Report: state of mobile social networking in Japan

Over the course of 2009 I have accumulated some interesting stats about the mobile social networks in Japan that I would like to share with everyone. Please follow the download link to get the powerpoint slides from SlideShare.

Japan Mobile SNS Study 2010

Basically, the report is broken down into two parts: the mobile phone market update (drivers for SNS uptake) and the current state of mobile social networking in Japan. Some main points include but not limited to the following:

Part 1. Japan’s Mobile Phone Market Overview
- Japan mobile phone market is well developed with penetration rate standing at 89%
- Japan is dominantly a postpaid market
- In popularity mobile phones surpass personal computers and fixed line telephones
- 3G penetration stands at 95%, making Japan the leader in 3G
- Data usage is abundant with 84.3% of users having data plans

Part 2. Mobile Social Networking in Japan
- Social networking is on mobile radar but has plenty room for growth
- Most users access social networks from mobile
- Social network user demographics skew toward female users
- Good selection of games is an important attribute of successful social network in Japan
- Big three home-grown networks dominate the marketplace in Japan
- Mixi is a leading social networking site in Japan by a user base
- Late coming and lack of relevant local offering keep global brands at bay in Japan
- In Japan, real user identity is often hidden behind the virtual avatar
- Premium content and ad sales equally contribute to SNS revenue streams
- Battle for developers’ mindshare begins: availability of third-party applications will become a competitive advantage for social networks in Japan