The Social

Social Media in Japan - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: January 15, 2023
jpn
Welcome! Here at OOSGA, we've combined insights from our partners across various markets and our own hands-on experience to bring you this brief. If you are interested in partnering with us on social media marketing & research within Japan, let us know!
The Outlook

How does social media look like in Japan?

As one of the most advanced economies in the world and the first industrialized country in Asia, Japan has a robust digital infrastructure that supports a thriving internet economy. Despite this, the adoption of social media and other internet tools has been slow in Japan. Prior to the pandemic, it was common to see many Japanese people still using these so-called “dumb phones” on the street.

As of 2023, a significant increase in social media engagement has been observed in Japan, with about 81% of the population now using social media. Despite this growth, Japan still lags behind other countries in the region, such as South Korea, which has an adoption rate of 91%. This disparity is believed to be largely due to Japan’s aging population, as less than 5% of social media users are over 65 years old, despite this age group making up nearly 30% of the population.

During the pandemic, merchants are increasingly moving online to reach customers, particularly as restrictions and transmission concerns affect physical sales. Additionally, with fewer foreign tourists, engaging with local customers is becoming more important. For example, luxury brands are prominently discussed on social media, and those that don’t engage risk having others controlling the messaging. Some luxury brands in Japan (Gucci, LVMH, Prada) have launched official accounts on LINE, featuring local celebrities and providing tailored information. Some brands also have regional accounts on both local and global social media platforms. A survey by McKinsey found that 41% of consumers research and purchase across channels, making use of online options.

 

Table of Contents
Internet Population|% of Population
Mobile cellular subscriptions|Per 100 Peopel
The Demographics

How are users distributed in Japan?

Throughout 2022, on average there are about 101.9 million active social media users in Japan on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 8.7 % in 2021-22 . This represents about  81.1 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 0.85 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 3.9 platforms.

% of Total Social Media Users|Note: Meta's figure as reference, 2022

Main Drivers Behind Using Social Media?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in Japan that are aged 16-64 years old

What kinds of accounts do users follow?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in Japan that are aged 16-64 years old
The Platforms

What kinds of platform is used in Japan?

LINE is the leading platform in Japan, it’s similar to WhatsApp and is increasingly positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for various services, or so-called super app. Although some younger users in Japan find LINE less attractive as it is often too family-heavy or company-heavy and packed with a bunch of irrelevant chat groups, it is still considered the most important platform in Japan.

Twitter, the second largest social media in japan, with a 58% penetration rate, is particularly resilient over the years. Having remained one of the most used platforms for more than a decade, it is considered the norm for many businesses to have their Twitter presence if they are looking to connect more with their local audience.

In recent years, Instagram has become increasingly popular among younger users under the age of 35 as a way to stay connected with peers and follow their activities. However, TikTok has become a trendsetting platform, where creators are flocking to and even gaining international recognition.

Most Used Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Most Loved Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Platform Figure (% of Population)|Source: OOSGA Analytics; eMarketer, Napoleon Cat, Facebook, ByteDance, Microsoft | Note: No LinkedIn Data Prior to 2019/8
Explore Social Media in Other Countries

Facebook Overview in Japan

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.06%, there is now around 57.0 million Facebook users in Japan . With male users account for around 47.19% and female users account for around 52.81%.

% of Total Population | 2022
Facebook Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Facebook User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

Instagram Overview in Japan

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.13%, there is now around 49.1 million Instagram users in Japan . With male users account for around 45.64% and female users account for around 54.36%.

% of Total Population | 2022
Instagram Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Instagram User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

TikTok Overview in Japan

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.8%, there is now around 18.9 million TikTok users in Japan . With male users account for around 0.41 and female users account for around 0.59.

TikTok Users | Unit: a Thousand People
TikTok User Growth | % of Population

LinkedIn Overview in Japan

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.1x, there is now around 3.38 million LinkedIn users in Japan.

% of Total Population | 2022
LinkedIn Users | Unit: a Thousand People
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People

Reference

  • Internet & Cellular Subscription:World Bank, ITU
  • Currency Exchange: Based on IMF data in 2023/1
  • Demographics: UN Population Database
  • Social Media Behavior: GWI, Hootsuite 2022 Digital Report
  • Meta, LinkedIn Data: Napoleon Cat Stats
  • Data Calculation & Regression:OOSGA.org
  • Analysis:OOSGA Analytics
  • Note: The data for monthly platform usage and the data for the most frequently used platforms are sourced from different research, hence there may be discrepancies in the numbers as both are estimated rather than real figure.
Author: Consumer Research

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