japan

Huge amounts of open source development in Japan

Who knew there was so much open source development going on in Japan?

The photo is from the Seasar Seminar that I attended today after the SOA (service oriented architecture) seminars we did with our partner OGIS-RI earlier this week.

Seasar is a *hugely* popular open source Java framework that simplifies J2EE applications. I have to admit I was shocked at how many people attended the event on a Sunday and just how many open source projects are being developed in Japan. In our Mule session alone there were guys from 6 different open source projects. Very cool.

There are … Read more

Off-topic: My kingdom for wifi, and how to get a Japanese mobile phone

I know everyone has a mobile phone here (keitai) but they all have laptops too and there is no easy Wifi in this whole city.

One of the most frustrating things this week was the fact that none of our mobile phones worked. In my attempts to get a prepaid phone or a short-term or whatever we discovered that you have to have a Japanese passport to get a phone since they are subsidized by the phone companies. That and the fact that they really don't want to sell you just the phone.

However, we learned that there are … Read more

The best of Japanese food technology: Ramen Radar

I have a bit of a noodle problem whenever I get to Japan--like I have to eat noodles at least once a day or I freak out. Today I had Udon for breakfast and we'll see what dinner brings.

In case you think that noodles are not serious business here you might be interested in this fancy new Ramen Radar application (Windows only, cursed beast) that tracks ramen shops based on peoples reports.

Just when the trains and crowds of Tokyo start to make you nuts, something like this comes along and renews my faith in humanity.

Going global: Launching your start-up in Japan

I am in Tokyo this week as we launch MuleSource in Japan. Pics and posts to come as I recover from the 11-hour flight. Somehow I managed to forget my watch, so I am not convinced that the flight was only 11 hours. It felt like multiple lifetimes.

At our Wii-off last week several people asked me if they should start considering expansion into global markets and specifically Japan. The answer is if your company is doing less than $10 million in revenue, probably not. The reason we're going for it is because there is a big push of … Read more

Photos: A stroll through Akihabara, gadget center of the world

While waiting for the doors to open at the Tokyo auto show this week, senior editor Wayne Cunningham hit the legendary gadget district of Akihabara in search of weird and wonderful electronics. He wasn't disappointed, finding a trove of tech toys from the Sony Roly to lipstick-shaped MP3 players. Check out his photo gallery here.

Photos: Kappabashi: Tokyo's food district

When computer geeks come to Japan, they head toward the electronics neighborhood called Akihabara. But when food freaks visit Tokyo, their destination is Kappabashi-dori, a mile-plus-long street sporting several dozen stores that carry all manner of kitchenware and food.

Here you can find coffee cups half a storey tall, a thousand kinds of bowls, plastic sushi, restaurant ware, and more bento boxes than you can shake a whisk at.

CNET's sister sites CHOW and Reviews have joined their mighty forces to bring you "Cooking up a high-tech kitchen," an in-depth look at several kitchens' worth of cooking … Read more

This Tokyo relocation guide will make you want to move

Traveling in Japan, I have come across a Tokyo relocation guide so good it almost makes me want to move here. Tokyo: Here and How was produced by the Tokyo American Club Women's Group. This brand-new guide solves many of the mysteries confronting a Western family who is moving to Japan. From culture, to schools, to obtaining medical care, the guide leads families through each step of the process. As a visitor I found it an intriguing read. As a transplant it would be an indispensable 350-page resource.… Read more

From Japan comes the virtual copy repair man

CHIBA, Japan--Canon wants to take you into a virtual world so you can learn how to change toner cartridges better.

The headgear you see in the photo, along with the cube with the squiggles, is part of a "Mixed Reality Technology" prototype coined by Canon, which showed it off over the weekend during a special future-tech exhibit at Ceatec, the large Japanese trade show here.

It's called mixed reality because virtual and real-world images are mixed into one frame. When you put the goggles on and stare at the cube, you don't see squiggles. Instead, you … Read more

Kiii-YAAA! Norton 360... to the rescue?

I can't remember the last time I saw a TV ad for a piece of software. Not watching much TV doesn't really play into this. TV ads are just too expensive for the average software publisher to purchase. The market in Japan is different, though. It'll support just about anything with folks in weird costumes doing even weirder things.

So it's my pleasure--no, really, I feel good about this--to introduce you to Symantec's Norton 360 ads. Called CM's in the local parlance, they feature a yellow Power Ranger-style superhero called Norton Fighter getting attacked by a gang of mostly black-clad ninja-type characters who're supposed to resemble viruses and other malware.

Hot trend in Japan: Gesture recognition

CHIBA, Japan--The finger is the new mouse in Japan.

At the Ceatec show here this week, a whole raft of Japanese companies are showing off prototypes or upcoming products that users operate by making gestures or moving their fingers.

Toshiba showed off a PC that you operate with hand gestures. Hitachi Metals had a product in their booth called "Magic Waters." You wave a wand and point it at a fountain and the waters jump, sort of like the fountain at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Sharp has a screen that will let phone manufacturers put on … Read more