We’ve had another fun week here at SD, doing our best to bring you interesting tech stories going down in Japan. But in case you missed any of it, here’s a wrap up below. If you’d like to get this weekly summary plus other bonus content, we hope you’ll check out our shiny new newsletter here.
Features
- Can crowdsourcing startups change Japans employment landscape? 04/04
- Shumito Club: DeNA’s social network for seniors in Japan 04/03
- 7 April Fools’ Day internet pranks from Japan 04/01
Business
- Co-work: A new corporate communication tool from Tokyo-based GaiaX 04/05
- Japanese chat app Line is making a fortune from stamps – But who’s buying? 04/05
- Tokyo Otaku Mode announces syndication deal with 13 news sites 04/04
Design
- Sega goes retro with a Dreamcast backpack for girls 04/07
- Amazing LED bathtub from Japan cycles through 7 soothing colors 04/05
- Ancient Japanese art finds an unlikely purpose in new Hello Kitty iPhone cover 04/05
- Uniqlo drops a unique pop-up shop at Tokyo’s Shibuya station 04/01
Apps
- Line’s ‘Wind Runner’ game for iPhone tops App Store charts in Asia 04/04
- How do you child-proof your smartphone? Japan’s Mimamorl app does the trick 04/02
- KakaoTalk passes 10 million downloads in Japan 04/02
- 7 crazy apps from Japan that should be April Fools’ jokes, but aren’t 04/01
Startups
- Cinnamon pitching private photo sharing to the Southeast Asian market 04/04
- New Docomo startup fund invests in two up-and-coming Japanese companies 04/03
- A new service gives Japanese students key info about their classes and profs 04/03
- Pitapat launches invitation-only QA app for startups and entrepreneurs 04/01