Facebook Japan Story in The Japan Times

The article I wrote about whether Facebook Japan will make a dent in the local SNS market was published in today's edition of The Japan Times:

Japanese Facebook takes Model T Approach

By LISA KATAYAMA
Special to The Japan Times

Late last month, as part of a rare work-vacation trip to Asia, Mark Zuckerberg made a quick stop in Tokyo to announce the launch of Facebook Japan. Facebook, a social-networking Web site that the 24-year-old new billionaire created while he was a Harvard undergraduate, is one of the most popular online communities in the world. But as Zuckerberg stood on stage at the Aoyama Diamond Hall convention center in his boyish red hair and black blazer, the audience was skeptical.

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Comments

[Serkan Toto]

Very good article, Lisa!

The market for SNS in Japan is a "winner-takes-it-all"-market. No one over here is interested in Facebook and Facebook doesn't care.

->"the Japanese interface is mediocre at best"

->"Facebook is exactly the same all over the world."

On top it, there is not even one representative of Facebook based in Japan (as opposed to MySpace, which at least showed some commitment by opening an office in Tokyo).

So Facebook will never, never make it unless they put more marketing money into the market over here.

My take on this topic:
http://www.tokyotronic.com/2008/05/facebook-is-now-available-in-japanese.html

I am planning to write a posting on Techcrunch on the Facebook Japan issue as well.