Twitter is a hit in Japan, succeeding where other social networking imports like Facebook have foundered as millions "mumble" — the translation of tweet — and give miniblogging a distinctly Japanese flavor.
The arrival of the Japanese-language Twitter service in 2008 tapped into a greater sense of individuality, especially among younger people less accepting of the understatement and conformity the culture is usually associated with, analysts say.
A mobile version of Twitter started last October, further fueling the Twitter boom in a nation where Internet-connecting cell phones have been the rule for years.