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A mobile game about natto, Japan’s famously bad-tasting beans

Rick Martin 2013.08.20

Here’s another unusual mobile game from Japan that sort of fits in the genre of ‘disgustingly cute’, like Battle Cats or Nameco. In fact Fermented Soybeans Factory, or Natto Koubou as it’s called in Japanese, looks like it’s trying to replicate many aspects the highly successful Nameco franchise from Bandai Namco, with the little brown beans sort of resembling Nameco mushrooms, and the pulling up motion much like Bandai’s.

It’s hard to believe that anyone made a game about natto, Japan’s famously bad-tasting fermented beans [1]. But that’s exactly what game developer Qooga has done.

Players are challenged with pulling out the bad beans and pushing down the good ones, all within the given 30 second time limit. If you do it well enough, you’ll make it to the next level, and hopefully collect some rare natto characters on the way.

If you’d like to see how it works, check my brief demo above. It’s really tricky to target the right beans when the spring up so fast. So while it’s certainly a casual title, it has a bit of a furious pace for the brief time that you play it.

If you’d like to try it out for yourself, it’s available as a free download for iOS or Android.

Thanks to Axel Games for pointing out this one.

While these beans are famous for being bad, I actually kind of like them. Nice omelette filling. ↩

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Japan’s Snapeee to host fashion event in Taiwan

Junya Mori 2013.08.20

See the original story in Japanese. Snapeee is a Japanese photo-sharing app serving more than five million users worldwide. Mind Palette, the startup behind the app, announced today it that it is planning to hold a promotional event featuring runway shows and music live performances for its fans in Taiwan. The event is called Snapeee Fes and it will take place on September 14th at ATT Show Box, Taipei, Taiwan. In addition to serving individual users, the service has set up corporate accounts for apparel brands and fashion magazines. According to the startup, one of the most popular users has so far earned 1.3 million followers on the platform. The event will be the first chance for the startup to promote their service, which has a very distinct Japanese ‘kawaii’ flavor. They will invite popular Japanese models like Tina Tamashiro and Yuka Mizuhara, as well as prominent Japanese fashion brands like Vivi, Peach John, and WeGo. 70% of Snapeee’s users comes from Japan, Taiwan, and the rest of the Asian region, and they tend to be mostly female. In Taiwan in particular, the user base includes many fashion bloggers or models who are conscious about the Kawaii fashion trend. The startup…

See the original story in Japanese.

Snapeee is a Japanese photo-sharing app serving more than five million users worldwide. Mind Palette, the startup behind the app, announced today it that it is planning to hold a promotional event featuring runway shows and music live performances for its fans in Taiwan. The event is called Snapeee Fes and it will take place on September 14th at ATT Show Box, Taipei, Taiwan.

In addition to serving individual users, the service has set up corporate accounts for apparel brands and fashion magazines. According to the startup, one of the most popular users has so far earned 1.3 million followers on the platform.

The event will be the first chance for the startup to promote their service, which has a very distinct Japanese ‘kawaii’ flavor. They will invite popular Japanese models like Tina Tamashiro and Yuka Mizuhara, as well as prominent Japanese fashion brands like Vivi, Peach John, and WeGo.

70% of Snapeee’s users comes from Japan, Taiwan, and the rest of the Asian region, and they tend to be mostly female. In Taiwan in particular, the user base includes many fashion bloggers or models who are conscious about the Kawaii fashion trend. The startup expects to keep organizing such kind of events in order to establish a solid brand image in the region.

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Japanese UI improvement platform planBCD raises $800,000

Takeshi Hirano 2013.08.20

See the original story in Japanese.PlanBCD is a platform that helps developers to improve the user interface on their web services. Kaizen Platform Inc., the Tokyo-based startup behind the service, announced today that it has raised seed funding worth $800,000 from Gree Ventures, GMO Venture Partners, and CyberAgent Ventures. With these funds, the company plans to intensify its system development and marketing efforts. The service provides developers with an A/B testing environment, especially useful for improving web content and interfaces, comparing the performance of multiple available options. It helps you test and optimize processes like sign-ups, purchases, or landing pages. Unlike other conventional services, planBCD allows you to conduct this time-consuming, trial-and-error process by only embedding a single-line of JavaScript on your website. The video below shows more details about how it works. In the closed beta version, they’ve seen examples where users have improved conversion rates on their websites by 130% to 170%. [T]here’s a big barrier to optimizing user traffic for clients unless they improve user interface on their websites. The most remarkable part of the service is that PlanBCD gives you ways to crowdsource the UI and UX improvement process, something which is often difficult to assign…

The service provides developers with an A/B testing environment, especially useful for improving web content and interfaces, comparing the performance of multiple available options. It helps you test and optimize processes like sign-ups, purchases, or landing pages. Unlike other conventional services, planBCD allows you to conduct this time-consuming, trial-and-error process by only embedding a single-line of JavaScript on your website. The video below shows more details about how it works. In the closed beta version, they’ve seen examples where users have improved conversion rates on their websites by 130% to 170%.

[T]here’s a big barrier to optimizing user traffic for clients unless they improve user interface on their websites.

The most remarkable part of the service is that PlanBCD gives you ways to crowdsource the UI and UX improvement process, something which is often difficult to assign someone in your company. The accumulation of A/B testing results will be stored on the service, helping you hand the process over to someone else if necessary.

The service is a combination of an easy-to-implement environment and crowdsourcing features. Kaizen was launched back in March of 2013 by Kenji Sudo. He previously worked at Japanese human resource company, Recruit, supervising the company’s ad-tech services. Sudo explained:

At Recruit, I was involved in ad optimization services for online advertising. But I learned that there’s a big barrier to optimizing user traffic for clients unless they improve user interface on their websites. But if we help them improve their websites, it hurts our overall business efficiency to the point where we can’t work on it. As a result, only rich companies can engage in the improvement process. So this was why we launched the testing service.

He notes that the service has acquired 200 crowdsourced workers for the UI testing operations, and they are appropriately ranked corresponding to their past testing performances.

The service’s pricing has three tiers according to the kind of workers you crowdsource your UI improvement tasks. It’s 100,000 yen ($1,000) a month for Standard, 200,000 yen ($2,000) a month for Professional, and 500,000 yen ($5,000) a month for Maestro. The service has a money-back guarantee so you will not be charged if you can’t see any improvement in your website performance. The charge is comprised of the monthly fee mentioned above plus a charge for how many times the embedded JavaScript test code is called.

The service is already used by many clients, including some enterprise companies. It’s a good indication that new business models comprising of a tool and a crowdsoucring service could be trending in the near future.

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Top 5: Private social networks for families

Yukari Mitsuhashi 2013.08.20

In the age of online sharing, many people have become less hesitant to share family photos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Many people would rather share private photos just among family. Here in Japan, there are a few options out there for such people. Here’s a list of five such made-in-Japan apps. 1. Wellnote ¶ Wellnote is a private social network for families provided by WellStyle. The app allows families to share family pictures, and even print and send 30 of their favorites for 525 yen (per address). Other features includes baby health-management, where family members can track the growth of their baby. Wellnote has also partnered with major enterprises such as Nissen and Gakken to provide education and other family-related news within the app. 2. Mago-Love ¶ ‘Mago-Love’ means ‘love for grandchildren’ in Japanese. On Mago-Love, users can share family photos with selected people. The app is simply designed, allowing even not so tech-savvy grandparents to skim through photos and comment on the ones they like. By bundling up many photos, the app can create movies or send them out as printed postcards. 3. Kazoc ¶ Yahoo Japan released its app for families back in Feburary of this…

1. Wellnote ¶

Wellnote is a private social network for families provided by WellStyle. The app allows families to share family pictures, and even print and send 30 of their favorites for 525 yen (per address). Other features includes baby health-management, where family members can track the growth of their baby. Wellnote has also partnered with major enterprises such as Nissen and Gakken to provide education and other family-related news within the app.

2. Mago-Love ¶

‘Mago-Love’ means ‘love for grandchildren’ in Japanese. On Mago-Love, users can share family photos with selected people. The app is simply designed, allowing even not so tech-savvy grandparents to skim through photos and comment on the ones they like. By bundling up many photos, the app can create movies or send them out as printed postcards.

3. Kazoc ¶

Yahoo Japan released its app for families back in Feburary of this year. It’s called Kazoc. The app is designed to be a digital alternative to the kind of handbooks that mothers use to keep track of their baby’s health while pregant. The app requires users to login using their Yahoo credentials.

After the baby is born, mothers can record the baby’s height and weight, and it also works as a checklist for vaccines and medical checkups. The invited family members can chat in the feed and share photos. Free accounts allows you to save up to 1,000 photos, and with a monthly fee of 250 yen users can save up to 5,000 photos.

4. Nicori ¶

Nicori might be a good app for those of you with grandparents who have not yet switched to smartphones. The app allows users to send photos using a dedicated URL that can be viewed on feature phones or computers every time a photo is posted to the app. Nicori allows photos to be shared with up to ten people, and for every photo the sharing settings can be specified so that only selected family members can see. All uploaded photos can be viewed in a calendar, giving you a better idea of how you’re spending your days with your children.

5. Raku-Communication ¶

The concept behind Raku-Communication is to make families feel as if they’re living under the same roof even when they live apart from each other. By using Raku-Communication, in addition to just sharing photos, grandparents can feel as if they live together with their grandchildren by exchanging memos with them. Calling requires all your attention, and can steal away your time when you’re busy doing other things. Notes gives families a way to communicate on their own terms. You can also attach hand-written notes to photos if you like.

Some non-Japanese alternatives worth checking out:

Notabli (this one is especially good)
Glassboard
23snaps

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Japanese social network for couples marks 5M monthly pageviews

Takeshi Hirano 2013.08.20

See the original story in Japanese. Pairy is a Japanese social network for couples. It was first launched back in June of 2012, but Timers, the startup behind the app, has just released a new version of the app. According to the company, its monthly pageviews count hit 5 million recently, and they are hoping for even more potential by adding new features. In recent years we have seen many social networks for people in close relationships, like Path (launched in October of 2011), Couple (November 2010), and Between (February 2011). After you approve a connection request from your significant other on the app, you can create a sharable album, enjoy chatting, find dating spots, and share an event calendar. With this latest renewal of the app, there will be a new feature that allows you and your partner to look back on your memories together. According to CEO Toshimasa Takahashi and COO Koichiro Tawa, the company conducted a user survey that showed users are keen to browse memories of the past. They explained: Almost a half of our female users look back on what they have talked about with their boyfriends using a chat app or Line. But in…

See the original story in Japanese.

Pairy is a Japanese social network for couples. It was first launched back in June of 2012, but Timers, the startup behind the app, has just released a new version of the app. According to the company, its monthly pageviews count hit 5 million recently, and they are hoping for even more potential by adding new features.

In recent years we have seen many social networks for people in close relationships, like Path (launched in October of 2011), Couple (November 2010), and Between (February 2011).

After you approve a connection request from your significant other on the app, you can create a sharable album, enjoy chatting, find dating spots, and share an event calendar. With this latest renewal of the app, there will be a new feature that allows you and your partner to look back on your memories together.

According to CEO Toshimasa Takahashi and COO Koichiro Tawa, the company conducted a user survey that showed users are keen to browse memories of the past. They explained:

Almost a half of our female users look back on what they have talked about with their boyfriends using a chat app or Line.

But in terms of looking over memories, the Line mobile app or existing social networks would probably suffice. This is why the startup has added a new feature to the app, allowing users to plan a date with their partner online. They added:

We are also providing third party information about possible date spots. We conducted a survey about the “couples market” and learned that it is worth as much as 1.3 trillion yen (approximately $13.27 million) if you include things like restaurants, hotels, and gifting etc. Our app allows users to arrange reasonably (priced) but remarkable date planning.

The duo previously worked at Japanese ad agent Hakuhodo back in 2010. They submitted a business plan for the original concept of the Pairy app at the company’s in-house business contest. They went on to launch the startup together with three engineers who previously worked with DeNA, and subsequently it was chosen for the first batch of Docomo’s incubation program.

Since the app targets a very niche demographic, it will need a more deliberate monetization models than conventional social media such as Line or Facebook. Although typical social media apps highlight their messaging or chatting features, it is interesting to see what the newly added date planning feature will bring to this app.

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Google remembers Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings with online archive

Rick Martin 2013.08.19

Today Google Japan announced that it has made two notable additions to its online Cultural Institute, incorporating new material from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. This coincides with the recent anniversaries of the two WW2 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took place in 1945 on August 6th and 9th, respectively. It’s an important archive of two tragic moments in human history which shouldn’t be forgotten [1]. Even for those of us who feel we might already be familiar with these historical events, the images and artifacts left behind after the bombings help to convey the enormous sense of human loss that’s hard to grasp with history books alone. Google also has some Hiroshima Peace Memorial materials available on its site for primary and secondary school teachers who may want to teach more about the event. The internet giant has also archived other important events in Japan recently, most notably the effects of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as various cultural events and landmarks, all using Google Street View technology. A Google Japan rep notes in the blog post that while this event took place 68 years ago, the average age of…

This coincides with the recent anniversaries of the two WW2 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took place in 1945 on August 6th and 9th, respectively. It’s an important archive of two tragic moments in human history which shouldn’t be forgotten [1]. Even for those of us who feel we might already be familiar with these historical events, the images and artifacts left behind after the bombings help to convey the enormous sense of human loss that’s hard to grasp with history books alone.

Google also has some Hiroshima Peace Memorial materials available on its site for primary and secondary school teachers who may want to teach more about the event.

The internet giant has also archived other important events in Japan recently, most notably the effects of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as various cultural events and landmarks, all using Google Street View technology.

A Google Japan rep notes in the blog post that while this event took place 68 years ago, the average age of a survivor is now about 79 years old. So certainly archival projects like these, both online and offline, are becoming increasingly important as time goes by.

Regrettably, language switching isn’t very easy in this archive, and the only way I found I could switch to English was by actually hacking the URL to include ‘en’. If you want the Japanese language archives, you can find them here: Hiroshima Peace Museum, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum ↩

A mobile game about natto, Japan’s famously bad-tasting beans

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1. Wellnote ¶

2. Mago-Love ¶

3. Kazoc ¶

4. Nicori ¶

5. Raku-Communication ¶

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