Japan Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Ghost Trick sneaks onto iOS tomorrow

by Mike Schramm (Feb 1st, 2012)

I'm excited about this one -- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was one of the best mobile games on the year that didn't appear on iOS in 2011, but the wait is over: Though it's been on iOS in Japan for a little while, the game is finally coming to the App Store on this side of the world this ...

Japanese customers line up for Apple's Lucky Bags

by Megan Lavey-Heaton (Jan 2nd, 2012)

Apple Stores in Japan have continued the fukubukuro or "mystery bag" tradition, where sealed bags of merchandise are offered on New Year's Day at a hefty discount. If you're extremely lucky, you'll come away with a piece of coveted merchandise. Apple has been doing this in Japan since 2005. The ...

Steve Jobs's long and complex relationship with Japan

by Michael Rose (Dec 30th, 2011)

Japanese writer Hayashi Nobuyuki has written a thoughtful article on Steve Jobs and Japan, covering both the professional and personal influences that helped shape Jobs's path through life and with Apple. The piece has been translated into English, and it's worth a read. Jobs considered himself ...

Samsung seeks iPhone 4S sales ban in Japan, Australia

by Kelly Hodgkins (Oct 17th, 2011)

After facing setbacks in Germany and Australia, Samsung is striking back at Apple by filing an injunction request for the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4 and the iPad in Japan. Samsung filed the injunction based on one patent the company holds for HSPA connectivity and three it holds for UI design. ...

KDDI to end Softbank's iPhone exclusivity in Japan in 2012

by Kelly Hodgkins (Sep 22nd, 2011)

A rumor from Japan's Nikkei newspaper suggests wireless carrier KDDI will begin selling the iPhone 5 early next year. This deal would end the exclusive iPhone agreement Japanese carrier Softbank has enjoyed the past few years. And enjoy it, Softbank has. In its June quarterly earnings, ...

Square bringing Chrono Trigger, others to iOS (and Android)

by Mike Schramm (Sep 17th, 2011)

The Tokyo Game Show is currently going on in Japan, and here's some news from there that us old school gamers will appreciate: Square Enix is planning on bringing my absolute favorite console RPG ever, Chrono Trigger, over to iOS. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information on when it'll be ...

Apple asks Japan court to ban sale of Samsung phones

by Dave Caolo (Sep 8th, 2011)

In a move that should surprise no one, Apple has asked a Japan court to ban the sale of Samsung phones. Specifically, Apple has filed a suit in Tokyo district court to halt sales of the Galaxy S and the S II, as well as the Galaxy Tab 7. The Cupertino company is after 100 million yen (about ...

Scosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation

by Steven Sande (Aug 31st, 2011)

Scosche Industries produces a wide line of accessories for Apple products, ranging from iPad cases and flexible keyboards to screen cleaners and headphones. Now the company has developed and is selling the RDTX-PRO Radiation Detector and app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Primarily designed ...

Apple reportedly adds earthquake warning to Japanese iOS

by Kelly Hodgkins (Aug 22nd, 2011)

Apple is supposedly adding an Earthquake widget to its Japanese version of iOS 5. The widget will connect to Japan's earthquake warning system and will alert iPhone owners of an impending natural disaster. The system will tie into iOS 5's new notification center and give Japanese residents a ...

iPhones, iPads drive Softbank's huge Q1 profits

by Steven Sande (Jul 28th, 2011)

Being a carrier partner of Apple can help drive your bottom line. As reported on The Apple Blog, Japanese cellular carrier Softbank's fiscal first quarter results showed an almost 500 percent increase in net income over the same quarter in 2010. To what did Softbank attribute the spectacular ...

Nintendo's Pokemon getting an iOS app

by Mike Schramm (Jul 6th, 2011)

Nintendo has been careful not to support Apple at all with its iOS initiative -- though mobile devices are huge in Japan (and a lot of Japanese companies have found success even on the North American App Store), the general feeling out of the video gaming giant seems to be that Apple's iPhone and ...

DeNA bringing Infinity Blade X to Japan's Mobage platform

by Mike Schramm (Jun 22nd, 2011)

DeNA's been on the iOS hunt for about a year now -- I saw them at GDC Online last fall asking developers to create games for their Mobage mobile platform in Japan, and then they outright purchased popular iOS developer ngmoco not long after that. Now they've put together plans to bring another ...

The iPhone 4 sales ranking in Japan

by Kelly Hodgkins (May 18th, 2011)

Even in cell phone crazed Japan, the iPhone 4 is the top-selling handset according to a report from market research firm GfK Japan. Data from the first quarter of 2011 shows the 16 GB and 32 GB models in first and second place, respectively. Rounding out the top three is the Android-powered ...

Apple offering free repairs for iPod touches, iPhones, and Macs damaged in the Japan quake and tsunami

by Michael Grothaus (May 13th, 2011)

Apple is offering free service and repair to those Mac users who were affected by the Japan tsunami and earthquake in March. As stated in a Support & Information Services note [Japanese version/ Google-translated English version] on Apple's Japanese website, the company is offering free ...

Softbank profits surge thanks to the iPhone and iPad

by Kelly Hodgkins (May 9th, 2011)

Japan's number three wireless carrier, Softbank, reported record profits thanks to the success of the iPhone and the iPad. Net profit for the quarter ending in March climbed to Y47.41 billion, up from Y1.85 billion in the same quarter last year. Softbank's ARPU (average revenue per user) also ...