Japan an advanced mobile marketing and communications ecology

Its all going gangbusters in Japan from Why mobile Japan leads the world

A combination of an urban lifestyle and infrastructure advantages mean that the fixed internet is being left behind by the mobile, claims the Guardian.

Books on mobile, whoever would have though it?

Yasuko San is aiming her mobile at a small, square tattoo on paper, clicking a little and peering happily at the result. Her prize? The latest novel written for the mobile, entitled "Teddy". Such serialised novels for mobiles are just the latest phone application that has caught the Japanese imagination, but - apart from neighbouring South Korea - few others.

2D barcodes something Tomi blogged about a while back are just maketing they debut here in the UK 4 years after Japan. Tomi's post I want them everywhere, 2D barcodes: LOVE THEM, no more typing!

Oh what else is there, well

You can also collect e-coupons, pay bills, play Final Fantasy, update your blog and pay and check into hotels wirelessly. Soon the airport check-in will be history in Japan, too, as the e-ticket in your phone becomes your boarding pass.

Nearly all are services based on the success of the mobile web in Japan, where in a nation of 127 million the number of mobile internet subscribers recently passed 100 million. Not for nothing are the Japanese now known as the Thumb Tribe - a tribe who, for the most part, prefer their mobile to the fixed internet.

In fact in Japan 70% play videogames weekly on mobile, 38% play daily

And here is Tomi talking about mobile and Japan Then you get Buy it as you See it Fashion Shows on mobile phones in Japan whilst you could dig into Tomi the economist and mobile Japan

And back to Mobile Japan

It is no wonder those touting m-commerce as the next big web thing tell us Japan is the future blueprint. "Japan is the world's high-tech testbed for a wide range of consumer electronic devices and systems - many of which never see the light of day in overseas markets," says Daniel Scuka, keitai guru and consultant for publishers Wireless Watch Japan. "So keeping up with developments here is vital to knowing what's going to hit Europe and the US 24 months in the future; doubly so with respect to mobile and wireless."

By offering the Japanese a multiplicity of services - and, very importantly, some very cool handsets to use them on - the operators have created what every western mobile service provider is dreaming of: a mobile lifestyle culture that keeps millions reaching for the mobile rather than the fixed internet. But it does have its disadvantages.

Open API's - it was invented n Japan, because nobody is as clever as everybody

NTT DoCoMo's Takeshi Natsuno beleives the Japanese have a genius for designing new technologies that can be adopted by anyone. Right on. Mass creativity, Mass collaboration, Mass participation and importantly clever intelligent revenue sharing models that inspire economic creavity and application in the marketplace.

Not this locked down bullshit.

And as Bill Bailey says, start with a laugh and work backwards.

The Japanese are blessed with some of the best-looking technology in the world. It has to be intuitive, simple and high-quality, not because the Japanese are so tech-savvy, but because they are the most demanding consumers in the world.

And here is Tomi blogging about content for the 7th Mass Media mobile

A tasty stat: there is now more email sent in Japan by mobile phones than by PCs. Like hello. And further tasty stats for mobile

Hopefully I am heading out to Japan with Tomi very soon, we would love to meet anyone that wants to meet us, and I want to soak up the energy, creativity and commercial power of mobile in Japan

Further reading on Japan and mobile just click right here!

Comments

[Zbigniew Lukasiak]

I wander how much this mobile boom in far east is influenced by the use of the ideogram script. I would expect that the amount of text you can read in one sweep on the phone in Japanese can carry much more meaning than the same amount of text in English. But on the other hand inputing those characters might be more difficult.

[Alan moore]

Z. Thats an interesting point.

And I don't know the answer, perhaps Lars in Tokyo might be able to assist? Lars?

And thanks for posting

[Lars]

Hi Guys:

Good question, however as you pointed-out input is a major challenge considering there are several thousand kanji characters plus Hiragana and Katakana (is always) mixed-in as well.. Yikes.

Simply put, the 'mobile boom' in Japan has much more to do with the operators business models and therefore the availability of networks, handsets, content and services to encourage end user adoption.

Sorry, I'm a bit rushed here on a Friday but thought you might like to follow the links below, including a free 50-page .pdf preview, for our latest research paper "Japan Mobile Internet Report"

http://www.wirelesswatch.jp/reports/
http://www.wirelesswatch.jp/docs/JMIR_Sample.pdf

I hope that helps!