JiJi Press is reporting that Japan mobile market leader DoCoMo slipped to third place in annual mobile phone subscriber growth, for the first time, in 2007 based on TCA data released Thursday. Industry-wide subscribers grew 5.9 pct year-on-year with DoCoMo still holding a commanding lead in market share of 52.9 pct, followed by KDDI with 29.4 pct and Softbank with 17.5 pct.

KDDI Corp. topped the list for new-subscriber net additions, for the second straight year, while Softbank Mobile, replaced NTT DoCoMo for the number 2 position. In December, Softbank won the new subscriber war for the eighth straight month. Net customer growth totaled 2,329,400 for KDDI, operator of au-brand service, 2,115,800 for Softbank and 936,700 for DoCoMo, according to the report. Via JCN NewsWire

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5. Japan’s Mobile Year in Review

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 been 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!