NTT DoCoMo buys music retail chain: "DoCoMo will initially provide Tower's 100 Japanese stores with pay-by-phone systems allowing consumers to purchase music and have it billed to their FeliCa mobile phone accounts.

Both firms also said they are considering a digital music download service partnership, and that's likely to be the real motivation behind the deal. DoCoMo gains a music brand and knowledge needed to provide such a service which could integrate perfectly with the telco's i-mode facility. Some reports claim music accounts for around half of all i-mode content sales."

Also worth considering: catalogue shopping via mobile is, I'm told, Big In Japan. CDs much surely be an in-demand item and suitable for such things.