As the world’s fourth largest economy, Japan’s GDP is over $4 trillion, making it an attractive prospect for companies seeking to expand into new markets. Yet even brands who succeed in some international markets can stumble when it comes to cultural adaptation for Japan. How did KFC and Ikea get their Japanese brand strategy right, where Vodafone and Subway lagged? What do brands need to consider as they approach the Japanese consumer market? How do you handle translation and localisation? It starts with knowing your target market, which may be different to the one in your home country.
Know your audience: building trust with Japanese consumers
As with any internationalisation project, simply copying and pasting your branding strategy into a new language and culture is unlikely to work. When entering the Japanese market you need to understand Japanese consumers and what they’re looking for in a brand. This means getting to grips with some of the cultural differences.
Did you know? A 2024 study on cultural differences affecting advertising found that “Companies who make an effort to understand cultural differences are the only ones in a position to produce ads that effectively increase market share, customer loyalty, and brand awareness by capturing people in all their variety.”
Unlike the West, Japan has a collectivist, high context culture, the Japanese prioritise the needs and goals of the group as a whole over the needs of individuals within a society (The UK and the US do the opposite). Communication involves a lot of implicit information, based on a shared understanding. Companies need to consider cultural codes, humour, colours, symbolism and anything else that goes into their branding in Japan in addition to the language. In short, localisation is key.
What are Japanese consumers looking for?
Japanese consumers value reputation and long term consistency. Online shoppers in Japan spend an average of $455 per purchase, that's $77 more than the global average, highlighting the premium they place on trust and quality. You have to get your branding right at the start and play the long game. If you want to boost your brand visibility in Japan, a one off quirky campaign won’t cut it. Humour and cuteness may have their place, but harmony, detailed information and building trust are more important for success.
When it comes to brand localisation for Japan, traditionally high-quality goods have done well, partly due to the purchasing power of the silver market (the over 60s). Younger generations are leaning into more budget buys providing they meet their quality standards. Keep in mind that your competition may well be local companies, who are already part of the country and culture and have already gained the trust and loyalty of their customers. A brilliant localisation strategy can ensure your branding in Japan gets off on the right foot.
Challenges for foreign brands entering the Japanese market
Nailing branding in Japan means no mistakes in your communication. Direct translations (usually the result of over-reliance on machine or AI translation) often fail to capture the nuance required for marketing localisation in Japan. Take Pepsi ’s infamous “Come alive” campaign as a cautionary tale; the translation they used conveyed the message that the drink itself was becoming a living thing; both eerie and culturally inappropriate..
Translating your content well isn’t simply about avoiding mistakes, your communication should evoke the same images and inspire the same action as it would in your native language. To adapt your slogans, taglines, humour and other creative content, consider transcreation for branding - the art of adapting creative messaging to ensure cultural resonance.
Beyond language: Japanese localisation for brands
You now know that to achieve true brand visibility in Japan, full localisation is essential. Companies must go deeper than words alone. Localisation encompasses every aspect of your brand: colours, images, tone of voice, how your brand presents itself, the way your Japanese website works, your packaging etc. It’s about making the end-to-end customer experience feel natural to Japanese audiences.
Once you know what your brand should look, sound and feel like, you want to be found, and for that you’ll need an SEO strategy for Japan. True brand visibility can only come from knowing how your local audience searches.
Google is the most popular search engine in Japan with an 80% market share.
Yahoo! Japan is still strong with 10%.
Rakuten is Japan’s leading e-commerce marketplace.
Line is far more popular than WhatsApp or SMS
Digital campaigns can be used to expand your reach, but video subtitles must be well translated or adapted.
To drive the ongoing success of your marketing strategy for Japan and build long-term trust, terminology management across all your digital touchpoints ensures you’re always communicating in the same way, keeping your brand voice consistent on everything from social media to print ads.
Word Connection: your partner on the ground
Successful marketing localisation for Japan requires a partner with expert knowledge and understanding of translation and localisation for Japan, the business culture and a proven track record of supporting companies as they enter the Japanese market. There’s no room for trial and error when it comes to branding in Japan, but if you get it right, you’ll fly!
Our expertise can help you boost your visibility, connect with your Japanese audience and build brand loyalty through:
Localisation (websites, product listings)
Transcreation (marketing that resonates with Japanese buyers)
Japanese SEO (search visibility)
Legal Translation (contracts, policies, compliance)
Desktop Publishing & Packaging (labels, manuals, ready-to-market materials)
Our ISO 9001 & ISO 17100 certification is the guarantee of high quality and reliability, both key qualities for brand success in Japan. Our translators and SEO specialists stay up to date with current trends.
The future of branding in Japan: growth through localisation
Expanding into Japan offers exciting opportunities, but only for brands that approach it with cultural sensitivity, long-term commitment, and a willingness to localise every touchpoint of their strategy. From understanding consumer values to adapting language, imagery, and digital platforms, success depends on building trust and resonance with Japanese audiences.
By carrying out thorough research and investing in top-class localisation and transcreation services, you can feel confident that your branding in Japan positions you for growth in one of the world’s most discerning markets.
