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In Japan, a social network where single women can vent frustrations

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Earlier today I wrote about a unique Japanese social network focused on souvenirs. And here’s another strange one. Amaryllis is a social network that allows single ladies in Japan to vent about their life. The community was first launched back in Feburary, and Tokyo-based Zappallas, the company behind this unusual social network, recently unveiled mobile apps for iOS and Android. The company created the community so that single women could vent anonymously about their everyday life as a form of stress relief. Amaryllis is designed for easy use, providing just three main features: Boyaki (which means grouch), ‘Tamariba’ (or ‘gathering place’), and Following. Using the Boyaki feature, users can freely express anything or complain about whatever they want because comments and sharing are not available. If you come across someone you think is interesting, or if you are concerned about the same issues, you can follow her. In the gathering place, single women can post questions to other women. It’s interesting how by using illustrated characters for avatars, their anonymity is more protected, allowing them to express themselves without any reservations. Some examples of topics I found on the gathering place include: A text just asking ‘What Are You Up…

Amaryllis

Earlier today I wrote about a unique Japanese social network focused on souvenirs. And here’s another strange one. Amaryllis is a social network that allows single ladies in Japan to vent about their life.

The community was first launched back in Feburary, and Tokyo-based Zappallas, the company behind this unusual social network, recently unveiled mobile apps for iOS and Android. The company created the community so that single women could vent anonymously about their everyday life as a form of stress relief.

Amaryllis is designed for easy use, providing just three main features: Boyaki (which means grouch), ‘Tamariba’ (or ‘gathering place’), and Following. Using the Boyaki feature, users can freely express anything or complain about whatever they want because comments and sharing are not available. If you come across someone you think is interesting, or if you are concerned about the same issues, you can follow her.

In the gathering place, single women can post questions to other women. It’s interesting how by using illustrated characters for avatars, their anonymity is more protected, allowing them to express themselves without any reservations. Some examples of topics I found on the gathering place include:

  • A text just asking ‘What Are You Up To?’ is annoying
  • What kind of posts turns you off on social networks?
  • This couple really pissed me off

There is a character called Mitsuko on the site who works like a guide to Amaryllis. She posts questionnaires about all kinds of topics ranging from gossip to love issues to an annoying boss.

This sort of secret venting is a surprisingly popular vertical in Japan. There was a mobile social network called ‘Boys Farm’ by CyberAgent a few years back. It let women talk about guys, and actually refer to them by name, disclosing their real identities. That proved to be controversial, and the site was subsequently shut down within a week. Readers may also recall that I wrote about Japanese microblog Arrow’ back in April. That platform allows users to vent their stress toward a single random stranger. There is also an anonymous Q&A social network called ‘Hatsugen-Komachi’ which is wildly popular too. It is operated by a major newspaper company here in Japan.

Will this anger-release niche work out for Amaryllis? We will have to wait and see!