Ask a resident of Tokyo what he or she thinks of two-dimensional symbols and they'll probably tell you they're "fun."  Sound odd?  Anywhere else, it might be but the Japanese have the power to read 2D symbols such as QR Code into the palm of their hands.  And they're using it.

In Japan, there are already 30 million cell phones equipped with a small imager designed to read small bar code and 2D symbols.  Camera phones need only a small decoder chip to be able to recognize 2D symbols.  These symbols are printed with ads in magazines, billboards and other printed advertising media as a quick and convenient way for people to interact with the advertiser.

Want more information about a product?  Read the symbol on the ad and, with a web-enabled phone, view the product's web site.  Other advertisers offer discount coupons and special offers.

Northwest Airlines has capitalized on this love of technology in its recent ad campaign in Tokyo.  The company is blanketing the city with billboards and posters that offer free games to win prizes.  While QR Code symbols are typically small (no more than12 mm or  one-half inch square), the QR Code on Northwest's billboards is huge -- up to 10 meters or 33 feet -- in order to be read from the street.