Clubhouse Tops Japan Chart as CEOs, Celebrities Embrace App

  • Creatives and entertainers are joining more casual audio app
  • Government ministers are also on board to answer questions

The Clubhouse app

Photographer: Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/Getty Images
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Clubhouse, the invite-only drop-in conversation app attracting Silicon Valley leaders in the U.S., has jumped the pond to become a hit in Japan where company chiefs, popular musicians and politicians have embraced the latest social-media phenomenon. Even SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son has an account.

The iPhone-only app topped the country’s download charts with more than 440,000 new installs last week, according to Sensor Tower. The first week of February has also seen it sweep across the wider Asia region, with China enjoying a short-lived romance with the audio-only service before it was swiftly blocked after users started discussing politically sensitive topics.