Minidisc use in Japan

In my recent trips to Japan, I noticed LOTS of minidisc players and recorders still for sale at electronics stores.

In the U.S., minidiscs were kind of a fad, not that many people had them, and they fell out of favor pretty quickly.

I remember seeing computers with minidisc recorders built in... something I am SURE no american made computer has ever even had the option of being built with.

Does anyone notice people still using them in Japan?

If so- what for? (with so many cheap options for mp3 players/ipods with hard drive or SSD storage)

Because they are extremely cheap, tiny, removable, have memory comporable to mp3 and minidisc recording may be analog but is a lot easier than messing with computer software. The recorder can hook up to anything with a headphone jack.

I do also know someone that uses it quite a lot (he's older, though, and not as a portable device).

I still find the minidisc the best option for stealth recording at concerts. I had to get a new recorder last year and considered an mp3 recorder. However, after some research I decided to go with another MD because the consumer-level mp3 recorders were still too low-quality and unreliable for live audio while professional models like the Edirol are too bulky for stealth. Also, I still need an MD player to be able to listen to and rip my old recordings. It's not like I can buy or download these live versions.

I suspect there are many live music fans in similar situations, although it's hard to tell because obviously we're not flashing the equipment around during concerts.