Kobo Japan launch today

GA Russell · 07-18-2012, 11:54 PM

Forgive me if this has already been posted. This Reuters article is from Monday.

Rakuten is launching the Kobo reader in Japan today, July 19.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...pe=companyNews

taming · 07-19-2012, 01:43 AM

It has been the 19th for awhile in Japan. 2:42 PM, as i write this.

I wonder if Kobo will release info about the launch on their blog. Apparently Rakuten has 80% of the people in Japan with Internet access as customers already, so they had a built in audience.

hidari · 07-19-2012, 07:05 PM

I have a Rakuten Visa card and a bank account that Rakuten owns ( ebank account). Plus Rakuten is one of the two largest on-line auction sites in Japan.... The other being Yahoo auction. So, I would say they have a good built in market. The problem will be converting more Japanese to reading on eink devices. I do not see many people reading eink devices here in Sapporo... from time to time....Unfortunately, Sony did not push their readers as aggressively as they should have...

Top100EbooksRank · 07-21-2012, 09:17 AM

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3654...publishing.htm

Quote:

With the arrival of the Kobo Touch, however, Amazon's Japanese debut -- whenever it happens -- may be too little, too late. The Kobo Touch uses the EPUB 3.0 format, the industry standard, which supports Japanese-language layout and vertical text and ruby characters. It also supports Manga titles, which have already proven popular among younger Japanese consumers who read them via cellphones.

Anyone know if KOBO ebooks are DRM or DRM-free?

What are the prices? compare to physical versions.

Is it wholesale (which allowed discount) or agency pricing?

taming · 07-21-2012, 12:43 PM

Agency pricing and DRM decisions are NOT up to Kobo. Kobo is like any other eBook seller in regard to these issues.

Kumabjorn · 07-21-2012, 02:17 PM

Perhaps, but in Japan they are dealing with Shueisha, Kenkyusha, Asakawa Shobo, Eikosha or a multitude of other publishers. The Japanese publishing industry is much more diversified than you will find in any Western country. Hence, no Big 6.

StoryEnthusiast · 07-21-2012, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hidari

I have a Rakuten Visa card and a bank account that Rakuten owns ( ebank account). Plus Rakuten is one of the two largest on-line auction sites in Japan....

They are also the only company(?) in Japan where English is the official language even though most staff working at their head office are Japanese.

charmian · 07-22-2012, 01:36 AM

Sadly it looks as if you can't see what they have for sale unless you spoof a Japanese IP through a proxy. Too bad, I hoped this might provide me with a way to buy Japanese ebooks from the US.

From what people are saying on Japanese boards, there are only about six thousand or so paid titles (the rest are public domain, for a total of around 18 thousand).

http://wildhawkfield.blogspot.jp/2012/07/kobo_19.html <--This page provides some info about the store (in Japanese). If you click on the Google Docs spreadsheet link in the blog entry, it shows the distribution by genre of the works. Most are novels.

Canuck_in_Japan · 07-22-2012, 08:23 PM

There are a lot of 1 star reviews on the Rakuten website. A lot of people are not happy with their purchase.

Kumabjorn · 07-23-2012, 01:15 AM

What, in a gist, is their complaints? Lack of Japanese books?

Canuck_in_Japan · 07-23-2012, 02:49 AM

Using Chrome's translation services didn't help much but a lot of people complained about the screen. e-readers are not big in Japan so the screen flash may be a bit of a shock for people who are used to iPads.

Kumabjorn · 07-23-2012, 03:32 AM

Hmm, the Sony readers also flash. When I checked their website I'd say the discrepancy between total eBooks available and those actually worth pursuing would be somewhat of a shock. If I recall correctly they talk about 240,000 available books, but books in Japanese that you can actually purchase is a paltry 6,500, many of those juvenile Manga (not that there aren't a fair share of adult Japanese that read those). Right now I'm reading about the Battle of Sekigahara so I'm actively searching for books on Ishida Mitsunari and Kobayakawa Akihide, but there really isn't anything available in electronic form. For obvious reasons there is a fair amount on Tokugawa Ieyaseu, but it is hard to widen your perspective without books on the other major warlords.

StoryEnthusiast · 07-24-2012, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

e-readers are not big in Japan

I think it's just a matter of time before Kindle etc will become very popular in Japan. This is a nation where you see new books coming out every week after all.

Canuck_in_Japan · 07-24-2012, 10:20 PM

Suspiciously enough, none of the Kobo readers have a review section anymore. I don't know what happened to it but it was clearly visible the last time I checked Rakuten.

fjtorres · 07-24-2012, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Suspiciously enough, none of the Kobo readers have a review section anymore. I don't know what happened to it but it was clearly visible the last time I checked Rakuten.

Rakuten wasn't happy with the 2.x average rating and all the negative reviews:
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...-user-reviews/

Apparently the Touch needs PC-based software to work and the PC software doesn't work. Result? Lots of 1-star reviews.

07-18-2012, 11:54 PM	#1
GA Russell New season! Posts: 7,682 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Kobo Japan launch today Forgive me if this has already been posted. This Reuters article is from Monday. Rakuten is launching the Kobo reader in Japan today, July 19. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...pe=companyNews

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07-19-2012, 01:43 AM	#2
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	It has been the 19th for awhile in Japan. 2:42 PM, as i write this. I wonder if Kobo will release info about the launch on their blog. Apparently Rakuten has 80% of the people in Japan with Internet access as customers already, so they had a built in audience.

07-19-2012, 07:05 PM	#3
hidari MR Drone Posts: 1,613 Karma: 15612282 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: DRONEZONE Device: PB360+, Huawei MP5, Libra H20	I have a Rakuten Visa card and a bank account that Rakuten owns ( ebank account). Plus Rakuten is one of the two largest on-line auction sites in Japan.... The other being Yahoo auction. So, I would say they have a good built in market. The problem will be converting more Japanese to reading on eink devices. I do not see many people reading eink devices here in Sapporo... from time to time....Unfortunately, Sony did not push their readers as aggressively as they should have...

07-21-2012, 12:43 PM	#5
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Agency pricing and DRM decisions are NOT up to Kobo. Kobo is like any other eBook seller in regard to these issues.

07-21-2012, 02:17 PM	#6
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Perhaps, but in Japan they are dealing with Shueisha, Kenkyusha, Asakawa Shobo, Eikosha or a multitude of other publishers. The Japanese publishing industry is much more diversified than you will find in any Western country. Hence, no Big 6.

07-22-2012, 01:36 AM	#8
charmian Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 1814548 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle PW2	Sadly it looks as if you can't see what they have for sale unless you spoof a Japanese IP through a proxy. Too bad, I hoped this might provide me with a way to buy Japanese ebooks from the US. From what people are saying on Japanese boards, there are only about six thousand or so paid titles (the rest are public domain, for a total of around 18 thousand). http://wildhawkfield.blogspot.jp/2012/07/kobo_19.html <--This page provides some info about the store (in Japanese). If you click on the Google Docs spreadsheet link in the blog entry, it shows the distribution by genre of the works. Most are novels.

07-22-2012, 08:23 PM	#9
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	There are a lot of 1 star reviews on the Rakuten website. A lot of people are not happy with their purchase.

07-23-2012, 01:15 AM	#10
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	What, in a gist, is their complaints? Lack of Japanese books?

07-23-2012, 02:49 AM	#11
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	Using Chrome's translation services didn't help much but a lot of people complained about the screen. e-readers are not big in Japan so the screen flash may be a bit of a shock for people who are used to iPads.

07-23-2012, 03:32 AM	#12
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Hmm, the Sony readers also flash. When I checked their website I'd say the discrepancy between total eBooks available and those actually worth pursuing would be somewhat of a shock. If I recall correctly they talk about 240,000 available books, but books in Japanese that you can actually purchase is a paltry 6,500, many of those juvenile Manga (not that there aren't a fair share of adult Japanese that read those). Right now I'm reading about the Battle of Sekigahara so I'm actively searching for books on Ishida Mitsunari and Kobayakawa Akihide, but there really isn't anything available in electronic form. For obvious reasons there is a fair amount on Tokugawa Ieyaseu, but it is hard to widen your perspective without books on the other major warlords.

07-24-2012, 10:20 PM	#14
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	Suspiciously enough, none of the Kobo readers have a review section anymore. I don't know what happened to it but it was clearly visible the last time I checked Rakuten.

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