Clubhouse tops Japan chart as CEOs, celebrities embrace app

Clubhouse, the invite-only drop-in conversation app attracting Silicon Valley leaders in the US, 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.