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12-29-2012, 02:00 AM | #1 |
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Most major Japanese publishers are not releasing ebook on Kindle Japan
I was curious as to how well the Kindle is doing in Japan. It doesn't look like it is taking off because the major publishers are not providing any popular ebook to the store.
Here's the Top 100 Best Sellers right now on Amazon Kindle Japan GOOGLE TRANSLATION SO NOT VERY ACCURATE http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestselle.../ref=sv_kinc_2 1. within 32 days # 100 How to make the body does not get tired Sunny Hisanaga 2. within the top 100 for 11 days Layman's diary opinions of customers of IT marketing Ichi-seki Nagae not ask Nagae Ichi-seki 3. within 5 days # 100 1: one business trade swordsman swordsman Shotaro Ikenami 4. within 50 days # 100 Smart notes that a genius and you Tsukasa husband Doo Okada 5. within 37 days # 100 Is your writing, unclear why or how the 31 sentences of the expert texts not? Takuro Yamaguchi 6. within 34 days # 100 Naturally attached to the body! 10 000 English Extensive Reading HELEN BANNERMAN, NEVILL FORBES, VALERY CARRICK, FLORENCE WHITE WILLIAMS, AHIWIN other 7. within 51 days # 100 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? · K · Philip Dick, Hisashi Asakura, cover design (positron) Hiroaki Doi, Hisashi Asakura And the bestsellers on Science Fiction are mostly English books http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestselle...c_3_2275259051 Same with Mystery & Thrillers http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestselle...c_3_2275259051 Pretty much the same with other popular fiction genre too. Romance http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestselle...c_3_2275259051 Imaging how popular (unpopular) the Kindle would be if 95% of the English language publishers refuse to sell ebook to Amazon.....ebook might never take off in the West if they never license it. Or maybe has like 1% market share (instead of the predicted 30-35% today). Now in Japan, it look like the publishers are thinking of physical book future only. And the best way to ensure this is to kill off the ebook by not licensing. Without the contents, most Japanese would not buy a Kindle or a Kobo. It looks like Kindle in Japan will struggle unless more publishers get on board and right now, they don't want to. Last edited by Top100EbooksRank; 12-29-2012 at 02:08 AM. |
12-29-2012, 02:57 AM | #2 |
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I don't see e-readers becoming as popular in Japan as they are in the West. Most folks in Japan have their phones in front of their faces any time they are not working or in school. It was estimated in one of the Japanese newspapers that 35% of pedestrians cross the streets without looking up from their phones. On the trains, it would appear that 75% or more of the riders are reading (or doing 'something') on the phones. Virtually everyone under the age of 30 has their phone in their hand (rather than pocket or purse) at all times, walking, shopping, waiting, etc. So far, I haven't seen a single Japanese with any brand of e-reader.
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12-29-2012, 03:07 AM | #3 |
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It's almost the same at the german Amazon store.
The difference is that german publishers try to charge ~20-25 US-$ per virtual book, which is the same as not publishing it at all.. So most german customers buy english electronic books (because they are much cheaper), some cheap manuscripts like this stuff you found on the japanese store, or they don't buy anything. |
12-29-2012, 03:30 AM | #4 | |
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no device will take off when 95% of the content (the reason for buying the device in the first place) are not available. Would you buy a Blu-Ray player when 95% of movies that you want to watch won't come out on Blu-Ray? The Japanese publishers want to kill the ebook market and they are doing a good job of it so far. |
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12-29-2012, 04:04 AM | #5 |
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manga make up something like 85% of Japanese ebook market, but a lot of manga are missing from the Kindle store too
and those that appear on Kindle, it look like it is done through agency pricing. Example: Vinland Saga Sold by: Kodansha Ltd. This price was set by the publisher Historie Sold by: Kodansha Ltd. This price was set by the publisher Space Brothers Sold by: Kodansha Ltd. This price was set by the publisher Gantz Sold by: Shueisha, Inc. This price was set by the publisher Last edited by Top100EbooksRank; 12-29-2012 at 04:07 AM. |
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12-29-2012, 04:10 AM | #6 | |
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I agree that Kindle and Kobo are facing an uphill battle to gain acceptance but I'm going to need to see a properly researched article with actual citations rather than simply "look at Amazon.co.jp's bestseller list" before I believe that they're a failure. |
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12-29-2012, 04:24 AM | #7 |
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It's interesting if the Japanese are not big adopters of ereaders since both Sony and more latterly Kobo, are both Japanese.
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12-29-2012, 04:36 AM | #8 | |
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It's not so much that the Japanese won't read. It's more that they will read but use their phones to do so. Stitchawl |
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12-29-2012, 07:36 AM | #9 |
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Canuck_in_Japan has it right. This is bad research. Wouldn't it make much more sense to compare the physical bestseller list to the electronic one?
Anyway, if anyone wants to compare the physical SF/horror/fantasy bestseller list to the e-book SF/horror/fantasy bestseller list, it's pretty easy to do so. However, currently the ebook SF section is kind of warped due to people purchasing Guin Saga en masse. BTW, Japan has a retail price maintenance system for books (although not for ebooks), which means lack of discounts on physical books is the norm in Japan. I think any analysis of agency pricing in the Japanese kindle store should take into account existing retail prices and expectations. |
12-29-2012, 08:03 AM | #10 | |
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Financially Amazon is probably making a killing as they are supposedly selling all their ebooks from Luxembourg. While they are selling the ebooks at legally fixed prices in Germany, they are only paying the reduced Luxembourg VAT rate of 3 %. Luxembourg is violating EU law by applying the reduced rate. A nice little sweetheart deal between a parasitical tax haven and a tax dodging multinational company. [sorry, rant over] Perhaps Japanese publishing houses have no desire to help Amazon in getting the same dominant market position as they have gained in other markets. Keep Amazon small by freezing them out. Rather sell electronic content via smartphones. |
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12-29-2012, 09:32 AM | #11 | |
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12-29-2012, 09:45 AM | #12 | |
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12-29-2012, 02:25 PM | #13 | |
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So there's no real reason to buy an electronic manuscript, just libraries buy them - which, on the other hand, might be the reason why the price is so high. |
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12-29-2012, 06:23 PM | #14 |
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Gee this has been an interesting discussion.
I made the mistake of thinking that ereaders were de rigeur so to speak in the first world countries (at least) and it wouldn't have dawned on me that two of the most technologically advanced nations, in terms of electronics makers, wouldn't buy ereaders like some other countries do. (Japan and Korea) I had previously read on this Forum re Germany's fixed sale on books .... but do Germans acquire ereaders generally? Or are they seen as somewhat superfluous because of the fixed pricing? |
12-29-2012, 07:11 PM | #15 | |
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Of course, things are VERY different today. But still, virtually no e-readers in use. Cell phones, tablets, mini-tablets everywhere, but no e-readers except in the stores. Stitchawl |
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