I began a new project

Now, I'm in Akita of the my birthplace. Because, my dad died of lung cancer last month. Dad was still 60 years old. Besides, my parents are farming families of the mom and pop operations. My family is in a poor state now.

However, all the current Japanese farmer are poor. Hard labor, low income and High tax. Last year, 5 people committed suicide due to economic distress in our village. And my neighborhood hanged itself and committed suicide this month, too.

It is just the WORST.

Honestly, I want to run away from here. And I want to run away from Japan. However, what will happen to my mom if I escape from here? Mom must manage the farm alone. Any other work? The current Japanese farm village does not have the work. Furthermore, will the workplace employing the 60-year-old woman who can do only agriculture exist? Mom becomes depressed and will commit suicide if I escape from here.

After all, I must be here.

Therefore I thought. What is the root of the problem? It is "Poverty". Poverty causes all problems. What should we do to escape from poverty? We must do something new. In a poverty state, maintenance of the status quo is not helpful.

Therefore, at first, I opened blog of our farm.

http://ameblo.jp/marudaifarm/

I chose Ameba blog. This is blog service of the biggest in Japan, and SEO is great, too. I write post in Japanese and English here.

In addition, I opened the Facebook page of our farm.

https://www.facebook.com/marudaifarm

I send information of various agriculture in Japanese and English in these first of all.

Japanese agriculture is the most far-off occupation for IT and English. Most people cannot buy a smartphone and a tablet let alone a PC for poverty. And nobody has English. However, will the situation change if I try it in it intensively?  I want to make a bet with social media and global.

Japanese popular game apps "Nameko" goes music!

I wrote about Japanese popular game application for smartphone "Nameko Saibai Kit(nameko mushroom cultivation Kit)" in March.
See Also: The game application which is the most popular in Japan is a "nameko mushroom"

They multiply more in Japan. It may be said that they are rivals of Angry Birds in Japan.

[SoftBank/au iPhone 4S/4専用]おさわり探偵 なめこ栽培キット カスタムカバー(みずたま)



おさわり探偵なめこ栽培キット　押し出し消しゴム

なめこ栽培キットコースター(レッド)

キャッピー/イヤホンジャックマスコット(なめこ)


Now, goods of Nameko are sold at every place.

Furthermore, they release a compilation album on July 11.

なめこのCD


In Japan, a music CD of a social game and the social application that made a hit was released several times until now. However, the characteristic of the CD of this Nameko is that participating musicians are really fans of Nameko. Musicians are players of Nameko Saibai Kit. Therefore they made a musical piece with love to Nameko.
We can have music played before buying here.

Tokyo Sky Tree in Virtual World

Japanese new landmark "Tokyo Sky Tree" opened this week. Now, we cannot enter there without the reservation because too popular.
If you want to go to the Tokyo Sky Tree by all means, let's log in to Ameba Pigg!

Japanese popular virtual world Ameba Pigg opens Tokyo Sky Tree area. this is the official area that cooperated with the real Tokyo Sky Tree.

Various official virtual goods of the Tokyo Sky Tree are sold here. These are totally like the souvenir.

This is the largest area in history of  Ameba Pigg. Of course the tower is reproduced precisely.

Let's take a photo at the front of the signboard!

And let's go to the observatory! When we click this arrow, we can teleport there.

because the uniform of the Tokyo Sky Tree's staffs are very cheesy, it became the topic on a social network. We can check them :)

Which stamp do you like?

Free communication apps for smartphones LINE  of NHN Japan is popular all over the world. They have already got 35 million users.

This has the function the "stamp" which can attach cute and funny illustrations with a message.

This is very popular with users. Therefore they opened a "stamp shop" last month.

Users can buy a charged stamp at a stamp shop. They are included in the stamps of a Japanese famous character.

NHN Japan announced the ranking of the purchase and the use of the stamp.

Purchase stamp of world ranking TOP5

1. Moon Special
2.Hage Ojisan(bald guy)
3.Nameko(The character of Japanese popular game apps "Nameko Saibai Kit")
4.Otome na Kanojyo
5.Mocchi to Oshaberi(Chattering with Mocchi)

Use stamp ranking of world TOP10

via http://lineblog.naver.jp/archives/6455829.html

Users buy and use the stamp of the original character of LINE than the stamp of the famous character.

Kompu Gacha? No! It's "Kombu Gacha"

Japanese startup Green romp released really funny Android apps. It is "Konbu Gacha".

Kombu Gacha is game apps to collect cards of popular kombu. When we collect eight kinds of kombu cards, we get a special rare kombu card as a reward.

It's Konbu card. However, these kombu cards are hard to appear very much, too.

It is almost such loser cards. (However, this is a tuna. A tuna is a rare item than kombu in the real world :))

Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates Konpu Gacha from July. Let's play this early!

studygift supports the school expenses of the university student

Team "Liverty" which a Japanese serial entrepreneur Kazuma Ieiri organized released crowdfunding platform to support the school expenses of the university student "studygift". This became the pros and cons in Twitter or Facebook immediately. And negative comments and abusive languages gradually increased. The doubt that she might not study eagerly was given.

On the other hand, studygift collected aim amounts of money in only 55 hours! The aim amount of money was 940,000 yen(about 12000USD). 

This is very cool service. Recession and the poverty spread through Japan more and more. Besides, Low birthrate and aging and government is stupid. From now on, the time when an individual helps an individual will come. 

Utsuppo helps an early case of our depression

I wrote about Social Networking Service "U2plus" to help recovery from depression before.
See Also: Community "U2plus" which supports a melancholiac

They released cool service again. It's "Utsuppo" ("Utsu" means depression in Japanese)

Japan is stressful country. Furthermore, there is still huge prejudice in mental health. Now, the cause of death that teens and twenties in Japan have most is suicide.

Utsuppo has possibility to change this situation.

The service is very simple. If our familiar people are symptom such as the depression, we can enter the name and email address of them with signs of depression.

Then the email reaches them by anonymity. Stress check survey and  information of the improvement method of the depression are written on email. They can know whether they really are depressed or not by answering survey.

This is the service which can help people freely. Because a feeling is easy the person who sends email than we ask directly "Are you depressed?".

Utsuppo was created by U2plus and Liverty helped them. Liverty is a project team organized by Japanese representative serial entrepreneur Kazuma Ieiri. Ieiri is investor of U2plus as well.

Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency announced “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha) is illegal at last.

Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency starts regulation of “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha) on July 1. However Complete Gacha before it dates back and does not punish it. The developer adding Complete Gacha in a social game is not punished if they remove it within June. But, most main developers have announced that they will stop Complete Gacha within May.

How many times was the new business regulated in Japan? Japanese social game developers, escape early from Japan!

Press release of Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency (PDF)

Shocking news: mixi may be sold to other companies

Shocking news ran through Japan just some time ago. According to Nikkei Business online, mixi CEO kasahara examines the sale of the stock of the company. And he begin the negotiations to sell mixi to the other companies. The bid to decide sale is going to be carried out in a few days, and GREE and DeNA participate in it.

It is still unknown whether this is a fact. mixi announced the press release which denied this news immediately.

mixi is still Social Networking Service of the biggest in Japan. However, both the number of the active users and the sales decline. Besides, they failed to keep up with the wave of the social game. Most of my friends say "mixi is a haunt of stupid and Information illiterate".

If DeNA or GREE purchases mixi, big crustal movement occurs in the social media industry of Japan.

What is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)?

I wrote a lot of news of the “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha) regulation in Japan this month. Then emails of some questions came from the foreign countries. "What is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)?"

Probably this is the virtual goods sale system which there is only in Japan.

Example: Doraemon Gacha in Ameba Pigg

Gacha in social games virtual worlds imitate the real vending machine of capsule toys(real vending machine is called Gacha, too). Various items come out of Gacha at random.

Six kinds of items come out of this Doraemon Gacha. However, users can't know what kind of item can buy every time. Because it is random. Gacha one time is 200 Ameba Gold. Ameba Gold is virtual currency of Ameba Pigg(1 Ameba Gold = 1 yen).

And users can get a limited item as a reward, if six kinds of all items are got.

In Doraemon Gacha, users can get Doraemon parka. I yet get only three kinds :) If we can get Doraemon Gacha most cheaply, it is 1200 Ameba Gold(1200 yen). However, it is almost impossible. Users must play Gacha many times to get a limited item.

This is “Complete Gacha” (Kompu Gacha)". Ameba Pigg is a normal virtual world. So, the game system is not incorporated in a virtual goods. However, the social games are different. The system which can play a game advantageously is built into the virtual goods of a social game. Especially in a social game with a battle, this is an important element. Users play Gacha many times to get a limited item and use a lot of real money.

Why does the Japanese use much real money to a virtual goods? Probably it is because there is Gacha.

Complete Gacha cancellation rush

I write about the "Complete Gacha" disturbance of Japanese social game industry this week.

Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news
GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation
Seven Japanese major social game companies abolish Complete Gacha

There was new movement today, too. Today, Main social game developers announced the Complete Gacha cancellation all at once. Crooz, Bandai Namco, gloops, Cave, A team, KONAMI, gumi, Voltage, etc, etc......

The contents of their release are about the same all.

• All the Complete Gacha will be stopped by May 31 
• New Complete Gacha will not be offered from now on
• Complete Gacha stop does not affect achievements 

However, the people of the social game industry say in Twitter. "Although voluntary rule decision was discussed all together, the mass media broke the flow". The mass media, such as television and a newspaper, have reported Complete Gacha all at once. However, the most of the news contents are wrong. They do not understand what Complete Gacha is. On the contrary, they do not seem to understand a social game, RMT, the virtual economy either. By the way, Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency does not yet announce the official release.

Seven Japanese major social game companies abolish Complete Gacha

The situation suddenly unfolds.

 Today, NHN Japan, GREE, CyberAgent, DeNA, dwango and mixi announced the press release to abolish Complete Gacha jointly. On the other hand, social game developer KLab announced the press release same as it, too. They cancel Complete Gacha of the social games which they offer now by May 31. In addition, they do not provide new Complete Gacha from now on either.
via http://www.nhncorp.jp/press/files/PRESS_20120509181104.pdf(PDF)

They chose self-imposed control rather than regulated by the government. However, Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency does not yet announce a dictum about Complete Gacha. Only medias raise a clamor.

See Also:
Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news
GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation

GREE and KLab announced the comment for the news of the "Complete Gacha" regulation

I wrote it about the news that Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency might regulate "Complete Gacha".
Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game

However, Consumer Affairs Agency denied the news. And they do not yet announce the official release.
Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news

Meanwhile, GREE and KLab, one of the Japanese popular social game developers announced the comment for this news.

GREE CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka said, "We understand this matter. if Consumer Affairs Agency points it out about Complete Gacha, we listen to it earnestly and strive for improvement in use environment." "In the growth of the future social game, Complete Gacha is not absolutely necessary. There is not the influence to the basic of the business even if we abolished this. We provide another service and increase sales."
via http://www.4gamer.net/games/136/G013654/20120508068/

KLab announced the press release immediately on the next day of the news. They said, "We make efforts in the social element such as the team battle and develop a game. The social game regarded as a social problem makes efforts in the collection of cards. Therefore it different from our game. However, we do not depend on Complete Gacha, but introduce this into 12 games. If Consumer Affairs Agency regulates Complete Gacha, we will repair some game systems rather than will call off a game. We think that Complete Gacha regulation has good influence and bad influence. Bad influence is a decrease in temporary sales. However, we can prevent it if we introduce substituted system. We calculate the fall influence of sales is 5% or less. Good influence is that new users move to our game. The money which users can spend to virtual goods has a limit. If users play plural social games, there is a limit to usable money by each game. Some of social games of other companies strongly depend on Complete Gacha. If they disappear, users may move to our social game."
via http://v4.eir-parts.net/v4Contents/View.aspx?cat=tdnet&sid=969625(PDF)

KLab is very bullish.

Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates denies news

Yesterday, I wrote an article of Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game. However, according to Ketai Watch(One of the Japanese mobile news sites ), Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency denied this news.

On April 24, Mr.Fukushima, Secretary-General of Consumer Affairs Agency  answered the question about social game of the reporter of the Yomiuri Shimbun. He answered in this way. "Consumer Affairs Agency pays attention and watches movement carefully".

Consumer Affairs Agency says, "We are still stages after starting examination. A cancellation request or the measures order are not decided and do not have such a plan.We do not announce the company name either".

I think that the Yomiuri Shimbun might write a wrong article.

Japanese Government regulates the virtual goods system of Japanese social game

Surprising news ran through Japan yesterday.

Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency regulates "Complete Gacha".

What is "Complete Gacha"? This is one of the mechanism of the virtual goods sale in Japan. Many virtual worlds and social games have a virtual goods vending machine in imitate of a capsule toy vending machine called "Gacha". Items come out of there at random. It may resemble a lottery. Users play Gacha for several hundred yen once. Users must play Gacha many times to get the item which want. "Complete Gacha" is Gacha which must prepare all the items of an appointed kind in Gacha. When users collect all items, they get a rare item in a reward. Consumer Affairs Agency judged this to be illegal. According to them, this corresponds to "prize" prohibited by a Japanese premium notation. However, Complete Gacha is not a born thing recently. There was it for various virtual worlds and online games for several years. Why do they regulate it at this time? I think that because a Japanese social game became too popular.

Japanese social game is profitable very much now. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who want to make them a evil. Core gamers, people who do not know a lot about IT, Information illiterate...etc... In a disgraceful thing, most of politicians and government officials of the Japanese Government are Information illiterate.

Japanese Government and most of government officials are VERY STUPID. They do not support new business. On the contrary, they create a drag on it. The biggest obstacle of the contents business of Japan is Government. The Japanese creator, the developer and the businessman survived while fighting against their interference.


I am apprehensive in whether they tighten up regulation rapidly taking advantage of this.

See Also:
“Complete Gacha”: Japanese Government To Regulate Social Game Mechanism Soon [Social Games]

[Study]Why does the Japanese play a social game?

Japanese publishing company Enterbrain released a social game user action psychology report [PDF]. This had various interesting data. This investigation was carried out for 1,600 15-59-year-old social game users.

Q. Why do you play a social game?
(Answers of 5 high ranks)
1.I want to collect something(30.8%)
2.I want to be connected to somebody(20.3%)
3.I want to beat somebody(18.9%)
4.I want to be healed(15.6%)
5.I want to become free(12.9%)

Q.What are the first virtual goods for you to buy? 
(Answers of 3 high ranks of men)
1.Status up item(The item which can stimulate a game more profitably)(29.8%)
2.Time shortening item(25.2%)
3.Gacha(virtual capsule vending machine)(21.4%)

(Answers of 3 high ranks of men)
1.Avatar item(27.3%)
2.Time shortening item(25.9%)
3.Gacha(virtual capsule vending machine)(19.8%)

Grave in the Internet "Web Nehan"

Japanese funeral and grave are very expensive. Both cost millions of yen. There is not the memorial service of the parent now because Japanese youths are poor. Then, Japanese Buddhist temple Choukeiji started interesting service "Web Nehan(Web涅槃)". "Nehan" means Nirvana in Japanese.

http://choukeiji-nehan.com/

Web Nehan is an online grave. Users can place the full name of the deceased, an address, photos, anniversary of a death, sound, video, motto, family precepts in the page in the Internet and can customize it freely. ID and a password are published in a user and can make a visit to a grave from anywhere if there is Internet environment. The cost is 200,000 yen in 33 years. It is cheaper than a real grave.

A point of this service is that a temple runs it. In Japan, family, grave, monk and temple are tied closely. Individual can develop similar system. However, the value of Web Nehan is to run it a temple.

By the way, the chief monk of Choukeiji is a former newspaper reporter and former TV director. He left them and became a monk. Therefore he seems to do a new challenge without being seized with old convention.