AdMob is planning to start operations in Japan next month, apparently feeling confident in entering a market that is considered years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of technological advancement, uptake and competition. Of course, while competition is tough there’s also a bigger market in Japan for mobile advertising, since (despite super-hyped predictions) the mobile ad market in most countries is still in its infancy, attracting a small fraction of the advertising budget from mostly smaller accounts. However, “10 percent of online marketing budgets in Japan is already being spent on mobile ads” reports Japan’s Cellphone Edge citing CNet Japan. AdMob has already translated its website into Japanese and reportedly beta tested the local ad platform in preparation for the February launch, and will begin by targeting small-to-medium companies.

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