Tokyo and tech through the eyes of a split pea

Earth to US: Mixi, Mixi, Mixi IPO

I’m finding it remarkable that almost nobody in Silicon Valley followed the Mixi IPO, let alone knew who or what Mixi is. Here’s an SNS at $2B that makes MySpace look like it sold too early and Facebook actually seem reasonable. Okay, so Japan may be in its own little internet bubble, but as my friend Shin notes, this should be more than just a passing note in the Economist.

I’ve read a few concerned pieces now that Shinzo Abe is the new prime minister for Japan (and note how he got there – it sure wasn’t through a democratic process). He’s not exactly known for his pro-gaijin views, but at least on the technology side I think we can expect some momentum in the positive moves with the recent Mixi IPO and Blackberry arrival. Both are non-Japanese ideas sure to inspire the hunt for further ideas off the island. It’s premature to make any calls and besides, nothing changes faster than the speed of a tortise around here anyways. But I’m getting a pretty good vibe on Japan’s younger demographic and their acceptance and adoption of internet (not just mobile!) technologies in general.