Articles
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May 22 2023
Top 10 Japanese Vloggers and YouTubers in 2023
TikTok, and short-form video content in general, has become incredibly popular in Japan. Yet, the world of Japanese vlogging also has a place for longer and more traditional videos from YouTubers, even as the demand for YouTube shorts grows. From influencers offering beauty tutorials and cooking how-tos to content creators producing some of the most-loved videos among Japanese school kids, the nation’s vlogging scene is incredibly rich and diverse. Learn More About the World of Content Creation and Influencer Marketing In Japan Influencer Marketing Size By Platform Platform Market Size (In Billion Japanese Yen) YouTube 28.1 Instagram 18.5 TikTok 15 Twitter 12.5 Source: Statista Forecasted Growth of YouTube Influencer Marketing in Japan Year Annual Expenditure (in Billion Japanese yen) 2020 14 2021 19 2022 24 2023 28.1 2024 32.9 2025 38.1 2026 43.4 2027 48.7 Source: Statista
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May 22 2023
Japanese Content Creators You Need to Know In 2023
The volume of digital content created and consumed in Japan continues to grow exponentially. Both brands and influencers now struggle to meet the insatiable demand for localized, relatable and meaningful content. Whether you’re a creator looking for inspiration or a brand interested in partnering with Japanese content creators in the future, below is our roundup of top creators you need to know in 2023 across Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok. Influencer Marketing Size By Platform Platform Market Size (In Billion Japanese Yen) YouTube 28.1 Instagram 18.5 TikTok 15 Twitter 12.5 Source: Statista Many households in Japan consume content on their favorite YouTube accounts as an alternative to traditional TV channels. Top 5 Japanese Content Creators On YouTube In Japan Aided by the widespread use of smart TVs, many households in Japan consume content on their favorite YouTube accounts as an alternative to traditional TV cha
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May 22 2023
Top 15 Japanese Influencers On Instagram
Japan’s influencer market continues to grow as people consume more digital content than ever through social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. Meanwhile brands are increasingly focused on partnering with Japanese influencers as a way to connect with their audiences. Whether it’s content featuring pranks, dance trends or lifestyle inspiration, influencers play a growingly important role in people’s lives—giving individuals a way to discover content they find relevant, meaningful and engaging. We explore some of Japan’s top influencers and explore why they’re so popular today. Explore Japan’s Social Media Landscape in 2023 Forecasted Growth of Influencer Marketing in Japan As budgets for influencer marketing increase across all types of businesses and more content creators enter the market hoping to grow their popularity and earn money through endorsements and sponsorships, the industry is predicted to almost double over the next few years.
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Apr 04 2023
Branding in Japan – A Guide to Adapting Western Brands for Japanese Audiences in 2023
We’ve seen a shift in the attitudes and behavior of Japanese consumers over recent years, prompting many previously held assumptions to be reconsidered. For instance, the willingness to pay high prices for luxury products from recognizable Western brands (while still significant) is not as strong as some companies might hope, with consumers now presenting a higher level of price consciousness. Whether it’s the influence of globalization, the economy, digitization, maturing consumer tastes, climate change or Covid-19, Japan’s middle class has become increasingly complex and segmented, with individual groups driven by a number of different motivators. For new entrants to the market, success here relies on an up-to-date and in-depth understanding of who your audience is so you can make a call on how to adjust your branding in Japan, whether this requires an overhaul or simply a slight adjustment of what you’re doing in other markets. Bringing Your Bra
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Apr 04 2023
Top American Brands in Japan and Reasons Behind their Success
Japan is one of the most important trade partners for the United States. Buying products of all kinds, from raw materials and machinery to food and fashion, American goods have made their way into many key Japanese sectors—sometimes finding more success here than they had at home. We outline some of the top American brands in Japan and explore a few reasons behind their success. Entering the Japense Market? We Can Help! Why American Brands Enter the Japanese Market In addition to having the third largest economy in the world and a broad-based consumer population with significant purchasing power, the Japanese market offers several opportunities to American companies. Partnering with Japanese companies can result in a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, skills and resources that also benefit global commercial goals. A foothold in Japan is often a strategic move for wider expansions in Asian markets. Sel
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Apr 04 2023
How to Localize Your Brand Logo for Japan
Brands with globally recognized reputations may not need to localize their approach much for the Japanese market. However, the majority of foreign companies must carefully consider how to adapt their branding to better align with local preferences and expectations. From language and fonts to images and colors, we explore how to localize your brand logo for Japan. A Quick Guide to Brand Localization Brand localization involves taking aspects of your branding, such as your logo, colors, or typography, and adapting them so they have greater appeal in a different cultural context. This can also be applied to your broader brand identity, such as the values you choose to promote or the tone of voice used in marketing and advertising. While it’s true that Japanese consumers have a strong appetite for US and European brands, they also have distinct preferences that must be carefully considered when entering Japan. The only real way to ensure your logo is playing the role it nee
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Mar 08 2023
Japan’s Best Ecommerce Platforms for 2023
For brands with a mind to enter the Japanese ecommerce market, choosing a platform to start selling on is a big decision. We explore which marketplace might be best for your business with our roundup of the nation's top choices for foreign merchants. Want to Start Selling in Japan? We Can Help! Overview of the Japanese Ecommerce Market in 2023 Both domestic and foreign companies have invested heavily in Japan’s ecommerce market, which is still the third largest in the world after the US and China. Many brands sell on at least one of the top three ecommerce marketplaces, Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo! Shopping, while others also sell directly to customers through their own branded websites. The nation’s population of high earners with significant purchasing power, coupled with the appetite for high quality and luxury brands have driven success for many US and European brands from Cole Haan to IKEA. Key Market Conside
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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
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Mar 07 2023
Japan Market Analysis – Key Insights for 2023
While expanding into the Japanese market may seem daunting, we believe the greatest barriers to entry can often be overcome with diligent planning, guidance from local experts, and targeted market analysis. On paper, Japan is still an incredibly attractive location for foreign businesses and investors. For those who commit to the process, the practical rewards can be substantial. Here’s our Japan market analysis roundup for 2023! Getting to Know the Japanese Ecommerce Market? We Can Help! Japan Market Analysis — 2023 Summary Japan is still the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China, as well as the fourth largest ecommerce market globally. Japan is the world's fifth largest exporter and fourth largest importer of goods with foreign trade accounting for 37% of the country's GDP (World Bank, 2023). Its main partners are China, the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
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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
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