Japan’s KDDI to Launch Netflix Style eBook Subscriptions in December

Decent ebook subscription plans are few and far between here in the US but it looks like the idea might be taking off elsewhere.Nikkei and other sources are reporting this week that KDDI, one of Japan's larger telecoms, is going to launch an ebook subscription service which will cost about $8 a month.

The new service is launching in December with around 500 titles, including comics, magazines, and novels. Early subscribers will need to be members of KDDI's Smart Pass program, but in April KDDI plans to open the program to open the service to all subscribers  as well as expand the selection to around 2 thousand titles.

The content will be available via an Android app for KDDI's 9 new smartphones as well as for Android tablets. There are no plans to offer an iOS app. The price is projected to be 590 yen (~$7.75 USD).

That, not so coincidentally, is the same price as KDDI's Video Pass movie subscription service, which was launched back in May. Video Pass offeredaccess to a wide range of genres, including Japanese and foreign movies, variety shows, drama, anime, music, and Korean popular entertainment.