The situation is getting out of hand. Next to my desk an old first-aid box contains what I laughingly call my “meishi (business card) filing system.” The system is simple: simply dump new cards on top of the old ones and spend half an hour frantically rifling through the clutter when I’m looking for a contact. But, an app called WorldCard Mobile that allows users to load meishi information directly into their iPhones may be the answer to my prayers.

The free lite edition of WorldCard Mobile has just been released in Japan last month and is capable of handling information from both English and Japanese business cards. By taking a photo of a business card on your iPhone, the software will then read the text and load it directly into your address book. You are then free to edit (or delete) as you see fit. Use is limited to one address a week with the Lite edition, but users who find the service useful might want to upgrade to the unlimited full service, which costs ¥2,300.

While WorldCard Mobile is not a Japanese technology, there is a homegrown solution to dispensing with the need to store meishi. Many people are now choosing to have QR codes printed on their meishi. This option has the additional advantage of working with cell phones other than the iPhone and allows users to access their business contact’s website by simply taking a snap of the code.