In most English speaking nations, Twitter has changed the way people use the Internet. It has changed the way we get the news, communicate, research, and even shop.

I believe Twitter is also going to change Japan. Not only will it change the way Japanese people use the Internet, but it may also change our culture entirely.

As of last October, Twitter users in Japan surpassed two million, and is continuing to grow [source]. Many famous people in Japan are starting to use Twitter. Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama and Softbank President, Masayoshi Son, have started using the service.

Many businesses in Japan are beginning to use Twitter in creative ways to promote themselves. A small store in Japan that sells board games is giving 100 yen (approximately $1) discount for every 100 followers you have (this means that Ashton Kutcher would get about $45K discount if he comes to this store!). All you have to do is tweet about the store just before you check out at the cash register [source].

Shinsuke Usami, CEO of EC Navi, is using Twitter to recruit new graduates. The only requirement for applying is that you have more than ten followers on your twitter account. He is also actively organizing events and information sessions via Twitter.

Japanese Internet users have always been paranoid about privacy and are reluctant to share information. They rarely use their real name on blogs and social networks. Their profile pictures are always their pets or anime characters.

Mixi, Japan’s largest social network, is very closed. Users only connect with their intimate friends and communities. Mixi is not the optimal platform to expand your network and establish your online brand.

However the growing presence of Twitter in Japan is starting to change all of this. The concept of being open and available is slowly becomming less foreign to Japanese people. At the same time many major social networks such as Mixi, Gree, and DeNA are opening up their platforms.

I am hopeful that this movement of becomming more open and sharing will create more room for innovation and drive entrepreneurship in Japan.

FINALLY! Tweetdeck for iPhone supports lists!

And now it supports geo-tagging.

Seems pretty solid. Maybe I’ll switch back to it.

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Download now or watch on posterous

momentoReview.mov (23805 KB)

Here is a review of Momento by Paul Boag. His original post is here: http://paulboag.posterous.com/one-of-the-best-iphone-apps-i-have-used-in-a

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Lately, I have been paying a lot of attention to acceleration programs such as Y-Combinator and TechStars. I really think they are great programs that really work as a business. The programs stimulate innovation and give more opportunities to people who are interested in building their own startup.

Don Charlton, who went through an acceleration program, shares 7 things he learned from it.

My company The Resumator is a graduate of the Innovation WorksAlphaLab program.  AlphaLab is an acceleration program for startup companies. (some use the word “incubator”, but this name is usually frowned upon by the programs). Acceleration programs are designed to provide entrepreneurs with early-stage capital, guidance and connections. Other programs include Y-Combinator and TechStars. I thought I’d share a few things that I learned during my time at AlphaLab to hopefully encourage you to apply to participate in one these programs. The experience is incredible, and the knowledge you gain will be invaluable.

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Photo Credit: Flickr

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When you first start your own company you have very little budget to work with. However, it is still important to separate the space of where you sleep and where you work. Having an exclusive space for work will help you and your employees focus more, and it will increase your team’s productivity. Here is a great post by Don Charlton on How to Create a Great Startup Office Space on a Bootstrap Budget

Tip #1: Find office space that comes with tax benefits.

Through a few new friends, I learned about a program in Pittsburgh called Keystone Innovation Zones. These are zones that provide tax credits for businesses that choose to operate in certain locations. Don’t let your suburban upbringing blind you—these are not buildings in blighted communities, as some narrow-minded folk would immediately assume. They’re just available space, all over the city, where economic development is encouraged. Your startup could qualify for tax credits simply by moving into the zone. That means if I have a tax bill of $4,500 by the end of 2010, that amount—and probably more—will be credited. If you work with your local government to find out if there are tax benefits for your business to locate in certain buildings or areas, you can offset the costs of moving into that space, and then some.

Photo Credit: Flickr

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I just installed Droplr on my computer and I’m loving it!

Droplr is a Mac OS desktop application which lets you share files, pictures, texts, and links to your friends and followers by simply dragging and dropping.

This demo on YouTube explains it all!

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