was a
2G mailing and picture messaging service provided by
J-Phone
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo which focuses on investment management. The Group primarily invests in companies operating in technology, energy, and financial sectors. It also runs th ...
(now
Softbank
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo which focuses on investment management. The Group primarily invests in companies operating in technology, energy, and financial sectors. It also runs the Vi ...
). The term derives from ''sha'', the first part of the Japanese word , and mail (from
email
Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic ( digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" mean ...
).
In 2002
Vodafone
Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.
, Vod ...
, which had by that point acquired J-Phone, launched
Vodafone live!
Vodafone live! was the brand name for the multimedia portal service of mobile phone operator Vodafone, offering news content, picture messaging, instant messaging, email, and downloadable ringtones and games. The service officially launched on 24 O ...
as a global service. This led to the now-obsolete Sha-Mail never upgrading to
3G, effectively ending Sha-Mail once support for 2G networks ceased.
The word Japanese word ''shamēru'', often abbreviated to ''shame'' (), now commonly refers to any text message with an image attached.
Mobile technology
Japanese inventions
{{Japan-culture-stub