When people think of Japan, they often think of high-tech gadgets such as cell phones, digital cameras and other types of electronics that “wow” the rest of the world. The cell phone in particular is fascinating to foreigners and is a steadily growing market in Japan today. As a Japanese entrepreneur, I am directly affected by this surge in cellular technology. It is altering the state of communication throughout the country.

The number of people using cell phones in Japan has grown to almost 100 million during the past decade, and more than 80 percent of the population owns these personal mobile gadgets. Writing e-mails and surfing the Internet on cell phones is a common sight in Japan. People who don't even know how to turn on a computer can shop online using their cell phones. In fact, about 37 percent of the Japanese population has made online purchases through mobile phones. And that's only the beginning.

In Japan, cell phone usage has become so diverse that people tend to leave their wallets at home. They can read newspaper articles, download novels, purchase tickets for concerts, go in and out of subways, buy sodas from vending machines, look up accurate train times and keep track of their kids with the phone's built-in GPS systems. Talk about modern technology!

Sometimes I believe that cell phones have outperformed person-to-person communications. Direct communication among friends and family has decreased dramatically during the past decade. Because of the convenience of cell phones, people are text messaging instead of calling or talking to each other face to face. It's frightening to imagine what the communication skills of the Japanese will be like 50 years from now.

I believe that the mobile content and cellular phone markets are good areas in which to expand business and create future opportunities. I run an Internet marketing company, and I'm considering the possibility of integrating the mobile world into my own business. It's an ever-expanding market, and the competition will become more and more aggressive as Japan continues to churn out the latest and greatest in cell phone technology.

I know that when the opportunity calls, I will pick up that phone.