In 2008, the launch of Apple's iPhone 3G took the United States by storm. People queued for hours to get their phones back. In Japan, the enthusiasm for the iPhone was absent. The enthusiasm that gripped the United States was absent from the Japan launch. While Americans were first discovering the technology offered by the iPhone, Japan already had this technology and much more in its current phones. Apple had to learn the hard way the differences between American culture and Japanese culture. In 2005, Disney opened Hong Kong Disneyland and planned to serve shark fin soup. A local treat, Disney felt it would pair well with the menu. Environmental groups around the world have protested the use of shark fin soup in Disney parks. Differences in consumer behavior changed the way Apple and Disney needed to market their products. The iPhone in Japan In the United States, impatience gripped tech-savvy consumers as they lined up for the chance to own the long-awaited iPhone. “The arrival of the iPhone was highly anticipated and generated long lines of aficionados, ready to wait in all conditions for the privilege of being the first to own and try the new device” (Goggin, 2009 ). In Japan, the iPhone hasn't attracted the same level of attention. “Apple's iPhone has won over most of the world, but not Japan, where the phone sold so poorly that it was offered for free” (Chen, 2009). The mobile carrier in Japan is Softbank, and they have continued to offer discounted prices on the phone in hopes of increasing its sales. Apple soon discovered that the iPhone didn't have what Japanese customers were looking for. Apple had several mi...... middle of paper ......rom 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. (April 2009). Adaptation of the mobile phone: The iPhone and its consumption. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 23(2), 231-244. Hills, J. and Welford, R. (November 16, 2005). A case study of Disney in Hong Kong. CSR ASIA, 1(46), 3-6. Kamizuru, S. (September 5, 2008). Mass market adoption eludes iPhone 3G in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.dailytech.com/Analyst+3G+iPhone+Headed+Towards+Failure+in+Japan/article12878.htmSchiffman, LG and Kanuk, LL (2010). Consumer Behavior (10th ed.). Upper Sadle River, NJ: Pearson. Veris, L. (May 23, 2005). Disney urged avoiding shark soup. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/disney-urged-to-skip-shark-soup/