February 2001 Issue

On the cover: The Europe Union's rising star heading straight for J@pan Inc.
By Andrew Pothecary

February 2001
No. 16

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February 2001 Issue

In Touch
	From the Editor Why Bit Valley Makes Sense

Features
	Enter the Web Consultants: But Are They Needed Yet? Sure, they ease the pain of building complicated e-commerce and m-commerce sites, but with Japan's under-reconstruction economy and corporate indifference, they may be too early to the party.

	Interview: James C. Abegglen For nearly half a century he's been on the forefront of Western efforts to analyze the institutions of the Japanese economy. More importantly, if it weren't for him, the magazine you're now reading wouldn't be called J@pan Inc.

	Europe and Japan: Wireless Wonders Never mind the United States. The coolest stuff is what's happening between the No. 2 and No. 3 economies.

Filter
	Developing i-mode in America It's annoying as hell, but savvy developers who know which way the wind is blowing are finding a way.

	Urban Refuge A cafe in the blue chip Marunouchi district that feels more like J@pan Inc than Japan Inc.

	Cellular Invasion Gear Japan's wireless operators are thinking world domination, but they'll need a helping handset.

	I, Robot? Aibo! Entertainment is driving not just Japan's wireless Web, but its robot boom as well.

People
	Joseph Kim Born in Korea and raised here and in the US, ICG Japan's CEO has also lived in Hong Kong and Europe. Now he's bridging two very distinct business cultures.

	Koichi Hori The founder of Dream Incubator -- and Boston Consulting Group veteran -- gives his thoughts on Japanese politics, tariffs, restructuring, and mass media.

Columns
	Joi's Diary Is i-mode simply a merger between the teenage pager market, which was huge in Japan, and voice?

Research
	Statistics (PDF-formatted file, Acrobat 4.0 or later required) What do people want from their handsets? What annoys them most about the wireless Web? How is the Net affecting politics in Japan?

	Japan Studies Patient patients: the Japanese are afraid to ask their doctors questions -- is there an opportunity in giving them the answers?

Investor
	Braving the Interactive TV Concept Now that Japan has embraced e-commerce and m-commerce, Tomen Mediacom is betting it will embrace t-commerce, too. It's quite a gamble.

	On Our Radar Screen Ventures we're keeping an eye on, including Digital Media, fusionOne, and Symfotech.

	Patent Market Pending Japan is a treasure trove of high-tech intellectual property rights, so pl-x is setting up an online marketplace where they can be traded.

	Ads You Please E-Classis has developed innovative approaches to online advertising, but can this tiny startup survive competition from the big boys?

In Parting
	Art Department Toshio Iwai humanizes technology, and reminds us to lighten up.

	Blowfish The one thing Japanese young and old alike just can't stand? People talking loudly on the train. So can it.