Amazon to Launch Echo AI Speaker for Japanese Market Next Week (News)

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)—Amazon Japan said Wednesday it will launch three models of its Echo artificial intelligence-based smart speaker that supports the Japanese language.

Amazon's Japanese-enabled Echo smart speaker at its unveiling in Tokyo on November 8, 2017. (© Jiji)

Amazon Japan will start shipping the new gadget next week. Orders will be accepted at the company's website.

The three models are the Echo, the standard model priced at ¥11,980, the compact Echo Dot, at ¥5,980, and the high-end Echo Plus, at ¥17,980.

Users can talk to the voice-recognizing smart speaker to control home appliances and music systems.

To make any requests, users need first to say "Alexa," the name of Echo's AI system.