Meta has launched its personal AI agent Muse in Japan, the first market outside North America where the service is officially available. Meta Platforms said Friday that Japanese users can now download Muse on iOS and Android and use it through the muse.ai website, Kyodo News reported on October 23.
The Japan launch extends Muse beyond its initial North American debut in September. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said more than 10 million people completed the initial setup of Muse in the United States and Canada within about a month of the early access launch — a milestone the company is now trying to repeat in Japan with local partnerships and integrations.
The Japan rollout
Users in Japan get the same core proposition as the North American launch: an agent that moves beyond answering questions to carrying out tasks. When users say what they want to accomplish, Muse formulates the steps on its own, then opens a browser and acts directly — filling in forms, sending messages, booking travel — with the user’s approval for sensitive actions.
Most basic features are free, and Meta also offers a paid subscription plan for more extensive use, though the announcement did not specify subscription prices or the limits of the free offering. Alexandr Wang, Meta’s chief AI officer, announced the launch on X on October 22, telling users to download the agent from their app store. The launch date is notable because Meta’s Japanese-language product page had previously said local availability was undecided when Muse was introduced in September.
Local integrations: Mercari, Money Forward and Klook
Meta is betting on local partnerships to make the agent useful in Japan. Connecting Muse to Gmail and Google Calendar lets it summarize unread emails and manage schedules. Meta also plans to connect Muse soon with Mercari, the online flea market service, and Money Forward ME, the personal finance app.
“We want to connect Muse with services people use regularly so it can help them in a wider range of situations,” said Masahiro Ajisawa, head of Meta’s Japanese unit.
Travel is another pillar. Klook, the experiences platform, has partnered with Meta to integrate its offerings into Muse in Japan, letting travelers discover and book from an inventory of 426,000 bookable offerings across more than 4,600 destinations inside a single conversation. When a traveler is ready to book, Muse places the order and directs them to Klook’s secure payment page, confirming the booking in the same chat.
Controls and approvals
Meta is emphasizing user control as agents take on more. Users decide which apps and information Muse can access, and the agent seeks approval before sending emails or making purchases. Meta said Muse cannot see users’ passwords or credit card details.
The controls echo the approach Meta took at the North American launch, where the company stressed that “control always remains with users themselves.” High-risk tasks such as securities trading remain restricted, and the agent is designed to reject requests to share highly sensitive information externally.
Why It Matters
Japan is the proving ground for whether a personal AI agent can travel. Muse’s North American numbers were strong, but they came in the company’s home market with English-language services. Japan brings a different app ecosystem, different commerce habits and a different language — and Meta is answering with Mercari, Money Forward and Klook rather than a straight translation of the US product.
The launch also intensifies the agent race in Asia. Anthropic’s Claude Duet is currently limited to US subscribers, and OpenAI’s agent offerings are still rolling out region by region. Meta is moving first in a major non-English market, and the integrations it signs there will set the template for wherever Muse goes next.
Background
Muse is Meta’s personal AI agent, built on the company’s Muse Spark models. Meta introduced it in September 2026 as an agent that works across apps and websites through a dedicated virtual computer, handling everyday tasks and longer-term goals. The company has paired the launch with an open SDK for connecting Muse to DIY gadgets, signaling that it wants the agent to reach into the physical world as well.
Source: Kyodo News ; RuntimeWire (reporting Alexandr Wang’s announcement)
0 Comments