Japan

In 2023, skin care continued to see current value growth in Japan due to the ongoing increase in awareness of self-care. In addition, from April 2023, all travellers entering Japan on direct flights from China were no longer required to present a…

Although sales of deodorants did not return to the pre-pandemic (2019) level in Japan in 2023, the category saw strong current value growth. The main reasons were that the opportunities for going out increased, the end of mask-wearing increased…

Floor polish is not a standard product for many younger households. It may have been used by older generations, but the custom of polishing the floor with wax products has not been passed down to the younger generations. First, it is very…

Dishwashing saw strong growth in current value terms in 2023. However, in volume terms sales were almost flat between 2022 and 2023. What pushed up value sales was increases in unit prices. Japan had seen nearly three decades of virtual economic…

In 2020 bleach saw an unexpected increase in both volume and current value sales, as COVID-19 hit the country. Some consumers were very concerned about the pandemic, and became especially hygiene-conscious, therefore using bleach to clean their…

Jewellery is set to maintain growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023, with growth for both costume and fine jewellery, although this will slow compared with previous years. Polarisation has continued in jewellery in Japan in 2023,…

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…

Overall wipes continued to decline in current value terms in Japan in 2023, although at a slower rate than seen in the previous two years. However, performances differed across categories. While many saw decline, facial cleansing wipes and deodorant…

Laundry care saw growth in retail current value terms in 2023. However, retail volume sales fell by an even larger amount than the drop seen in 2022. What pushed up value sales was price increases. Japan saw three decades with little growth in the…

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…

Direct selling continues to face headwinds due to the ageing of the customer base, and the loss of recruitment opportunities due to changes in social behaviour since the pandemic. On the other hand, some players saw rising sales in 2023, as society…

According to Euromonitor’s Economies and Consumers data, the population aged 0-14 is set to decline by 2% between 2022 and 2023, accounting for only 11% of the total population in Japan. The total population of this age group has declined for 40…

In 2023, there was a symbolic pivot in how Japan faced COVID-19. It was in May that the government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 from a Class 2 infectious disease to a Class 5 infectious disease. Class 2 meant it was a crucial disease…

Sun care saw dynamic current value growth in Japan in 2023. At the top level, it was the category with the best growth rate in beauty and personal care. There were several factors which supported growth. One was the increased opportunities for going…

In 2023, price rises were seen across various industries in Japan, impacting the cost of living. During COVID-19, consumers’ eating habits shifted more towards cooking and eating at home. Despite the country gradually returning to the pre-COVID-19…

Retail maintained solid current value growth in Japan in 2023, with increases across both offline and e-commerce. In 2023, offline retail regained stronger momentum due to the return of mobility post-COVID-19. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government…

Hypermarkets usually sell a wider range of products compared with other types of grocery retailers, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, but may not be as centrally positioned or as favoured for regular visits. Nevertheless, hypermarkets…

Currently, there are no sales of medical cannabis in Japan, although the illegal cannabis market continues to grow, along with legal CBD & other non-intoxicating cannabinoids. However, an amendment to Japan’s Cannabis Control Law was passed in…

Although in 2021 and 2022 depilatories in Japan showed a minor rebound from the pandemic-induced current value decline in 2020, sales did not go back to the 2019 (pre-pandemic) level, and a return to decline was seen in 2023. Depilatories has been…

A typical performance amongst home care categories in Japan in 2023 was that volume sales fell, whilst average unit prices increased, driving up value sales as a result. However, toilet care was a little different. The category saw significant…