With a growing number of smartphone-related accidents as pedestrians remain glued to their devices in Japan, NTT Docomo has created an animated video to show what would happen if everyone crossing the Shibuya scramble in downtown Tokyo was staring at their phone.

In Japan, high school can be one of the most stressful points in a young person’s life with 59% claiming the pressure is “too much”. In response to a small but growing sect of students failing to make it to class due to sickness, bullying or social anxiety, Meisei Cyber is a virtual high school teens attend with an avatar.

Japan's futuristic technology often leads outsiders to assume that what happens there will catch on elsewhere. Before we get excited about tomorrow's world, what can we understand about the particular culture that's enabled such innovations to flourish?

While WhatsApp wins over the West and WeChat conquers China, messaging app LINE has taken Japan by storm. With 400 million users worldwide, and 52 million in Japan alone, LINE's bright and vibrant customisable stickers are hugely popular – but can they really replace text?