Describes what a company needs to know to take advantage of e-commerce in the local market and covers prominent B2B websites.
Please see the narrative concerning eCommerce in the CCG section “Leading Sectors for U.S. Exports and Investment.”
For tips on how to use eCommerce in exporting and international business strategy, please visit the eCommerce Innovation Lab (EIL).
Spending Holidays
Japan’s biggest spending holiday is New Year. Japanese clean up house and buy new clothing for New Year. Also, Japan consistently has higher online spending in the summer months when Japanese firms are known to give yearly summer bonuses. Average worker bonuses are nearly $3,000 and the spending of that bonus is primarily focused on luxury goods, leisure, and travel. Additional spending holidays include White Day (March 14) and Christmas.
Local eCommerce Sales Rules & Regulations
Various GOJ agencies, including METI and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC), regulate eCommerce in Japan. Consumer and personal information/data protection laws apply to the online marketplace. Also, all online retailers must follow the Specified Commercial Transactions Law regulated by the Consumer Affairs Agency
In May 2020, Japan’s Diet passed a new law, the Act on Improvement of Transparency and Fairness in Trading on Specified Digital Platforms, that will require e-Commerce platforms to submit an annual report to METI on their business practices. METI will subsequently solicit comments from merchants, conduct reviews and publish the results. U.S. firms Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, as well as Japanese firms Rakuten and Yahoo-Japan, are among those affected. See Cabinet Office summary.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), which will assess antitrust issues in B2C e-commerce, conducted and - in 2019 - released an online trade practices survey, which included a perspective on manufacturers, distributors, retailers, online shopping malls, and other players. See results of the survey (https://www.jftc.go.jp/en/pressreleases/yearly-2019/April/190409_1.html).
Local E-Commerce Business Service Provider Ecosystem
Companies using eCommerce channels to reach the Japanese consumers or businesses must consider:
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eCommerce platforms
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Payment methods
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Shipping logistics
Customer service, returns, after-sales service
Companies looking to enter the market should be able to advertise, brand, and provide customer support in Japanese.
eCommerce Platforms in Japan
eCommerce Platforms in Japan
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Amazon Japan
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Apple
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Rakuten
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Yahoo! Japan Shopping
Department Stores and Retail Outlets
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Daimaru
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Mitsukoshi Isetan
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Seibu Sogo
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Takashimaya
Apparel eCommerce Websites
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ZOZOTOWN (http://zozo.jp/)
Supermarket eCommerce Sites
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Ito Yokado
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Maruetsu
Books and Media eCommerce Sites
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Book-Off
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Kinokuniya
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Tsutaya