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.
The main reason for this difference is the high cost of connectivity in Japan, says Tim Clark, president of TK Associates. In fact, he says, a typical Japanese Internet user pays about $100 a month to spend an hour a day online. This charge includes about $40 per month for Internet service, $15 per month for basic phone service, and $48 for 30 hours of telephone time (at 8 per 3 minutes of local calling). In the United States, users spend less than half that much for unlimited access. The major difference is that although U.S. users typically pay a flat monthly telephone service fee of around $25 and about $20 per month to an Internet service provider (ISP), the phone company allows them to make unlimited local phone calls and spend as much time online as they wish at no extra charge.
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