Articles
-
Mar 07 2023
Rakuten vs Amazon — What’s the Best Japanese Ecommerce Platform?
Accessing the Japanese ecommerce market is a dream for many brands. As well as having the fourth largest ecommerce market globally, consumer purchasing power is high and households have shown a willingness to purchase all kinds of goods online. However, one decision pretty much all businesses owners and ecommerce managers will find themselves chewing over is, which platform to use—Rakuten or Amazon? Ecommerce Marketplaces vs Other Channels Firstly, ecommerce marketplaces are by far the most logical choice for foreign brands hoping to sell to Japanese consumers. Compared to investing in local warehousing and building a D2C website for the Japanese market, marketplaces tend to offer a much lower barrier to entry. They also offer an instant pool of monthly users who are already actively looking for products online. Compared to investing in local warehousing and building a D2C website for the Japanese market, marketplaces tend to offer a much lower barrier to entry
Read More... -
Feb 10 2023
Japan’s Top Social Media Networks for 2023
Planning social media activities for the Japanese market takes careful consideration. Platform popularity and behaviour can often vary substantially from the global norm, with several quirks and challenges that seem to be unique to the nation. Depending on how familiar you are with this topic, or how many of our previous reports you’ve read, the data and facts presented in this guide may not surprise you. However, we can help you to understand the why behind Japan’s major SNS trends. In this year’s report (now our 8th!!), we aim to cover the most recent data and trends for social media networks in 2023, as well as shed light on the bigger picture. If you want to know how we draw our conclusions at Humble Bunny, head to the bottom of the page for our methodology and sources, otherwise, let’s dive in! Watch the Summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPZ43_xw8rM Japan’s Digital Landscape in 2023 Monthly Active Users by Platform *Tap or Hover on the graph b
Read More... -
Feb 04 2023
Japan Online Advertising – 5 Key Trends for 2023
Advertising in Japan can feel quite different sometimes. On one level, adverts can appear more visually diverse and impactful than content you’ll commonly find in most Western countries—showcasing colour, animations and aesthetic themes in a unique way. At other times, ads can feel extremely detached from the product or brands they are promoting, with even the most corporate entities relying on cute and eccentric content. There aren’t many other places in the world where brands, both Japanese and foreign, rely on the execution of bizarre, off-beat or quirky themes that often feel like they’re made more for entertainment than to sell anything… Yet, this doesn't mean there isn’t a good amount of overlap between the way online advertising is treated in Japan and what are largely global trends that can be found in every country, such as the increased demand for short-form video and elevated brand-consumer experiences. We take a look at some of the most important 2023
Read More... -
Feb 04 2023
Japan Logistics Market At A Glance
As well as having the third largest ecommerce market globally, Japan has a robust and rapidly growing logistics sector. Among other things, this is supported by the country’s strategic geographic location (at the heart of the APAC region), as well as healthy export and import markets. Importantly, we’ve also seen a new era of changes ushered in by the pandemic and changing consumer demands in the world of ecommerce and deliveries. New technology like cloud-based supply chain management systems is now being leveraged to create more efficient and rewarding processes, leading to structural change and constant innovation in the industry. We explore all this and more in our overview of Japan’s logistics market! Key Data and Insights Japan’s central position in APAC offers a strategic advantage when it comes to trade—many nations use Japanese ports as part of their global supply chain. As emerging markets like Indonesia continue to develop, Japan’s logistics market wi
Read More... -
Feb 04 2023
Logistics companies in Japan - Top 8 Freight and Logistics Services
Japan has a thriving freight and logistics market, which is predicted to grow steadily over the next few years. While many companies were impacted by the effects of the pandemic and how it impacted their supply chains, the logistics market benefitted from the massive surge in demand that continues to increase. Growth is also driven by the epic size of the Japanese ecommerce market, which is the third largest globally and serves the sophisticated and affluent local population with products and services of all kinds. Finally, add to this the significant amount of products that Japan exports to the US and Europe, as well as its essential role in the APAC region as a buyer and seller of regional goods and you start to get a sense of the market’s nature and size. Learn More About the Japanese Ecommerce Market The Japanese Logistics Landscape Japan is at the centre of the APAC region, which is predicted to become the largest logistics market globally thanks to the expected g
Read More... -
Jan 30 2023
Japan Logistics Industry Overview – Drivers, Trends and Consumer Insights
Japan’s logistics industry is a fast-moving, essential sector currently undergoing rapid development and structural change to meet the needs of both businesses and consumers. Major trends have emerged from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which have massively influenced the way logistics companies operate in Japan and the APAC region. We outline some of the major trends taking place, key drivers of growth for the market and insights into how consumer demand and technology is continuing to shape the landscape. The Japanese Logistics Industry Overview The Japan freight and logistics market is expected to grow steadily over the next few years, partly thanks to the country’s burgeoning ecommerce market. Today, Japan has the third largest ecommerce market globally, after the US and China. Importing goods from the region and further away; storage and fulfilment; and transportation and delivery services all contribute to this complex landscape. Sales value of Logistics Mar
Read More... -
Dec 20 2022
Advertise in Japan - Industry Overview, Trends & Key Insights
Many are familiar with Japan’s seemingly bizarre and unusual approach to advertising — incorporating elements of cuteness, silliness and extravagance in a way you don’t really see in Western markets. Yet, in one of the world's biggest and most advertising sectors, where longstanding dynamics between media companies, big corporations, traditional advertising, and talent agents are entrenched, there is a method to the madness. For those looking to advertise in Japan and engage the local consumer market, we offer an overview of the sectors as well as key insights and trends froeign brands need to take note of before building their Japanese ad strategy. Advertising in Japan — Market Overview Need Help With Your Japanese Advertising Strategy? Start Your Journey Here! Top Ways to Advertise In Japan Source: Statista Until not long ago, television was the most popular way to capture the attention of Japanese consum
Read More... -
Dec 20 2022
Ecommerce in Japan — Data, Trends & Actionable Insights
Japan is one of the most exciting places in the world for online sellers. As well as being the third largest ecommerce market in the world with excellent logistics infrastructure and a domestic population that has significant purchasing power, consumers have a strong appetite for Western products that are localized and marketed in the right way! From the traditional barriers to entry that typically deter online merchants to the key opportunities that exist here, below is our window into the world of ecommerce in Japan. Ecommerce in Japan — Market Overview Need Help With Your Japanese E Commerce Strategy? Start Your Journey Here! A Crash Course from the Humble Bunny Team! If you do nothing else, watch this short video of our team breaking down some of the most important points and takeaways from this article, covering what ecommerce businesses owners need to prepare for and top tips on how to make sure you get off to a
Read More... -
Dec 19 2022
Top Ecommerce Companies in Japan
As one the third largest ecommerce market in the world, it’s no surprise that several domestic and foreign ecommerce companies are active here. While companies like Amazon enjoy a huge market share for the online shopping sector, there are many homegrown Japanese companies like Rakuten and Mercari that have grown into giants in their own right, with operations now expanding internationally. We Can Help! Want to Start Selling in Japan? Overview of the Japanese Ecommerce Market in 2022 The sheer size of Japan's ecommerce market is impressive, considering its modest size and population compared to countries like the US and China, which it now ranks third after in terms of market size. This is partly thanks to multiple factors, including the developed nature of the society, stability of the economy and a consumer appetite for high quality or luxury brands. A few more drivers of growth include: The country has an excellent
Read More... -
Dec 19 2022
Japan B2B Ecommerce Market — Insights & Analysis
Business interactions for both small businesses and large corporations in Japan have moved further into the digital world in recent years — contributing to the size and sophistication of Japan’s B2B ecommerce market. We explore some of the major things taking place in the B2B sector today, including how many firms are significantly improving efficiency and productivity by implementing new online sourcing and transaction processes for parts and raw materials. Overview of Japan’s B2B Ecommerce Market Japan has one of the largest and fastest-growing consumer ecommerce markets in the world (third after the US and China), but is also home to a massive B2B ecommerce industry that exceeds 370 trillion yen, with wholesale accounting for the largest share of the market at around 101 trillion Japanese yen. The nation also has a substantial transport manufacturing and electrical equipment manufacturing industry in the domestic B2B ecommerce market and is at the center of a large and
Read More...