In 2008, the launch of Apple's iPhone 3G took the United States by storm. People queued for hours to get the phone. In Japan, the iPhone craze was absent. The enthusiasm that gripped the United States has been missing since the launch in Japan. While Americans were first seeing the technology provided by the iPhone, Japan already had this technology and more in their current phones. Apple had to learn the hard way about the differences between American culture and Japanese culture. In 2005, Disney opened Disneyland in Hong Kong and planned to serve shark fin soup. A local delicacy that Disney thought would complement the menu well. Environmental groups around the world have protested the use of shark fin soup in Disney parks. Differences in consumer behavior changed how Apple and Disney needed to market. iPhone in Japan In the United States, anticipation gripped tech-savvy consumers as they waited in long lines for the chance to own the long-awaited iPhone. “The arrival of the iPhone was highly anticipated and saw long queues of enthusiasts, ready to wait in any condition for the privilege of being the first to hold and try the new device” (Goggin, 2009). In Japan, the iPhone hasn't attracted the same level of attention. “Apple's iPhone has thrilled much of the world, but not Japan, where the phone sells so poorly that it is offered for free” (Chen, 2009). The mobile operator in Japan is Softbank and has continued to discount the phone in hopes of increasing sales. Apple soon discovered that the iPhone didn't have what Japanese customers were looking for. What went wrong? With the iPhone sold out in most markets around the world, because the amazing device was not sold in the Japanese market. Apple had several mi...... middle of paper ...... from http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/02/why-the-iphone/Eurotechnology-Japan. (2013). Doing business in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.eurotechnology.com/doing-business-in-japan/why-difficult/Goggin, G. (2009, April). Adapting your cell phone: The iPhone and its consumption. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 23(2), 231–244.Hills, J., & Welford, R. (2005, November 16). A case study of Disney in Hong Kong. CSR ASIA, 1(46), 3-6. Kamizuru, S. (2008, September 5). Mass-market adoption eludes iPhone 3G in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.dailytech.com/Analyst+3G+iPhone+Headed+Towards+Failure+in+Japan/article12878.htmSchiffman, L. G., & Kanuk, L. L. (2010). Consumer Behavior (10th ed.). Upper Sadle River, NJ: Pearson.Veris, L. (2005, May 23). Disney urged you to skip the shark soup. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/disney-urged-to-skip-shark-soup/