Amazon is giving Japanese customers access to a broad selection of Android apps with the opening of its app store in the country.

Customers can access the store at http://www.amazon.co.jp/apps.

The store offers games and apps, including ‘Mushroom Garden’ and ‘Yahoo! Headline’ and bestsellers like ‘Fruit Ninja’ and ‘Cut the Rope’ along with apps from brands like Square Enix and NTT Docomo.

In addition to localised content and a localised mobile store offer, customers will have access to popular Amazon app store features like the ‘Free App of the Day’, which offers a paid app for free every day. Apps and games purchased from Amazon can be used across customers’ Android devices as well as Kindle Fire tablets, enabling them to buy an app or game once and enjoy it everywhere.

It also includes Amazon features like personalised recommendations, customer reviews and 1-Click payments.

Developers can build their apps and games using Amazon web service’s infrastructure platform and improve audience engagement through ‘GameCircle’ services with features like Leaderboards, Achievements, Friends and Whispersync which syncs game state between Kindle devices.

To gain exposure to customers, developers can list their apps in the Amazon appstore and take advantage of merchandising placement and awareness-building programs like Free App of the Day and personalised recommendations.

To monetise their apps and games, developers can use Amazon’s e-commerce and payment capabilities like In-App Purchasing and Subscriptions.

GB