USA Today tries to understand the iPhone and Japan
I saw this story on Japanese eager to get hands on iPhones, and whilst I am somewhat irked that USA Today did not choose to interview me on the subject, I did get a hearty laugh at this comment:
Culture. “The iPhone’s broad and easily accessible screen could actually be a liability in Japan,” says Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. Japanese are “accustomed to doing more in smaller spaces — and keeping things to themselves. The (pornographic comics) you download on the subway may be all too visible to your neighboring commuter” if you’re using an iPhone.
As anyone who regularly commutes on Japanese trains will tell you, everyone from youths to suited businessmen freely read manga of varying degrees of sauciness, and I’ve never seen anyone make any effort to hide the fact that they are studying the adult entertainment sections of the sports newspapers complete with not just topless women, but even the occassional pornographic image, although edited to hide any naughty bits.
Secondly, there is quite a large market in privacy screens, polarising filters for mobiles to stop people glancing sideways at your mobile, although with the iPhone being able to be viewed in both landscape and portrait orientation, there might be a slight technical issue here.
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Taro 3Yen.com said,
August 23, 2007 @ 16:23
>>Japanese are “accustomed to doing more in smaller spaces — and keeping things to themselves.
Taro 3Yen.com said,
August 23, 2007 @ 16:29
I detest VIOLENTLY everything about the cramped interfaces of Japanese cellphones, but Japanese folks love typing on their keitai one-handed, bah.
On the other hand, the iPhone and Blackberry have a two-hand interface that most Japanese dislike since they have many years practice with “10-key” input of Japanese on the numeric keypads of keitai (which is as effective as a regular keyboard for Japanese input).
Power users in Japan will love the iPhone, but the mainstream Japanese market of “gals” and girlie guys will want the smallest, cutest keitai for wanking one-handed.
wintersweet said,
August 25, 2007 @ 14:37
Not to mention that they make privacy screens for phones of various sizes, and I’m sure they’ll make an iPhone-sized one.
In the book _Japanamerica_, Kelts all but claims that 9/11 was responsible for the popularity of Evangelion in the US–which is off by a couple of years, as I recall. I quit reading the book at that point.
Jamie said,
November 22, 2007 @ 17:05
“Power users”, Taro3Yen.com?
No, power users will want a device capable of yahoo-free push email, the editing of office applications AND applications from third party venders.