If you didn't know yet, Amazon's going to release an international version of its Kindle pickpocket-bai--I mean reader device, the Kindle, going out to tempt petty thieves in over 100 countries, including Japan.

That's all well and good by itself, especially since everyone could do with a little more free space in that country, but the Kindle will also be coming with some additional features that take advantage of Glorious Nippon's fantastic broadband service and 3G network coverage. Nearly the entire country has full coverage, which means you might actually be able to download a survival guide to your Kindle should you ever get lost in the woods.

However, the release seems to be squarely aimed at expats and English-speakers, since folks wanting one will have to get it through Amazon.com and not its Japanese frontend, Amazon.jp. All the content will still be sold in US Dollars, and so far no immediate publishing deals have been announced with Japanese publishers.

If properly marketed and with a good Japanese-language stable, the Kindle could do quite well. I've seen enough pictures of packed otaku bedrooms to know that even the nerdiest of nerds wouldn't mind having a few of their novels or mag subscriptions in electronic form instead. Personally, the Kindle's still kind of a raw deal, but I'd certainly consider getting one once they're able to display manga or comic books. Then again, for that kind of money I could also buy a PSPgo and take advantage of Sony's manga publishing deals, too.