Hate to say we told you so – but we did – in the ‘Japan Wireless 2004 Preview’ video interview with IDC’s Mitch Kimura. Shipments by Japanese mobile phone makers in January dropped 22.3% from a year earlier to 2.98 million phones and were also well down on December’s 4.71 million units, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association said in a monthly report yesterday.

Mobile phone shipments in Japan fell in January for the first time in 15 months after demand tapered off following a big sales push by handset manufacturers ahead of the year-end holidays. It said shipments fell below three million units for the first time in 23 months, due in part to a drop-off in demand for existing handsets as consumers considered upgrading to 3G models. Continue >>

Related posts:

1. Japan Mobile Phone Shipments Up 19%
2. Sharp 2006 Handset Shipments
3. Japan Dec Handset Shipments Soar, Demand Seen Robust
4. Japan Cell Phone Sales Drop
5. Japan 3G Cell Phone Shipments Surge

Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.

Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!