Why Influencers In Japan Are Built Different

Are you considering running an influencer marketing campaign in Japan? Then you are thinking in the right direction, as with a forecast annual spending of more than 70 billion JPY on influencer marketing in 2025, campaigns using social media influencers are set to be a popular way to introduce your products on the Japanese market. Influencer marketing is becoming ever-more omnipresent as more companies are discovering the impressive ROI they can expect. But for non-Japanese companies, marketing in Japan comes with its own set of challenges, and working with influencers in Japan is not an exception. Let’s go over some important factors where Japanese influencers differ from influencers in other countries.

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Japanese Influencer Marketing Cultural Differences

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Advertisements in traditional media that are aimed at the Japanese market are different than ads elsewhere. Visually, Japanese ads tend to be rather overwhelming; they are full of color, often feature cute mascots, and crammed with text. The attention to detail can also be stunning, with extremely close-up pictures of products helping potential buyers size up the products’ potential uses. In fact, Japan’s advertisements can tell you a lot about the country’s culture. Working with Japanese influencers means that cultural differences will have a large impact on the outcome of your campaign. When you know how to incorporate these differences and harness their power, you are well on your way to a successful marketing effort in Japan. Here are some major differences to look out for:

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• Modesty is good: in Japanese culture, putting yourself in the center of attention is discouraged from a young age. The collectivist society, as opposed to an individualist society, is one of the main reasons why. Shyness is also much more common, as is the fear to stand out (negatively) from the crowd. This has an impact on how influencers create their image and how they market products
• Sensitivity about morals: as an extension to the fact that modesty is an important virtue, many Japanese people are very sensitive about morality and Japanese audiences can judge people harshly if they overstep seemingly innocuous lines. This is one of the reasons why influencers are extremely careful with which companies they collaborate, as a partner company’s misstep can reflect badly upon them
• Attention to detail: the conspicuous attention to detail that can be seen in all aspects of life in Japan is closely related to Japan’s striving for excellence in whatever you do or make. This part of Japanese culture is perfectly captured in the word ‘kodawari’. You will often see influencers skillfully zoom in on details of products or services to show high quality and thoroughly explain what a consumer can expect to experience
• Popular themes in Japanese advertising: showing someone working very hard, or displaying ‘ganbaru’ alongside the product or service to be promoted is a common theme in Japanese advertising. Furthermore, the use of animated images is hugely popular, as well as the use of plenty of visual stimulation in a small space
• Dislike of stealth marketing: when an influencer doesn’t clearly state that something is a promotion while it actually is, consumers tend to punish the influencer by unfollowing or calling them out. Stealth marketing is not appreciated by Japanese consumers, and should be avoided. The use of the #pr hashtag is all but mandatory when doing influencer marketing in Japan, and not using it may even lead to lawsuits

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Finding Influencers in Japan

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The first hurdle you will face once you actually start looking into influencer marketing in Japan is to find and contact fitting influencers. A simple Google search will usually not yield any personalized results that suit your specific situation and you often find lists of very famous influencers who tend to charge astronomical fees. Besides, almost all famous influencers are strictly controlled by their management agencies, who are often reluctant to work with companies that haven’t yet broken through in the Japanese market. 

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This means that your best bet is to search smaller influencers who are a good fit with your product or service. These so-called micro influencers come with different-sized followings and various focus areas. There are very small grassroot influencers, small-size, mid-size, and top tier influencers, whose services come with different rates. So after determining what kind of influencer you are looking for, how do you find them in Japan? This is when a bilingual influencer agency in Japan can make your task infinitively easier.

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Influencer Agency in Japan

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Using an influencer agency in Japan when you want to work with Japanese influencers or Japan-based influencers helps you hit the ground running, and it will save you many rejections and non-replys. An agency has a database of tried and trusted influencers whom they know all the important stats about; their reach, what kind of audience they have, and what niche(s) they operate in. They can help you with not only the language barrier, but they also help you with not just overcoming but making the most of cultural differences and placing your brand in the Japanese market the right way.

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Especially when it comes to influencer marketing and you are new to the Japanese market, having people on your side who know the dos and don’ts, know the laws, and stay abreast of the newest trends in Japan will save much time and frustration. Finding the right influencer for your campaign and setting up the campaign plan with an experienced Japanese influencer agency will be a breeze compared to going it alone.

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