The smartphone application business targeting students preparing for college entrance exams is buoyant amid a steady increase in smartphone users among high school students.
Naoki Miyauchi, an 18-year-old high school senior in Okayama, attends one of Japan's major preparatory schools and is studying for more than five hours a day so he can pass the competitive exam for the University of Tokyo.
He has been relying on a free smartphone application called Studyplus that allows him to connect with other users through social networking.
"I have my smartphone with me all the time to find out how many hours I spend on which subject and check how my friends are doing," Miyauchi said.
On Studyplus, members register the textbooks they are using and keep track of how long and what they studied. The data are automatically displayed in a graph, allowing users to see how many hours they study each day, week and month.
Members can also set goals and confirm what they have achieved at a certain point.
Source: NewsOnJapan
