“With its rich culture and celebrated creative traditions, Japan is a critical component of our plan to connect people around the world to stories they love”, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in February, when the initial plans were disclosed.
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Along with investing in supporting more languages and show libraries tailored to various markets, Netflix is making a priority of optimising its service on mobile devices since those are the main tools for accessing the Internet in emerging markets, as mentioned by the company. The hashtag translates as “Netofuri”.
Netflix is bringing its streaming service and original content to Japan, its gateway into the Asian market and a huge source of potential customers, revenue, and content. In addition to confirming the release date with VentureBeat, Netflix opened up a Japanese landing page and Twitter account early Tuesday morning.
Netflix’s social media campaign for the upcoming service went into full swing as well.
Japan is Netflix’s most significant, and risky launch since last year, when it rolled out across Europe. It’s also available in Australia and New Zealand, but has yet to make an appearance in Asia.
In Japan, the company expects a slow uptake of its services.
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Founded in 1997, Netflix began life in the U.S.as an online DVD-rental service, but the California-based company has moved with the times and is now one of the major global brands in the video-streaming realm. Spain, Portugal and Italy will also have Netflix in October.
