Abstract
The goal of this research is to examine the factors of success with Japan's mobile industry to develop the ecosystem research model. Takeshi Natsuno, former senior vice president of NTT DoCoMo and developer of i-Mode, discussed with us that a clear and huge investment in i-Mode and e-payment technologies created the initial mobile ecosystem in 1999 in Japan. The ecosystem defined by Mr.Natsuno as a collection of roles in a collaborative balance has been established. We concluded in this research that risk-taking was the predominant factor influencing the success of the mobile ecosystem in Japan. NTT DoCoMo was the major risk-taker in Japan during this time and other players, such as mobile phone manufacturers or contents providers, could participate with little risk.
