From Wired: Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone
This article assumes that SoftBank’s iPhone For Everybody indicates that the Japanese hate the iPhone. Disappointingly, there isn’t a scrap of market data in the entire article. Considering how many iPhones one sees in the subway, I doubt there to be a universal hatred for the iPhone in the Japanese street. Surely there could be another reason for the promotion that a writer could speculate about (eg. a new model to be released?) rather than propagating a cultural stereotype.
Furthermore, Chen asks if Apple will say sayonara to the Japanese market. Apple still sells the tv here, if that’s any indication.