Apple Inc. has been always loved by people in Japan. Even during its toughest years, in the 1990s, after cofounder Steve Jobs had been expelled and the company was almost dead, its Macintosh computer held a much greater market share in Japan than in other countries. At that time, Apple made up over 10 percent of all personal computers sold here, when the world share was around 5 percent.
Then, after Jobs made his comeback, Apple's iPod mobile music player knocked the Sony Walkman off the top spot in Japan. This was followed by the success of the iPhone, which became a bestseller even though over 80 percent of people already had Internet access on their Japanese cellphones. That success was even more remarkable, considering that it was only available with the third-ranked phone company SoftBank — in other major markets, Apple had shaken hands with the No. 1 or at worst, the No. 2 carriers. Now, with Japan's No. 2 carrier, KDDI-au, also offering the iPhone, it is a major threat to Docomo's strategy and position as No. 1. The latest shipment share for the iPhone is reported to be 16 percent, which is higher than Macintosh's success in the '90s, and makes Apple the No.1 handset maker in Japan now.
Jobs was often reported to have an affection for Japanese culture — for example his love for Zen, sushi and his trademark Issey Miyake black turtleneck sweater — so maybe that has something to do with why the Japanese liked him so much. Or maybe it was because Jobs sometimes showed respect for Japanese electronics vendors, especially Sony in its golden age. Whatever the reason, there have been always loyal Apple fans here.
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