japan

Yahoo tops in Japan, Google close behind

ComScore on Wednesday released its ranking of the top search properties in Japan during the month of September 2008. And although the same two leaders in the U.S. -- Google and Yahoo -- top the list, it's Google that's trailing in Japan.

According to ComScore's qSearch data, 5.9 billion searches were conducted in Japan in September and the average person searched 96 times during the month. Yahoo led the way in search query volume with 3 billion searches and 51 percent market share, but Google wasn't far behind with 2.3 billion searches and … Read more

One NEC: It's a start

Last month I wrote about how Fujitsu is getting more serious about being an integrated worldwide business--rather than a Japanese company that sells elsewhere only opportunistically. Since then, I've spent a couple of days in Tokyo at the NEC Global Analyst Summit. Like Fujitsu, NEC is a Japanese electronics manufacturer with a long history (dating back to 1899) and a wide range of product lines. And it, too, has had less success selling IT equipment to North American enterprises than it would have liked.

Like its long-standing competitor, that's a state of affairs that NEC wants to change. … Read more

Household bot makes theatrical debut

The Wakamaru is best known as a domestic robot that can greet guests and provide information like weather forecasts. But soon, it may be signing autographs and being trailed by paparazzi.

Tuesday marked the theatrical debut for the bot, which appeared onstage alongside real-life actors in a play that's being hailed as a first in robot-human artistic collaboration. Hataraku Watashi ("I, Worker"), by playwright Oriza Hirata, focuses on a couple who own two housekeeping robots, one of which loses its motivation to work.

The 20-minute production took place at Japan's Osaka University--where Hirata is also a … Read more

Off-topic: Bad economy foils Japan's Roppongi Hills

If you're not familiar with Roppongi Hills, it's a giant development in Tokyo with high-end shops and housing. It's known for having lots of ex-pat bankers from Lehman, Goldman Sachs as locals and a bar/mating scene unlike anywhere else on earth.

But all is not well says the Times Online. The down economy and failing banks are dragging down the image of the area, despite a $4 billion developer investment.

It is Thursday night and Roppongi romance - or at least, the calculated brand of romance that used to be the currency in this Tokyo bar … Read more

The 404 226: Where Jason Howell is directly responsible for the content of The 404

Jason Howell, Buzz Out Loud producer and podcast guru, joins the show today, so you can complain to him about anything we say that offends you. As per our m.o., we bring out the worst in Jason, taking him for a tour of the magical land of NSFW. In today's headlines, McDonald's sales are up despite the economic crisis while they serve up Japanese burgers in a "no logo" storefront. Also, the iPhone wants to charge you for tethering, Turkey sues Christopher Nolan and, as always, tons of calls from the public.

Dan the Mantern here. Something you might have missed on the show today: The 404 got a big shout-out from everyone's hyper-liberal political blog, The Huffington Post. Justin, no surprise, was searching the site for mentions of the podcast on Twitter and happened to come across a Huffington Post tweet plugging the show. We severely doubt that Arianna herself tunes in, but we would appreciate if the phantom Twitter-er/404 fan would identify him or herself! As I'm writing this post, the Twitter search function is down, so no jpeg proving this claim, but I swear, I saw it with my own two eyes!

EPISODE 226 Download today's podcast … Read more

'Fire' lights up your wrist, but probably not your life

Tokyoflash, which previously brought us such aptly named wristwatches as the Infection, has alerted us to its latest vexing timepiece, the Fire. But not to fret: if you have trouble telling the time with this thing (which you almost certainly will), at least you'll be a conversation piece.

The sci-fi-looking cuff, which weighs about a tenth of a pound, features plastic wrapped around a sheet of polished stainless steel with holes drilled into it. Beneath each hole are LEDs that represent units of time. Yellow LEDs indicate hours 1-12, red LEDs indicate groups of 10 minutes, and green LEDs … Read more

Surprise: Nintendo DSi launching in Japan Saturday

Rumor had it the Nintendo DSi, a new, slimmer version of the DS Lite, would ship first in Japan in early summer of next year. But in a surprise move, Nintendo has said the recently announced handheld game system is ready to ship.

According to Michelle Wyman, a spokeswoman for Nintendo, the DSi goes on sale Saturday in Japan for 18,900 yen, which is about $192.16.

The device does away with the Game Boy Advance card slot to make room for a smaller footprint and new features like a VGA camera and an external camera rumored to be … Read more

Tomato soap, not soup

Everybody knows tomatoes are good for you. After all, they are vegetables...or fruits, depending on whom you ask. Either way--fruit or vegetable--those juicy, red spheres are packed with nutrients. Although many varieties exist, from heirloom to the new cancer-fighting purple tomato, it is an ingredient in the good ol' fashioned red tomato that is the focus here.

Lycopene is deep red in color and found in various fruits and vegetables. The tomato (which is quite red) has a high concentration of the antioxidant. Thought to be helpful in countering the effects of aging, lycopene may not be an essential … Read more

Video: Nintendo DSi in action

Shortly after rumors began to surface about a Nintendo DS successor, the company officially announced that the next Nintendo handheld would be called the DSi and will include two bigger screens, two cameras, and would be 12 percent slimmer than the DS lite (at the expense of the Game Boy Advance slot). But perhaps what's most exciting about the DSi is the addition of a DS Store, where you'll be able to download games directly to the device (which will also have an SD slot). For a First Look at the new DSi and its store, watch the … Read more