Web company Yahoo Japan launched an Android app store in Japan to rival Android Market. However, the Yahoo Market doesn’t currently sell apps directly and only provides reviews, ratings and links through to apps on the Google store.

Yahoo Japan is reportedly planning to sell Android apps directly from the store from spring next year.

Japan is a significant market for Android devices. According to MM Research, the amount of Android smartphones shipped in Japan in 2010 and 2011 beat Apple’s iPhone, with 4.91 million devices sold compared to Apple’s 3.23 million.