Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has declared that he wants to build an "e-Japan." He may find that his wish comes true sooner than he thinks. This week's launch of Amazon.com's Japanese Web site will push the electronic envelope as much as any government initiative. But the Amazon.com venture also highlights the obstacles this country faces in its attempts to move toward the digital frontier.
Amazon.com is the world's most visible e-commerce venture. Since it was founded in 1995, the company has extended numerous tentacles into cyberspace, adding CDs, electronic equipment, videos and other goods to its warehouses of books. It has 25 million customers worldwide; in September, 14.3 million people visited its Web site. The company hopes to generate $1 billion in sales this Christmas.
Amazon.com is proof that the Internet is changing the face of commerce. Few Japanese are likely to visit Seattle, Washington, but since the company went into business, Japan has been its largest export market. It already has 193,000 Japanese customers, who generate annual sales of $34 million.