❚ Selling Fish in the Right Market
You can make more money selling fish inland than at the seaside. It’s simple logic—where there's demand, there's opportunity. In e-commerce, this means placing your products where your ideal customers already gather.
If you’re considering entering the Japanese market, you likely already understand who your target audience is. The next question is straightforward:
“Which e-commerce platform are they using?”
❚ Japan’s Big Three – Amazon, Rakuten, Qoo10
1. Amazon Japan – The Efficient Supermarket
Japan’s largest online marketplace by transaction volume, Amazon is a no-frills platform focused on product specs, price, and fast delivery. Sellers have limited room for branding—competition centers on visibility and efficiency.
This structure appeals to men in their 20s to 40s, who value speed and clarity in their purchase journey. For brands with strong product value and competitive pricing, Amazon is a logical first step.
2. Rakuten – The Department Store of Loyalty and Strategy
Trailing just behind Amazon in market share, Rakuten offers sellers far greater creative freedom. Pages can be custom-coded, promotions are diverse, and the ecosystem includes point rewards tied to Rakuten’s bank, mobile, and other services.
This makes Rakuten a favorite among women in their 30s to 50s seeking deals and points (“Poikatsu”). The platform rewards branding and promotional expertise—but demands it, too. Be prepared for intense competition and advertising costs.
3. Qoo10 – The K-Content Specialist
Though its total sales volume is modest—about 4% of Rakuten’s—Qoo10 owns a highly defined niche: Korean beauty, food, and pop culture products.
With its youthful, trendy interface and frequent mega-sale events, Qoo10 is especially popular among women in their teens to 30s. For Korean brands or lifestyle products, it serves as both a testbed and a loyal customer base.
❚ Your Channel Is Your Strategy
Beyond these three, there are many niche platforms—ZOZOTOWN (fashion), Mercari (secondhand), Yahoo Shopping, au Pay Market, and more.
So the real question isn’t just “Where should we list?”
It’s “Where do our customers live—and how should we engage them?”
Platform selection is not tactical—it’s strategic.
❚ We Supports Strategic Entry into Japan
At Bottleship Inc., we leverage years of experience to analyze:
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Your product type
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Target demographics
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Platform mechanics
Then we provide tailored recommendations to select the right e-commerce platform for your brand.
We go beyond basic listing support. Our services include HTML page development, promotional planning, and performance testing to help you scale intelligently.
Looking to turn Japan into your next big opportunity? Contact us.
