in Tokyo, but what sort of legal compliance is required in Japan to operate your own establishment? While considerable literature on the subject is available, much of it is written in Japanese and documents for submission to the authorities must be completed in Japanese. This article gives [...]...
- Join TEAM LAB Music for a Jam Session18 May 2012, 9:36 am
Only 30 minutes to go, but TEAM LAB will be hosting a jam session where anyone can participate by logging in with their twitter handle. We deviously blogged this here, so check out the info there and join in.
Session will start at 7pm Japan time, so 6am EST for the early birds (or late ones) [...]... 
- PROJECT:WOOSTER – A conversation about Japan15 May 2012, 2:11 am
Lots going on with the blog redesign, so apologies for the sever lack of updates. This is our longest stretch of silence in years, but there are things to be done offline as well! Many more posts forthcoming to make up for lost time.
We’ve just had the opportunity to talk with Andrew Pollard, president [...]...
- 3 New Zeroes to Drink With12 April 2012, 2:45 pm
For the past few years we’ve been slammed with “zero” products of all varieties, as Japanese city dwellers want to lose a few pounds and get in better shape in the midst of a “metabo” slump. Since beverages and snacks are part of office life, much has been done in these areas.
The office connection [...]...
- Perfume Plug-in Ad in Shibuya12 April 2012, 9:21 am
While Japan’s robotically hypnotic girl-trio Perfume is making their world debut while keeping their “Japan-ness” with their new album JPN, they’re also still being heavily promoted at home.
Not sure if this has been done before, but this ad in Shibuya for the single Spring of Life plays the video, but if you want to [...]...
- Lytro Camera in Japan10 April 2012, 3:26 pm
Since I’m assuming that I have one of only a few Lytro cameras in the wild here in Japan, I thought it would be nice to do a roundup of my first week with the much-talked-about “light field camera”.
When I first came to Japan I shot tons of film before going digital, but those first [...]...
- Rakuten To Purchase 51% Of Online Pharmacy Kenko.com18 May 2012, 10:30 am
On the same day when Rakuten’s investment on Pinterest reported (Rakuten announced it officially on today May 18.), the Japan’s largest online mall also announced another domestic investment. On May 15, Rakuten and Online pharmacy company Kenko.com (kenko = health in Japanese) jointly announced [J, pdf] that they agreed on business alliance, as well as [...]Rakuten To Purchase 51% Of Online Pharmacy Kenko.com... 
- Drecom Releases American iOS App “Monster Arms”16 May 2012, 3:17 pm
Drecom [J] Has released the new social game application “Monster Arms” for the American App Store. The support language is English so unfortunately it can’t be downloaded from Japan. “Monster Arms” is a real time strategy card game where you make an original deck and collect character cards while completing missions. It has social components [...]Drecom Releases American iOS App “Monster Arms”...
- Plug-in Cat For Smartphone Is Under Development15 May 2012, 9:00 pm
When Japanese blogger @nekomura_otako posted her rough sketch of this Smartphone accessory idea on Twitter. “I would like to have cat-shaped earphone-jack parts like this.” She did not expect that so many people liked and wanted it. But the Twitter buzz promptly found a company who offers to make it production. The mock-ups have arrived [...]Plug-in Cat For Smartphone Is Under Development...
- Japanese Font With Stroke Order15 May 2012, 3:00 pm
I never saw this kind of Japanese font. All Chinese letter has stroke number by side, so if you set the font on your browser and OS, you may always check the right stroke order. The sample text means “Chinese letter’s stroke order” The font is avaiable here. via Modern Syntax Blog Japanese Font With [...]Japanese Font With Stroke Order...
- Japan’s Web News Week 1915 May 2012, 2:55 pm
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. Amazon Japan Begins Video Games Trade-In. US Amazon’s one is since March 2009. Twitter Releases Feature Phone Client [En], 2.5 Years Later For Japan [En] “Hello Call” – Laundromat Washer Machine [...]Japan’s Web News Week 19...
- Mixi Gives Up? Nikkei Business Report CEO Considering To Sell His 55% Ownership14 May 2012, 10:51 pm
Nikkei Business Online, an online version of business magazine under Nikkei group, on May 15 after the midnight reported that Mixi, one of Japan’s largest social networking service, a direct local competitor of Facebook, is on the table to sell itself. Some social networking competitors, such like Gree and DeNA(who runs Mobage), who had turned [...]Mixi Gives Up? Nikkei Business Report CEO Considering To Sell His 55% Ownership...
- Shiri, not Siri14 May 2012, 2:01 am
Shiri is better spelling for buttocks in Japanese. Apple's Siri is Apple's buttocks in Japan | Technically Incorrect – CNET News Shiri, not SiriShiri, not Siri...
- Paperbooya Releases “Dr. Teeth” For iPhone13 May 2012, 4:13 pm
Paperbooya has released “Dr. Teeth,” their first title, as a game application for iPhone. Download is free. Paperbooya is a joint venture company established [J] by paperboy&co. [J] and gooya [J] in January of this year with the purpose of developing and managing smartphone game applications. Their release at this time, “Dr. Teeth,” is a [...]Paperbooya Releases “Dr. Teeth” For iPhone...
- Kayac Releases iPhone App For Sharing Leftover Food10 May 2012, 1:18 pm
Kayac [J] has released “ZangPang,” an iPhone application for sharing leftover food. Download is free. “ZangPang” is an app based on the concept “Share with everyone what you can’t finish.” With this social sharing platform for publicly announcing leftover food, when you unintentionally order too much food at a restaurant, you post information and photos [...]Kayac Releases iPhone App For Sharing Leftover Food...
- Six Japanese Social Game Platformer Announced To End Complete Gacha9 May 2012, 2:12 pm
A communication council of 6 major Japanese social gaming platforms – Gree, DeNA(Mobage), Cyber Agent, Mixi, NHN Japan and Dwango – just released that they would not release new games having Kompu Gacha any more. Kompu Gatcha in current games will be also terminated by the end of this month. From this morning, Klab (major [...]Six Japanese Social Game Platformer Announced To End Complete Gacha...
- Editorial: U.S. monopoly of World Bank presidency should be ended4 April 2012, 6:30 am
The World Bank presidential race is being hotly contested....
- Editorial: Catastrophic quake, tsunami projections demand policy rethink3 April 2012, 8:56 am
If a major earthquake hits the "Nankai Trough" off central and western Japan's Pacific coast, the resulting tsunami could tower two to three times higher than previously estimated, according to an expert government panel announcement on March 31....
- Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Having one's own sanctuary for grief1 April 2012, 5:21 am
At a recent symposium that I attended, I learned some shocking information from Yasuyuki Shimizu, the head of a suicide prevention nonprofit organization called Lifelink....
- DPJ, LDP should form consensus on consumption tax hike31 March 2012, 6:26 am
With a consumption tax hike set for deliberation by the Diet, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) must now more than ever do their utmost to form a consensus on the issue....
- Editorial: Japan must be more humble toward foreign care workers30 March 2012, 8:40 am
Thirty six applicants passed the first care worker exam held for foreign care workers under Japan's Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with Indonesia and the Philippines....
- News Navigator: What's behind foreigners working at nursing care facilities in Japan?30 March 2012, 6:20 am
The Mainichi answers common questions readers may have about foreigners working at nursing care facilities in Japan....
- Insider trading clouds confidence in Japanese financial market29 March 2012, 9:20 am
"The securities market is like a mirror. You can polish it, but never stain it." The president of Nomura Securities Co....
- Sharp's alliance with Foxconn an unprecedented step to stem red ink28 March 2012, 8:29 am
Sharp Corp.'s announcement on March 27 that it will form a capital alliance with Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co....
- Editorial: Japan must take more active role in nuclear security28 March 2012, 6:40 am
Japan barely left an impression at the Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul on March 26 and 27....
- Remembering and remaking that which was destroyed27 March 2012, 1:12 pm
In this column, I have on previous occasions introduced the tireless efforts by filmmaker Masaaki Tanabe, 74, and others to record what happened to Hiroshima many decades ago....