Why You'll Probably Never Own A J-Phone

Ever wondered why J-Phones almost never make it out of Japan? So have we, and apparently, so have the folk over at the Giz, who addressed the matter in an interesting piece called "Why Zen Software Design Does Not Come From Japan".

"On one of my more recent trips to Tokyo, I conferred with some tech and culture experts and picked their brains to try to figure out why. Mobile phones in Japan are a multi-gazillion dollar industry, so why aren't they coming out with the next super-phone? The answer, it seems, lies in some kinks and quirks in Japanese industry and personality."

But before you hop over, here's a friendly word of warning: they use the word "Zen" an awful lot in there, and quite honestly, we find it somewhat amusing. As Asians who were born and bred in Asia, we can barely recall - if ever - using the word "Zen" in any form or fashion. It's almost as if "Zen" has become the new "Chop Suey".