AOL, Partners to Start Japanese Service

America Online Inc. said it will start a Japanese version of its online service next month with Mitsui & Co. and Nihon Keizai Shimbun, competing with U.S. and Japanese rivals in the fast-growing market. Dulles, Va.-based AOL said the service will be published in Japanese, which will differentiate it from competing providers in Japan, including CompuServe Corp. and Microsoft Corp. The service will debut April 15. AOL, which has 8 million U.S. and international customers, said Japan represents almost half the total personal computer market in Asia. AOL shares rose 50 cents to close at $42.375 on the New York Stock Exchange.