Japan

Homewares in Japan experienced current value growth in 2023, mainly due to increased home cooking due to remote and hybrid work patterns. In addition, with economic concerns, more individuals cooked at home to save money. The demand for functional…

There was huge demand for televisions in the country little more than a decade ago. During the period 2009-2011, two drivers pushed up sales of televisions significantly. One was the shift of broadcasting from analogue to digital in July 2011. The…

Home products specialists saw growth in current value terms in 2023. Increases were seen across all channels, but as in the previous year, growth was driven mainly by homewares and home furnishing stores. The leading player in this channel, Nitori,…

In Japan, the front-loading format of washer dryers and washing machines is called the drum type (drum-gata), whereas top-loading products are called the vertical type (tate-gata). Generally speaking, many washer dryers fall under the drum type in…

In 2023, current value sales of home insecticides in Japan registered positive growth from the previous year; however, volume sales declined. The decline in volume sales can be attributed to the fading of COVID-19. The pandemic had much less of an…

After a peak in sales in 2020 during the pandemic, home improvement in Japan turned to decline as sales normalised, with a slight fall in current value sales continuing in 2023; however, sales remained above the pre-pandemic level. Due to the shift…

Home furnishings in Japan saw another year of minor current value decline in 2023. However, not all categories suffered a declining trend. For instance, there was a steady increase in the value growth rate of barbecues in Japan in 2023. This is…

The usage of plastic pouches in home care packaging continued to decline in Japan in 2023, with this being a trend that started in 2021. This is primarily being driven by the growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions.…

2020 and 2021 were closed years for Japan, with home seclusion as the basis of everyday life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2022 the situation began to change, as the level of risk reduced, and people went out to socialise more, workers went back…

2023 is set to be another year of volume decline for home audio and cinema. Indeed, sales in the category have been decreasing for over a decade. It is clear that the decrease is due to a structural shift in how consumers engage with music. This has…

Overall home and garden in Japan saw a slight decline in current value terms in 2023, due to an increase in inflation, which dissuaded some consumers from purchasing such products. However, some categories continued to grow, as consumer confidence in…

In 2023, with COVID-19 moving to a class 5 disease and restrictions on social behaviour being lifted, consumers started to go out without wearing masks, leading to an increase in influenza, infectious diseases with cough symptoms, and heat stroke. In…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. As a result, decisions regarding infection control are now left to individuals and…

Headphones in Japan saw fairly flat sales in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023. Both in volume and current value terms, these two years are set to see growth or declines of less than 1%. Looking at category performances in volume terms,…

Hair care maintained slow current value growth in Japan in 2023. One of the reasons for continued growth was the self-care trend. The main categories within hair care are shampoos, and conditioners and treatments. Self-care at home became a trend…

Gum in Japan is set to see a second year of slight retail volume growth and stronger current value growth in 2024, in a rebound after a period of decline in volume terms. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, chewing gum (the dominant category)…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…

Gardening in Japan saw current value growth in 2023. In recent years, Japan has witnessed a significant shift in lifestyle dynamics, with an increasing emphasis on relaxation and home-centred activities amidst evolving work environments. This…

After COVID-19 was downgraded to class 5 in May 2023, consumers felt more comfortable eating out. This contributed to a sales rebound for full-service restaurants, but challenges remained. Costs continued to rise, and players continued to find it…