I like to poke fun at the fact that the US always tends to get stuff last from Sony and for the most part, I dare say its true. But recently, there has been a slightly new trend of us getting products ahead of Japan, like the Sony Cybershot H55. Who knew that we also had the eReader way before Japan? Sony has now announced that its eReader which is available in 8 countries  (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland) will finally be expanding to Japan, China, Australia, Spain and Italy.

I actually always had assumed that this was a world wide launch but as we see its not and it makes sense. Releasing something like the eReader or the iPad isnt just about manufacturing the product, but its also about content and how it will be delivered. That task is also not as easy as “hey US has all of these books, Europe will get them too”. Different books have different published that play by different rules and government regulations in each different country. So releasing just the product is worthless with content and thats something that Sony has done right. So all this time, Sony has been working with its partners to make sure there is a adequate offering of books before its eReader gets launched in those countries. This is also an important launch as the iPad has just recently been launched internationally. Granted, the eReader doesn’t do what the iPad does, so it might not be a fair comparison, but the iPad does do what the Sony eReader and Kindle and Nook do so you bet its’ taking away sales from Sony.

Hit the jump for a fun filled time with the official press release!

SAN DIEGO – May 27, 2010 Sony today announced it is preparing to make its Reader digital book available in several new markets. Plans include availability in new Asia/Pacific markets this year, including Japan, China and Australia, as well as further European expansion to encompass countries such as Italy and Spain. In each country Sony intends to leverage its relationships with local retailers, publishers and distributors to introduce the Reader along with a host of local content to help ensure the best possible reading experience.

 Sony anticipates strong global demand for eReaders and eBooks in 2010, specifically within Asian markets. According to analyst firm Nomura Holdings Inc., Asia represents one of the fastest growing eBook and eReader markets, with Japanese eBook sales topping $500 million in 2009. Additionally, analyst firm DisplaySearch is predicting that China will become the world’s largest eReader market by 2015.

Sony will announce general availability, local pricing and pre-order dates for the Reader in Japan, China, Australia, Spain and Italy at a later date.