December 2000 Issue

On the cover: Sometimes simple is better. Freehand illustrates the point nicely.
By Andrew Pothecary

December 2000
No. 14

Subscribe to receive print issues.

December 2000 Issue

In Touch
	From the Editor Why we're covering South Korea in J@pan Inc, what the JDEX is all about, why our Art Department section deserves so much more, and our thanks to some Red Herring editors for eating fishies with us.

Features
	JDEX Introducing the J@pan Inc stock index: 20 companies that we feel represent the New Economy in this country. Tracking Japan's ebiz revolution just got easier.

	Fast Country Korea's New Economy moves at broadband speeds. Competition thrives. Internet access is cheap and fast. The politicians give a damn. It's nothing like Japan.

	The World According to Taiga The parties may be over, but Bit Valley's original Net evangelist hasn't stopped preaching to kindred entrepreneurial spirits.

Filter
	The Face of the Future Japanese electronic-components giant Omron puts innovative face-recognition technologies from the US to interesting -- and practical -- use.

	Pork-Barrel Infotech For overspending government ministries, 'the IT revolution' offers a cool new way to surf for taxpayer money.

	A Touch of @cinnamon Tokyo bakery Recette earns extra bread through its online store and in-store kiosk.

	I, Robot Maker A build-your-own-droid store points to an interesting new trend in Japan.

	Testing, Testing Japan's 3G cellular services will debut in mid-May, but a few lucky testers are enjoying them already.

People
	Tetsu Yamada He's the CEO of DealTime.com K.K., the Japan version of the US shopping comparison service. How will he market and modify the product in light of Japan's picky and demanding consumers?

	Fred Briggs The CTO of WorldCom brings an international perspective to Japan's telecom scene. And he knows full well how valuable this market is.

	Tomoyuki Sugiyama The founder of Digital Hollywood has some interesting and unexpected thoughts to share about ... well, everything.

Columns
	Joi's Diary If the old economy folks would be a bit more humble, it would be easier for all of us to communicate.

	VC Outlook Japanese authorities should incite labor mobility for the New Economy to flourish in Japan.

Research
	Japan Studies The status of women in Japan is improving, but they're still not on par with men. Maybe that's a business opportunity.

	Statistics (PDF-formatted file, Acrobat 4.0 or later required) On Telecommunication trends, business model patents (companies are still wary), the mcom outlook, and i-mode shopping.

Investor
	Mom-and-Pop Ecommerce Target One's LifeCombo service helps corner stores compete online, and its i-mode coupon system is turning some heads.

	On Our Radar Screen Ventures that bear watching. This month: buta.net and iKaiwa.com.

	Made-to-Order Restructuring AlphaBrain's alpha waves have perked back up, and the ASP says it faces zero competition in a key B2B sector.

	A B2B Exchange for ... Oil EC-Oil aims to disintermediate a crude and bulky business.

	Just One Word ... Photonics Japan's glassmakers go for fiber optics.

In Parting
	Art Department Tadanori Yokoo, the poster king of international renown, is dipping into digital.

	Blowfish New vending machines from UCC Coffee display advertising, public service announcements, and the latest news on built-in screens. Oh, they serve beverages, too.