How is Influencer Marketing in Japan? Current Trends and Case Studies
Japan is an independent island nation with a population of about 100 million people.
Many companies and influencers are interested in social media and aim to succeed in marketing.
Although Japan is known for its aging society, there are many young people using social media.
Therefore, using influencers in social media marketing is very hot.
However, to succeed in marketing in Japan, you need to understand many points.
Matching with influencers is also important.
In this article, we will explain the characteristics and current trends of Japanese influencers.
We will also introduce success and failure cases in marketing and important points to consider.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing involves partnering with individuals who have significant recognition and trust to promote products or services.
The main methods include showcasing and advertising these offerings.
Before the advent of the internet, companies directly sent messages to users.
But it was challenging to gain interest without familiarity.
Nowadays, numerous influencers online can correctly convey products and services due to their established fan bases.
“This influencer uses it, so it must be trustworthy.”
“I want to use the same product.”
As influencer marketing has developed, it has come to meet these needs.
History of “Influencers” in Japan
In Japan, the term “influencer” started to be used in the early 2000s when blogs became popular.
At that time, many Japanese started blogs, and bloggers with tens of thousands of readers were called influencers.
However, few bloggers monetized, and many Japanese focused on influence.
In the 2010s, more Japanese began to monetize as influencers.
With the activation of social media due to COVID-19, the term “influencer” quickly became known.
In Japan, “influencer” means “a person with many followers on social media,” not just “a person with influence.”
Definition Based on Follower Count
Global influencers disseminate information in English, the common language, and gain many followers.
However, Japanese often disseminate information only in Japanese.
Thus, the definition of followers differs from that of global influencers.
Japan, a small island nation, has a population of about 100 million.
Yet, there are almost no influencers with 10 million followers disseminating in Japanese.
In Japan, a micro-influencer is defined as having 10,000 followers, a famous influencer with 100,000 followers, and a hyper-influencer with 1 million followers.
Some influencers disseminate in English and have over 1 million followers.
However, they are not suitable for marketing in Japan as their target is not Japanese.
Statistics on Japanese Social Media Usage
Social media usage across all age groups in Japan has produced the following results:
LINE: 94.9% (+0.9% from last year)
YouTube: 87.8% (+0.7% from last year)
Instagram: 56.1% (+6.0% from last year)
X (formerly Twitter): 49.1% (+3.1% from last year)
TikTok: 32.5% (+4.1% from last year)
Facebook: 30.7% (+0.8% from last year)
Japanese social media usage remains impressively high, with LINE, YouTube, and Instagram leading. This indicates the significant impact influencers have, with promising potential in marketing. Additionally, Instagram and TikTok have shown notable growth, while X (formerly Twitter) maintains a strong user base.
Japan’s Market by Platform
Here, we’ll analyze marketing opportunities on Japan’s six most popular social media platforms.
source : https://grove.tokyo/media/g0221/
X (formerly Twitter)
X is particularly popular among Japanese users in their teens to 30s, valued for its real-time updates and strong sharing features. According to December 2023 data, X has 66.5 million active domestic users, achieving a 49.1% usage rate across all age groups, placing it fourth after Instagram. Usage is highest among users in their 20s (81.6%), followed by teens (65.7%) and 30s (61.0%).
X is often used for “killing time” (68.9%) and “gathering information on hobbies or interests” (63.0%). Its real-time nature makes it ideal for instantly tracking news and trending topics via the “trending” function, especially for users seeking immediate insights or company information (36.1%). X’s concise 140-character posts make it a preferred tool for fostering both loyal and new users across age groups, with a balanced gender usage rate of 49.9% male and 48.1% female.
Instagram enjoys strong popularity among Japan’s youth, particularly from teens to 30s, who value it for visual content sharing. With 66 million active users domestically, Instagram’s usage is highest among users in their 20s (78.8%), followed by teens (72.9%) and 30s (68.0%). Females use it more (63.6%) than males (48.8%), making it particularly effective for industries like fashion and cosmetics, where visual appeal is key. While Instagram lacks a sharing feature, its hashtag function allows brands to target users by interest precisely.
Most Instagram users engage with “posts related to their interests” (53.9%), with “checking specific accounts” close behind at 52.1%. This highlights the platform’s strength in immersive lifestyle content and product discovery. Many young users actively share visually appealing posts, creating ideal opportunities for brands to harness these habits for marketing.
TikTok
TikTok’s appeal to Japan’s younger users, especially teens, is marked by its high potential for viral content and easy-to-use tools. Offering features like various effects and background music, TikTok empowers users to create unique, shareable content without complex editing. This has led to a preference for relatable content like “everyday” humor or cultural trends that drive high engagement. TikTok’s user base is estimated at 27 million in 2023, with a usage rate of 32.5%, and it is particularly popular with teens (70%) and 20s (52.1%).
TikTok’s primary usage drivers include the desire to enjoy “fun videos” and become popular. Even those with few followers can quickly gain traction, making it a key platform for influencer growth. Additionally, TikTok’s content often spreads to other social networks, increasing its reach and influence among Japanese users.
YouTube
YouTube’s strengths lie in its extensive reach and cost-effectiveness, with its popular “trending” feature allowing viral content to reach non-subscribers. Links can be easily shared across platforms, enabling cost-effective promotion. YouTube Japan has 71.2 million monthly active users, with an overall usage rate of 87.8%. Users in their 20s and 30s show the highest usage rates at over 97%, though the platform is well-loved across age groups. Gender distribution is balanced at 89.6% male and 85.9% female.
YouTube is primarily used for “killing time,” followed by interest-driven content and celebrity viewing. Viewed mostly during relaxation at home or before sleep, it has become a staple form of entertainment.
LINE
LINE has unmatched reach and engagement in Japan, with around 95 million monthly active users as of March 2023. LINE’s high engagement has made it an indispensable communication tool in Japan, especially popular among users in their 20s to 40s, who exhibit over 90% usage rates.
Primarily used for keeping in touch with friends and family, LINE is popular for casual communication. Additionally, LINE News offers trending news, and its high reach and lack of ad-blocking features make it valuable for business marketing.
Facebook enjoys popularity among Japan’s 30-40s business demographic due to its requirement for real names and profile photos, fostering trust and formality. It has 26 million active users, with a usage rate of 30.7%. Usage is highest among 30s (44.4%) and 40s (39.3%), with fewer users in their teens (10.0%). Males make up a slightly larger user group at 32.8% compared to females at 28.5%.
Given its user base, Facebook is best suited for B2B promotions and recruitment. Its use for sharing valuable business information and career-related content has made it a go-to for those seeking beneficial updates in their professional lives.
Understanding the Characteristics of Japanese Influencers
To understand marketing in Japan, you should know the characteristics of Japanese influencers.
Japanese people have very strong trust among themselves.
This is because Japan’s culture and language are unique.
Therefore, they do not easily show interest in general overseas products or services.
However, if Japanese influencers are involved in marketing, they can attract interest.
Japanese influencers value communication with their fans very much.
They discuss in the same language and share their thoughts with each other.
Benefits of Influencer Marketing
With the prominent activity of influencers recently, let’s learn about the benefits of using them in marketing.
Here are five benefits.
Easily Accepted by Users
In influencer marketing, the greatest benefit is that users easily accept it.
Influencers have increased their followers over a long period.
Followers have trusted and followed influencers for a long time.
Maintaining this relationship is difficult and crucial in influencer marketing.
For example, would you want to buy a product if explained by an unknown person?
But what if a famous comedian explains it? You might be a little interested.
This is influencer marketing.
“If this influencer recommends it, let’s check it out,” and first, it piques interest.
High Targeting Accuracy
Some influencers are active only in specific fields and acquire followers.
In such cases, marketing might yield results beyond the number of followers.
Influencers limited to specific fields have followers with the same attributes.
For example, followers of an influencer limited to beauty are highly interested in beauty.
If this influencer introduces a beauty product, followers will naturally be interested.
Expanding recognition and lowering the difficulty of purchasing the product.
However, targeting is difficult with conventional advertising, resulting in poor conversion rates.
Influencer marketing eliminates this concern.
Turning “Interest” into “Action”
Users might be interested in a product but may not think about purchasing it.
Influencer marketing changes this behavior.
With just a little interest, users might not take action to research on their own.
But if a favorite influencer introduces it, they will listen to the explanation.
As a result, the action changes from “interested” to “purchase.”
Users might buy it thinking, “I want to have the same product as the influencer.”
This is a unique benefit of influencer marketing.
Getting Detailed Information
In today’s internet age, a lot of information is easily accessible.
This is an advantage, but it makes marketing challenging.
If users received information through the correct route, they might take action.
But they might ignore the information.
If an influencer disseminates it, it will be viewed as one content piece and won’t be ignored.
Users who learn about a product they want will consider purchasing it.
Getting unknown people to buy a product can be seen as marketing optimization.
Expanding Recognition and Awareness
When an influencer introduces a product, fans automatically spread the information.
For example, an influencer introduces a snack with three flavors and asks users for their favorite.
Users will automatically post about the snack flavors.
This chain reaction might influence the friends of the users.
Using hashtags can aim for further spread.
For many users, reviews are crucial information for judging a product.
Influencer marketing might automatically clear this.
Drawbacks of Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is not all positive.
Of course, there are drawbacks.
From the perspective of overseas companies conducting influencer marketing in Japan, here are three drawbacks.
Selecting Influencers
The most important aspect of influencer marketing is who to use.
To avoid marketing failures, selecting the right influencer is crucial.
However, Japanese influencers are difficult to judge from overseas.
Since they disseminate in Japanese, it’s hard to understand what information they are sharing.
The same goes for verifying the quality of followers.
In influencer marketing, analyzing posts and followers is important.
The difficulty of this analysis is a drawback.
Communication Errors
When overseas companies collaborate with Japanese influencers, using translation tools is essential.
This could lead to communication errors.
Companies originally plan content and posts to do the right marketing.
However, there’s a risk that Japanese influencers might misunderstand and introduce it with a different intent.
The scary part of this drawback is that since the information is disseminated in Japanese, the company might not realize the error.
They might think marketing failed and only realize the issue after later analysis.
These mistakes are undesirable due to communication in different languages.
Risk of Backlash
Japanese people have a strict view of influencers’ actions and words.
So, influencers with risks should not be used in marketing.
For example, an influencer with 100,000 followers, mostly men, is asked to advertise men’s cosmetics.
However, this influencer previously introduced false information about cosmetics’ ingredients.
Thus, both the influencer and the company became targets of backlash.
In such cases, products won’t sell and might need to be withdrawn from Japan.
Moreover, it negatively affects the company’s brand marketing.
Some Japanese influencers make extreme statements or engage in disruptive behavior.
Hence, avoiding backlash in influencer marketing is essential.
Successful Influencer Marketing Strategies
How can foreign companies avoid major failures in influencer marketing in Japan?
Here are the key methods.
Clarifying Objectives
First, clarify the objectives of influencer marketing.
This is the first important step, so don’t take it lightly.
“Want to increase brand awareness”
“Want customers to purchase trial products”
“Want to sign customers to annual service plans”
Many companies may have such objectives.
Once the objective is clarified, it must be communicated to the influencer.
Influencers who cannot understand the objective are difficult to employ.
Their original marketing may lead to failure.
Trying to achieve multiple objectives with one campaign is very risky.
Gain success from one experience, then step up to the next marketing phase.
Matching with Influencers
Judging what genre the influencer is active in is easy.
However, ensure they match the objective.
For example, if developing a fighting game and targeting Japanese people.
If PR is requested from a general game influencer, the marketing fails.
This marketing failure is expected.
Japan has advanced game culture and technology, with many influencers.
In this case, to succeed in marketing, PR should have been requested from a “fighting game influencer”.
Therefore, you must thoroughly research and appropriately employ influencers.
Respecting Individuality
Influencers have individuality that attracts followers to enjoy their content.
Therefore, marketing that strips away individuality is not recommended.
If individuality is taken away, you often see reactions in Japan like:
“Speaking differently than usual”
“Overemphasizing PR”
“Finally became a businessman”
Such reactions damage both the influencer and the product.
A mutually beneficial relationship is desirable if you are business partners.
We understand the company’s marketing strategy.
However, allowing influencers to PR naturally has more benefits.
Additionally, if the influencer has experience, you might consider asking them to plan.
They might understand Japanese followers’ thoughts and provide suitable marketing strategies.
Analyzing Failures
Even if influencer marketing fails, it doesn’t end there.
Analyzing failures leads to success in the next marketing effort.
For fashion brands, overlapping products can be an issue.
Especially, model influencers have many projects.
Fans might have bought a different product introduced at the same time.
Of course, “wrong follower quality” or “bad match with the activity platform” can be reasons.
In some cases, most followers might be dummy accounts.
Failures can occur in marketing.
Connecting those failures to the next success is important.
Pursuing ROI Maximization
ROI stands for “Return On Investment.”
It demonstrates the effectiveness of influencer marketing by calculating the profit amount based on the investment amount as follows.
Company Name: A inc.
Investment: 10,000 USD
Profit: 10,000 USD
10 / 10 * 100 = ROI 100%
Company Name: B inc.
Investment: 1,000 USD
Profit: 20,000 USD
20 / 10 * 100 = ROI 200%
This formula shows that a higher ROI indicates a better investment.
To maximize ROI in influencer marketing, consider the following five points.
- Use of micro-influencers
- Use of influencers who are brand fans
- Collaborate on product development
- Host influencer events
- Utilize influencer matching platforms
Naturally, a higher ROI value is proof of success.
Efforts should be made to maximize ROI in influencer marketing.
Current Trends in Influencer Marketing
Currently, influencer marketing in Japan is very hot.
Not only existing influencers, but new influencers are also emerging.
However, SNS development in Japan has been prominent since 2010.
Even famous influencers have little impact on the older generation but have a strong influence on the younger generation.
The influence on the younger generation is very strong, leading to a high conversion rate in marketing.
If marketing is successful, many fans will share the information, aiming for further spread.
Market Size in Japan from Data
CyberBuzz, Inc. conducted a market size survey of social media marketing in Japan in 2022.
The results showed that the influencer marketing market in Japan was 61.5 billion yen in 2022.
It is expected to grow to 102.1 billion yen in 2025 and to 130.2 billion yen in 2027, about twice the size of 2022.
Furthermore, the market size of social media marketing in Japan is estimated to exceed 1.4 trillion yen in 2025.
The increase in SNS users due to the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the Japanese influencer industry.
Success Case of a Confectionery Manufacturer
A Japanese confectionery manufacturer successfully used influencers for marketing.
The method was very simple: they employed popular Japanese influencers and launched a hashtag challenge.
Fans of the popular influencers shared the information on SNS through the hashtag challenge.
Friends of the fans further shared this hashtag challenge.
This chain reaction led to marketing success, resulting in sales figures three times higher than the plan.
The mechanism where users share content voluntarily is very important.
Failure Case of an Instant Food Manufacturer
Japanese people are very interested in the image of products, services, and people.
Therefore, while it is good to employ good influencers, using bad influencers is risky.
A famous instant noodle company had been using a cute Japanese actress for years.
However, they suddenly changed to a popular commentator.
As a result, many complaints arose, such as “It led to an image downgrade” and “Bring back the actress.”
This is a clear failure in Japanese marketing.
You need to consider Japan’s unique culture and values when employing influencers.
Points to Consider When Employing Influencers
Japan has laws that prohibit stealth marketing.
According to Japanese law, when introducing a product or service as an advertisement, you must inform users of this fact.
On SNS, using the hashtag “#PR” is a common measure.
When employing influencers for marketing, neglecting this law is very dangerous.
Japanese influencers should know this, but always confirm it.
Influencer Marketing Costs
It is not an exaggeration to say that the number of followers is everything for influencers.
Therefore, the cost of influencer marketing is often equated with the number of followers.
When looking at the size of influence, consider the number of followers and engagements.
When looking at the type of content, consider text, images, and videos.
Many influencers typically charge 5 to 20 yen per follower.
This varies by genre, but here are some examples for reference:
Genre: Beauty
Followers: 50,000
Content: Images & Text (Instagram)
Unit Price: 10 yen
Cost: 50,000 * 10 = 500,000 yen
Genre: Travel
Followers: 30,000
Content: Videos (YouTube)
Unit Price: 15 yen
Cost: 30,000 * 15 = 450,000 yen
These are the kinds of costs you can expect in influencer marketing.
Additionally, depending on the genre, there may be additional costs.
For travel influencers, transportation and accommodation expenses might be incurred.
Importance of Matching Platforms
If you are using Japanese influencers for marketing, we recommend using a matching platform.
Here is the reason.
Smooth Communication
For foreign companies, understanding the personality and language of Japanese people is difficult.
Matching platforms facilitate smooth communication with Japanese influencers.
Japanese influencers may feel uneasy if a project suddenly comes from an overseas company.
It is natural to feel uneasy about requests from companies that speak a language they do not understand.
However, matching platforms only match reliable companies and influencers.
Companies and influencers are familiar with the matching platform, so there is no anxiety.
Avoiding Backlash
Matching platforms specialize in matching companies with influencers.
They cannot cooperate with famous but risky influencers.
Since they partner with clean influencers, backlash can be avoided.
This is because they bear responsibility if a backlash occurs.
If a backlash occurs, not only the company and influencer but also the matching platform will be damaged.
Therefore, matching platforms select influencers who can avoid risks.
When contracting influencers individually, the risk of backlash increases.
It is best to avoid risks if you are conducting marketing.
Rich and Easy Selection
Matching platforms partner with many influencers.
Therefore, selecting influencers is very easy.
By communicating your requirements, you can match by genre, number of followers, platform, etc.
After that, you can share plans and execute influencer marketing.
In influencer marketing, who you choose is very important.
Especially if it’s your first time doing influencer marketing, using a matching platform is recommended.
hotice makes the match
Matching platforms have contact with many influencers.
They realize many matches between influencers and companies.
We at hotice are a matching platform that can assist you.
We will help you succeed in your marketing.
