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Apple in the pink for Japan’s cherry blossom season

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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Here in Japan, the annual cherry blossom season is upon us, as cherry trees have already started to flower in the nation’s more southern regions, with Tokyo expected to be blooming this weekend or early next week. Interestingly, Japan’s hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season has an almost holiday like status, and even Apple is in agreement, with a featured section in the App Store for hanami-related apps and media. The recommended apps include some obvious choices like ‘Cherry Blossoms – Best 100 in Japan’ and the somewhat pricey Sakura reference book app. But other recommendations like the Pizza Hut app certainly won’t go unappreciated by the many park-goers in Japan once they down a few beers. This featured section of the Japanese App Store is an interesting addition by Apple. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any other naturally occurring phenomenon that has received such status from the Cupertino company. This is a good example of how a company should be aware of local customs and traditions here in Japan. The local mobile market can be a tough nut to crack, but anticipating user needs during seasonal times or holidays is one way that a company…

hanami-apple

Here in Japan, the annual cherry blossom season is upon us, as cherry trees have already started to flower in the nation’s more southern regions, with Tokyo expected to be blooming this weekend or early next week. Interestingly, Japan’s hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season has an almost holiday like status, and even Apple is in agreement, with a featured section in the App Store for hanami-related apps and media.

The recommended apps include some obvious choices like ‘Cherry Blossoms – Best 100 in Japan’ and the somewhat pricey Sakura reference book app. But other recommendations like the Pizza Hut app certainly won’t go unappreciated by the many park-goers in Japan once they down a few beers.

This featured section of the Japanese App Store is an interesting addition by Apple. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any other naturally occurring phenomenon that has received such status from the Cupertino company.

This is a good example of how a company should be aware of local customs and traditions here in Japan. The local mobile market can be a tough nut to crack, but anticipating user needs during seasonal times or holidays is one way that a company like Apple can connect with consumers.

If you’re searching for some popular hanami spots in Tokyo, here are a few recommended ones over on The Japan Times, as well as extensive lists of spots from WalkerPlus and the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association.

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Google Maps adds spectacular 45-degree aerial view to select Japanese cities

SCORE 1,177 Rick Martin Rick Martin
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Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced that it has added Tokyo, Kawasaki, Chiba, and Sendai to the list of cities worldwide that have the slick 45-degree aerial view feature. Somewhat similar to Apple’s touted ‘flyover’ feature, this view was initially rolled out in 37 US cities as well as 14 international cities last year. Now on Google Maps you can check out iconic locations such as Tokyo Tower or even the new Tokyo Skytree from a 45-degree vantage point. As you can see in the pictures below, the view looks pretty amazing. The 45-degree perspective doesn’t appear right away, but once you’ve zoomed into a certain level, it suddenly kicks in. Eye-candy aside, this is actually a pretty practical feature, especially if you’re trying to scout out a new place you plan to visit. I find myself often confused when visiting some stations, so I expect to make use of it often [1[. You might also want to check out Google’s Streetview compilation of cherry blossom viewing spots. Trees are just starting to bloom in Japan, so if you’d like to scout a spot near you for this weekend, this is a fun resource to explore! Sometimes it feels a little like…

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced that it has added Tokyo, Kawasaki, Chiba, and Sendai to the list of cities worldwide that have the slick 45-degree aerial view feature. Somewhat similar to Apple’s touted ‘flyover’ feature, this view was initially rolled out in 37 US cities as well as 14 international cities last year.

Now on Google Maps you can check out iconic locations such as Tokyo Tower or even the new Tokyo Skytree from a 45-degree vantage point. As you can see in the pictures below, the view looks pretty amazing. The 45-degree perspective doesn’t appear right away, but once you’ve zoomed into a certain level, it suddenly kicks in.

tokyo-tower-google-maps

tokyo-skytree-google-maps

Eye-candy aside, this is actually a pretty practical feature, especially if you’re trying to scout out a new place you plan to visit. I find myself often confused when visiting some stations, so I expect to make use of it often [1[.

You might also want to check out Google’s Streetview compilation of cherry blossom viewing spots. Trees are just starting to bloom in Japan, so if you’d like to scout a spot near you for this weekend, this is a fun resource to explore!

  1. Sometimes it feels a little like Mario Bros, coming up in a strange new world after traveling around in a series of pipes. ↩

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