LG Electronics said Sunday that it will roll out its smartphone Optimus Vu in Japan on Aug. 3, the first overseas launch for the flagship phone

The company said that the smartphone, which will be serviced by NTT Docomo, has been taking pre-orders since Saturday. The gadget, which features a 5-inch display, will be the third LTE handset to be unveiled in Japan.

The firm also said it will sell 15,000 limited units which have the image of Hirohiko Araki’s popular comic “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” on the back of the device.

Equipped with a 1.5 gigahertz dual core processor and operating on the Google’s latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich mobile platform, the Optimus Vu launching in Japan has been localized on various aspects.

Considering that Japan is a nation of hot springs, its terminal that connects the charger is waterproof and capless, and it carries Sony’s FeliCa feature that enables smart e-money, credit card, transit tickets and couponing, its officials said.

People can also watch Japanese digital multimedia broadcasting through the device, they said.

“The Optimus Vu is a steady seller that has sold about 450,000 units since its roll out in early March,” said an LG official.

“It’s our first 5-inch display LTE smartphone launched in Japan and we have high hopes because Japan is a country that puts emphasis on recording their writings.”

The gadget has a “quick memo” button which users could take notes with its stylus or finger at any time, such as while they are on the phone or browsing the Web.

“The Optimus Vu, which won good response here because of its readability and memo-taking function, will most likely succeed in the Japanese market,” said the firm’s mobile chief Park Jong-seok.

“We will continue our efforts to grab a bigger share in the global smartphone industry by launching innovative products.”

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)