Soon Japanese otaku will have even less reason to leave their rooms. Mobile software company jig.jp have announced a shopping app dedicated exclusively to anime goods, and with its own moe mascot to make the experience even sweeter!
Late March will see the release of the ‘otaku goods’ app that will let you shop for all your much-needed anime merch right from your phone. Distinct categories and a tagging function, as well as keyword search will make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s set to be released on iOS first, with an Android release to follow.
And as with anything hoping to gain popularity in Japan these days, the app has it’s own mascot, Mako Oda. Mako is a 17-year-old part-time worker at Otamart. She’s a huge anime and game fan, and is the youngest of three siblings. Recently her older sister’s got her into cosplay… Interesting that they mention the siblings – maybe there are more mascots in the works?
You can pre-register at their site now, and once the app is released and you’ve completed your registration you’ll get a special picture of Mako-chan. Unfortunately the app is only in Japanese right now, and will likely only support delivery within Japan. I’ve volunteered for some hands-on research when the app goes live – better start saving my yen!
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