Amazon is making a big expansion into Japan with its Instant Video online platform, which launched on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Movies and TV series are now available to the Japanese public for streaming, download rental and purchase and, I guarantee you, everyone is much happier for it. We live in a time when it’s inconvenient to go out to a store to purchase or rent video; we want everything to be available from our homes on one service. Amazon would love to be that service and is making itself completely available in Japan, with some great incentives to bring new subscribers into the fold.

Amazon Japan is bringing, according to THR, content from local major studios and TV networks, offering 24-hour rentals with fees of $1 (100 ten). More specifically, the content comes from Hollywood studios, local majors like Toho and Shochiku, public broadcaster Nhk and commercial networks such as Fuji TV,...