iPod a Hit in Japan

More signs that Apple is doing well in Japan.

The iPod is proving a colossal hit on the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant’s own turf. The tiny white machine is catching on as a fashion statement and turning into a cultural icon in Japan, much the same way it won a fanatic following in the United States.

And then some news on the iTunes Music Store coming to Japan.

Apple will offer the Japanese equivalent of iTunes within the next year, with prices comparable to the 99 cents a tune it charges in the United States, Apple vice president Yoshiaki Sakito, a former Sony employee, said in an interview at Apple’s Tokyo headquarters. That’s almost certain to change the music download industry in Japan by winning over those who now opt for cheaper CD rentals they can record onto MDs at home. Commercial downloads cost about $2.30 a tune in Japan.

The full AP article can be read here.