From the press release: ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced the availability of NetFront™ BookReader v1.0 EPUB Edition, a new, platform-independent eBook reader that features support for EPUB® 3, the latest version of the distribution and interchange format for digital publications and documents developed and maintained by the ...

That's according to the Good E-Reader Blog: The Sony PRS-G1 is basically the PRS-T1 but with 3G internet access which will see a release in Japan starting in the middle of November. It features a 6 inch e-ink pearl display with IR touch and has a resolution of 800×600 pixels. It connects up to the Sony Reader store in Japan, giving customers the advantage of downloading books, magazines, manga, anime and more! The 3G network supported is CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Rev. 0/Rev. A Up to 1.8Mbps uplink 3.1Mbps / up to down. It...

Jisui is the cutting up of a physical book into individual pages, scanning these pages and then converting the output into an eBook. The pages themselves are then discarded. The literal translation of jisui,  ‘to prepare one’s own food’, reflects the fact that it was individuals at home, not corporations, that started this practice. Jisui quickly became a real-world viral hit. Consumers throughout Japan faced the same problem of how to accommodate their growing book collections given the extreme pressure on space in typically cramped apartments and houses. Jisui was the answer but jisui-ing a couple of books represented more...

This article in The Wall Street Journal prompted me to check Amazon to see if the work was available in ebook form.  It is now on pre-order for delivery on October 25.  Priced at $14.99.  I ordered it.  Amazon also has a fairly good Kindle selection of his other works. Haruki Murakami, whose surreal stories feature talking cats, giant frogs and fish that fall from the sky, has been labeled a cult author. But with more than two million copies of his books sold in the U.S., the Japanese writer is aiming to outgrow that title. His...

So says an article in The Bookseller: Because without agreements between the major players in Japan, it is hard to see how they will successfully fend off the wolves from outside, according to Robin Birtle, c.e.o. of digital publishers Sakkam Press. He said: "The big problem is one of interoperability between bookstores. There is an attempt ongoing at the moment by Rakuten [a web-based retailer], Panasonic, Sony and bookstore Kinokuniya to develop this. But it is difficult to see such an initiative being broadly adopted." While the e-book business for Japan's mobile phones is booming, there...

From the press release: SAMURAI.JP, a quarterly magazine aimed at transmitting Japanese culture to the rest of the world, launched an electronic version in English on August 5. By providing true and revealing descriptions of Japanese culture, it seeks to deepen the understanding of people around the world about Japan. SAMURAI.JP hopes that its presentation of Japanese culture will also motivate Japanese people to think about their identity and tradition. About SAMURAI.JP SAMURAI.JP  is not just another magazine about Japan. It aims to depict Japanese spirit to both Japanese people and foreigners, and that is what makes it different. Post-disaster Japan as seen today appears stalled with...

Hiroki Kamata, the Editor of E-Book 2.0 Magazine, explains on Publishing Perspectives why, despite being a leader in technology and consumer electronics, Japan only has 30,000 Japanese language ebook titles available: Simply put, publishers continue to remain reluctant to convert their books into digital formats due to cost, as well as their own ongoing fears about digitization. Why are publishers so suspicious when it comes to e-books? First, they believe e-books will eventually cannibalize their print book business. Second, they suspect the book market will continue to decline and, ultimately, become less lucrative. Third, they think international e-book businesses, especially Amazon’s...

Japanese company Glory recently unveiled a new ebook vending machine concept aimed at customers with smartphones. The Digital Reader writes, "You select and pay for the ebook on screen. The machine will print a receipt with a QR code and other info you’ll need to download the ebook." Here's the full post....

Over at Publishing Perspectives, Hannah Johnson reports on a panel at the recent Tokyo International Book Fair where publishers discussed ebooks in Japan. It's an interesting look at what some publishers think, especially if you've read Robin Birtle's Innovation in the Japanese eBook Market that we posted last week. From Johnson's report: One of the roadblocks to developing Japan's e-book market lies in the usability of e-book stores and devices, according to Fujio Noguchi, Senior General Manager of Sony's Digital Reading Business Division. Noguchi said currently, customers are confused about where to buy e-books and how to get that content on their...

Overseas attendees at this week's Tokyo International Book Fair can leave their phrase books at home since they will only need the line "atsui desu ne?", the ubiquitous Summer greeting that means "It's really hot, isn't it?". Temperatures in the high 80s will be compounded by crushing humidity that can stifle even the liveliest of debates. The eBook International Session boasts three respected executives for its speakers but these speakers may find the session's agenda is more of a hindrance to debate than the weather at Tokyo Big Sight. The session blurb promises answers to questions such as...

Editor's Note: I'm proud to present this first-hand report from Robin Birtle who is based in Tokyo. His contact info is at the end of the article. PB The Japanese eBook industry is crowded and awash with activity but is making no progress. In a recent edition of the eBook Journal, Yashio Uemura of Tokyo Denki University laments that the current eBook boom in Japan is in reality a boom in eBook seminars. This sense of frustration within the industry may seem at odds with annual revenues, as reported by Impress R&D, of $600 million and growth in excess...

2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake, by The quakebook community, edited by Our Man in Abiko, 24 customer reviews, 5 stars Although the file was available via Amazon for $0.00 for one morning, on May 20, via the one-click box, it was already no longer free later that day and was listed as $9.99.  So, this lasted barely half a day last time.  They may have had an unanticipated number of downloads that day. From the Product Description: "In just over a week, a group of unpaid professional and citizen journalists who met on Twitter created a book to raise money...