Amazon to expand into Japan

Amazon.com will extend its geographical presence with the formation of a Japanese subsidiary, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported today. The online store will open within the year and focus on the company's gadget sales business rather than books, the commodity that made its name. The paper also claimed the subsidiary will be set up from scratch, a marked contrast to Amazon's expansion efforts in other territories, most notably the UK and Germany, which have been driven by the acquisition of local online booksellers. ®