AI Industry

Meta Brings Muse AI Agent to Japan, Its First Asian Market

Oct 23, 2026·4 min read·By Rahish Saifi

Commuter's hands holding a black smartphone by a train window, with a city skyline lit up at dusk behind

On October 23, 2026 (Japan time), Meta rolled out Muse, its personal artificial-intelligence agent, across Japan—the company's first market outside North America, where Muse debuted in September 2026. Japanese users can install Muse on iOS and Android or use it on the web at muse.ai. Meta's Japan newsroom says many core capabilities are available at no charge, while a subscription tier exists for heavier use; the company has not published Japanese pricing in today's materials. The launch extends a high-stakes bet on agentic assistants that already drew intense attention in the U.S. and Canada, where Muse passed 10 million account setups in about six weeks, even as some enterprises tighten policies on third-party agents.

Key facts

Item	Detail
Launch date & market	October 23, 2026 in Japan—first country outside North America (Meta Japan newsroom; Kyodo News)
Where to get it	iOS, Android, and the web at muse.ai (Meta Japan newsroom)
Pricing	Many core features free; subscription plan for heavier use—no Japanese pricing announced in the release (Meta Japan newsroom)
How you interact	Chat in the Muse app like messaging a person; instructions by text or voice (Kyodo News; Meta Japan newsroom)
Live connectors	Gmail, Google Calendar, Instagram; global services Stripe, Shopify, Trip.com, Agoda, Klook (Meta Japan newsroom)
Japan partners (planned)	Mercari (flea-market app), Money Forward ME (household finance; operator Money Forward Home was named a launch partner), Ticket Pia (Pia Corporation ticketing)—integrations in progress, not yet live (Meta Japan newsroom; Kyodo News; Money Forward Home)
Not in Japan yet	Advanced voice mode, Muse Realtime Avatar (English only), and a dedicated Muse email address—Japan availability to be announced separately (Meta Japan newsroom)
Privacy stack	Per-user Muse Secure VM cloud VM; Sentinel agent for internet access; no ad use of Muse chats; opt-out of training on Muse conversations (Meta Japan newsroom)

What launched in Japan

Meta framed the Japan release as the next geographic step for Muse after North America. The agent is a personal assistant that plans work, carries out multi-step tasks, and keeps running when the user closes the app—what Meta calls a first step toward “personal superintelligence” (Meta Japan newsroom). Masahiro Ajisawa, head of Meta's Japanese unit, said in Meta's announcement, as translated by Kyodo News: “We want to connect Muse with services people use regularly so it can help them in a wider range of situations.”

What Muse can do

Meta's Japan announcement describes Muse as able to plan and execute tasks such as sending email, booking travel, and pursuing larger goals. It can open a browser and fill forms when no connector exists, work in the background after the app is closed, and notify users when something changes or when approval is needed before sending mail or making purchases. Muse remembers prior conversations; with Gmail and Google Calendar linked, Kyodo says it can summarize unread email and help manage schedules (Meta Japan newsroom; Kyodo News).

Apps it connects to—and the planned Japan tie-ups

Live connectors include Gmail, Google Calendar, Instagram, and global services Stripe, Shopify, Trip.com, Agoda, and Klook (Meta Japan newsroom). Meta is working on integrations with Mercari (Kyodo reports a link coming soon), Money Forward ME (its operator, Money Forward Home, says it was named a launch partner), and Ticket Pia (Pia Corporation ticketing), with more Japanese services promised. Those domestic tie-ups are planned, not live in today's release.

Privacy and safety design

Meta says each user's Muse runs in a dedicated Muse Secure VM that isolates connected-service data and credentials, while a Sentinel agent manages internet access. Muse cannot see passwords or payment methods, seeks confirmation before consequential actions, and exposes a history of actions taken and planned. Users can opt out of Muse chats training Meta AI models; Muse conversations and VM data are not shared with ad systems (Meta Japan newsroom). Banks remain wary: JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab say they are blocking unauthorized outside agents like Muse from logging into customer accounts.

What's not in Japan yet

Advanced voice mode, Muse Realtime Avatar (English only), and a dedicated Muse email address—all shown at Meta Connect—will get Japan timing announced separately (Meta Japan newsroom). Nikkei reports Meta plans to bring Muse to smart glasses such as Ray-Ban models; that is not part of today's phone and web launch.

Why Japan matters for Meta's agent push

Japan is a large mobile-commerce market where daily life runs through specialized apps—marketplaces, ticketing, personal finance—that reward agents that orchestrate across accounts. Today's launch tests whether Muse's mix of global connectors and local partners like Mercari and Money Forward ME fits that habit layer, and whether users trust background automation after North American growing pains. It is Meta's first chance to prove Muse can scale beyond North America.

Bottom line

Muse is available in Japan from October 23, 2026 on iOS, Android, and muse.ai, with many core features free and a subscription for heavier use. The agent plans and runs real-world tasks, keeps working after the app is closed, and asks before high-stakes steps. Global connectors ship now; Mercari, Money Forward ME, and Ticket Pia are next. Connect-era extras and glasses integration remain on the roadmap. Japan is Muse's first export market—and the first place Meta must show a personal agent can feel local, not just translated.