http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/09/japan%E2%80%99s-super-advanced-mobile-web-too-unique-to-serve-as-a-global-blueprint/An interesting discussion of the way mobile web has advanced in Japan over the last several years leaving the rest of the world way behind. I think all the observations here are right on mark and provide a good understanding of why mobile web has taken off much more strongly in Japan.
However, I feel that probably the most important reason is ignored here - and that is the daily routine of an average Japanese. You see, the Japanese are more mobile than any other people in the world - they walk or cycle or take a bus to the train station in the morning, get on the subway or train, get down and walk out, take a bus or walk to their office, walk to the cafetaria and repeat the whole routine on the way back home late in the evening. In between, they may walk to shopping, to the pub, for dinner, etc. While in USA, mobility means four wheels, in Japan it is your own two legs.
That's why in USA we have our radio, satellite radio, DVD/CD player in the car, even iPOD docked to the car stereo. We lug our laptops to Starbucks and connect on wi-fi. In Japan, when you are on your feet, the only device you can carry is the cellphone - so Japanese do everything we do on their cellphone, while standing on their own two feet - while walking, while standing in the subway, while eating lunch standing up in the cafetaria, etc.
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