Arguably, one the most popular apps used in Japan is LINE. This app became available in June 2011 and by January 2013, boasted 1 billion users in the world.
Although LINE is available in other countries, the popularity in Japan is quite exceptional. It is said that 40% of Japan’s population uses this app daily when only 69% of the population owns a smartphone.
So what is LINE?
LINE is a communication/calling app. It became popular as it doesn’t use the a phone line or provider. LINE uses the internet (either mobile data or WiFi) to call/text with each other. This allows people to communicate for free, as long as they have the internet. Not only is this app popular with teens, it is also seeing a surge in use amongst people in their 40s and 50s.
Another feature of the app allows people to share instantly and also create group chats, which reportedly has appealed to businesses aiding employee communications.
After the success of the main app, others have branched out under the “LINE” brand. These include news, games, weather, picture/video editing, and a camera app.
By creating apps that are targeted for different kinds of people, LINE has become an essential upload for Japan.
Prescient Native 