東京.net (Tokyo.net) IDN Domain sells for $10,000

For those interested in a what's happening in the IDN Domain world 東京.net (Tokyo.net) Japanese IDN Domain was sold on DNForums for $10,000.

This is the first big sale for IDN Domains but we can expect for this trend to continue since most of the Domaining sites owners are realizing IDN Domains are really the future of Domaining. Consider it Domaining 2.0

東京.net sells for $10,000

 

I don't think I am terribly bullish on IDN domains. I think that, one you are correct in your assumption they will be valued in the future. But I don't think it will be create and spawn the future of Domaining. In another way it seems rather silly all these Americans running around buying .jp city domains and thinking one day they might be worth something. I can guess that any worthwhile international city domains, are already owned by someone else. What are your justifications and reasoning that these domains will be worth so much more in the future?

 

1. I'm a bilingual American that has been part of developing the Japanese Internet market for quite some time.
2. I live in Tokyo
3. I work a rather large SEO firm that has a rather large investment company that you guys all know & try to optimize for.
4. I can see Japan Registry pushing IDN domains to normal people.
5. ASCII Domains have NO VALUE in terms of SEO for languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Russian.
6. I hold a large portfolio but I also do research on the search habits of Japanese.

The number one thing that I found out is Japanese people usually do not type in domains. They can't usually remember them.
The process they do is go straight to Google or Yahoo & type the website in Japanese.

These are just facts. My facts are based on normal Japanese living in Japan.

No one expected Tokyo to sell this fast we IDNers believed it would take at least a year after IE7 was released before normal domainers got interested.

The reasoning on buying now is as interests increase the good domains go quicker. Even if you don't speak the language there still is SEDO which will be IDN compatible in more Asian languages this year. Japanese is supposed to come out this year.

 

I'll explain a bit about marketing in Tokyo.
You can advertise on the Trains in Tokyo for about $5,000 a week.
90% of the domains on ads on the trains no one can remember after they get off.
It's worth it have an easy to remember domain if you realize commercials in Japan are only 15 seconds or advertisements on trains have a huge audience.