Facebook has always been a fringe player in Japan's social networking culture. As of one year ago, according to analytics site Socialbakers, about 2% of Japan's online population was registered on Facebook, compared with roughly 60% in the United States. Homegrown sites like Mixi, GREE and Mobage-town have dominated the sector, each counting a user base in excess of 20 million-about 10 times greater than Facebook's January 2011 totals. And according to a recent report from comScore, Japan is the only market where Twitter is more popular than Mark Zuckerberg's juggernaut.
There are many reasons why Facebook has started slow in Japan, but perhaps the most resounding is that its competitors offer their customers a highly prized shield of anonymity. Japanese people typically don't divulge their real names on the web, instead opting for pseudonyms that allow them to freely express themselves without fear of reproach. (canadianbusiness.com)
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