Line app users top 100 mil. in Japan nearly 15 years since launch

TOKYO - Users of the Line messaging app topped 100 million at the end of last year in Japan, the operator said, with the service now offering a variety of communication platforms for individuals nearly 15 years after its launch in the wake of the 2011 mega earthquake.

The smartphone app was released in June 2011 by a predecessor of operator LY Corp., shortly after the magnitude-9.0 quake that devastated northeastern Japan three months earlier. The disaster had prevented phone calls from getting through, and the demand for simple online communication was projected to grow.