Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda frequently entertains dignitaries from all over the world, but he was a touch star-struck on Thursday when he hosted a young billionaire with a whiff of celebrity: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
As cabinet ministers filed through Noda's residence for a late afternoon meeting, it was Zuckerberg who drew a fusillade of camera flashes from a hefty media contingent as he strode through the entrance like a movie star.
"It's a funny feeling to see you here because I watched the film," Noda told Zuckerberg, referring to "The Social Network" - which did not portray the Facebook co-founder in the most flattering aspect.
"Japan's the only country in the world outside the U.S. where we have an engineering office because we're really committed to making a really good product here," Zuckerberg said.
Facebook got off to a slow start after it founded its Japanese-language service nearly four years ago, lagging domestic rivals like Mixi where users in privacy-minded Japan log on under an alias, or "handle name."
"With more than 10 million people on Facebook in Japan, a robust developer community, and a sophisticated mobile market, Japan is an important country for Facebook," Facebook spokeswoman Debbie Frost told Reuters.
Facebook's Japanese service also allows users to show their blood type, which many people in Japan believe helps determine one's personality.
Copyright @ Thompson Reuters 2012
As cabinet ministers filed through Noda's residence for a late afternoon meeting, it was Zuckerberg who drew a fusillade of camera flashes from a hefty media contingent as he strode through the entrance like a movie star.
"It's a funny feeling to see you here because I watched the film," Noda told Zuckerberg, referring to "The Social Network" - which did not portray the Facebook co-founder in the most flattering aspect.
"Japan's the only country in the world outside the U.S. where we have an engineering office because we're really committed to making a really good product here," Zuckerberg said.
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Facebook got off to a slow start after it founded its Japanese-language service nearly four years ago, lagging domestic rivals like Mixi where users in privacy-minded Japan log on under an alias, or "handle name."
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"With more than 10 million people on Facebook in Japan, a robust developer community, and a sophisticated mobile market, Japan is an important country for Facebook," Facebook spokeswoman Debbie Frost told Reuters.
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Facebook's Japanese service also allows users to show their blood type, which many people in Japan believe helps determine one's personality.
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Copyright @ Thompson Reuters 2012
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