Influencer Marketing in Japan
Japan’s digital landscape is highly sophisticated, BUT when it comes to social commerce and influencer marketing, Japan stands apart from its Asian neighbors.
This mini-report, part of Totem’s larger survey and analysis of influencers in Asia, shows how Japan’s market is shaped by caution, quality standards, and long-term trust.
𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 - 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 #𝟳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱.
𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Influencer activity focuses on awareness & trust rather than conversion
Japanese consumers are most skeptical toward influencer-driven commerce
Privacy and product quality concerns are top barriers to social buying
Livestream selling adoption (60%) lags well behind the Asia average of 84%
It will be interesting to watch whether TikTok Shop (opened in June 2025) will have any impact on Japan's enthusiasm for social commerce in the years to come. TikTok Shop has been a major driver in the rest of Asia.
*Thanks to Rakuten Insight Global for their amazing work in conducting the consumer research across seven markets. Also a big thanks to Campaign Asia for their detailed reporting on the findings of this report.
