When Japanese tourists travel to the United States, many flock to shopping malls to stock up on American goods that are in short supply in Japan, especially computer and entertainment products. Thus it should come as no surprise that a growing number of U.S. exporters are vying for Japanese consumer business through retail shops on the World Wide Web. But according to a new study, if Web entrepreneurs hope to be successful, they had better pay close attention to the special requirements of Japan's Web users.

The Internet is often thought to have a unique culture that supersedes local or ethnic distinctions. But in Japan, economic conditions have had a major impact on the evolution of Japanese cyberculture, according to a report published by market researchers TK Associates International of Portland, Ore., and Yahoo Japan and Nikkei Research in Japan. The report (available on the Web at www.tkai.com) suggests that while many U.S. Net enthusiasts surf the Web for hours on end, sampling sites jammed with information and elaborate graphic images, a less freewheeling cyberculture has evolved in Japan.