Tokyo-based serial entrepreneur and web service producer Kazuma Ieiri has brought us yet another entertaining web app.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And here in Japan, it’s a sort of “custom” that women give chocolate to their boyfriends or male co-workers. Now we have an app that allows us (boys/men) to easily choose the girl of your fancy by entering her Twitter account and asking her for chocolate. It’s called Chocokure. If she accepts your request, she pays 500 yen (or just over $6) for a gift package, that will be delivered to you, so you can enjoy a sweet treat from her.
I should also note that a team of web developers and designers called Mochrom have coincidentally been working on developing a similar service to Mr. Ieiri’s. In order to prevent user traction conflict and the possibly of being labeled a copy-cat, they decided not to release their app. The team’s service lists portraits of the girls who have joined, and they can compete in rankings according to how many chocolate requests they’ve received from male users. But regrettably this service won’t be released.
It’s a little funny that men always seem to be thinking the same things…
At the time of writing more than 2,500 packages are ready to be ordered via Ieiri’s web app. He previously co-founded a Tokyo-based web hosting company called Paper Boy & Co (which originated in Fukuoka, and was later acquired by GMO Internet), developed a number of web services including Japan’s kickstarter-like patronage platform Campfire last year. He has also been committed to helping potential entrepreneurs launch fun apps and services that may make our community more lively and entertained.