Q1 Which countries like Japan?

With just three years remaining until the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the number of visitors to Japan continues to grow, and initiatives by government, local authorities, and companies are becoming increasingly active.

How is Japan, changing moment by moment, perceived by the world? How is the "Japan Brand" – its tourism, food, products, and more – evaluated overseas?

Dentsu Inc.'s "Team Cool Japan" conducted the "Japan Brand Survey 2017" in 20 countries and regions worldwide from February to March 2017. This series introduces the perceptions of overseas consumers. The first installment covers "Favorability Toward Japan."

A. Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand Tied for First Place

These three countries, which also ranked highly last year, tied for first place. Favorability continues to be high among ASEAN countries.

The overall figure rose 1.3 points from last year to 82.8%. With no significant declines, this indicates growing favorability worldwide.

Russia also rose nearly 10 points compared to last year, entering the top 10. 2018 is designated as "Russia Year" in Japan and "Japan Year" in Russia, with various political, economic, and cultural events planned. If this trend continues into next year, further revitalization of bilateral exchanges seems promising.

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<Japan Brand Survey 2017 Overview>
● Purpose: To understand overseas consumers' perceptions and actual behavior regarding the overall "Japan Brand," including Japanese food, tourism, and Japanese products, and to support corporate marketing activities.
●Target Areas: 20 countries and regions
China (Group A = Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; Group B = Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xi'an, Qingdao), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA, Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia
※East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea)
※ASEAN (Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines)

●Survey Method: Internet survey
●Respondent criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 in the middle-income bracket and above
※Definition of "middle-income": Conditions set per country based on national average income (OECD statistics) and social class classification (SEC)
●Sample size: China: 200 respondents each for A and B groups, total 400 respondents; USA: 400 respondents; Other regions: 200 respondents each, total 4,400 respondents
●Survey Period: February 13 to March 10, 2017

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Dentsu Inc. Team Cool Japan
A cross-functional project team established by Dentsu Inc. to promote 'Cool Japan-related initiatives'—expanding products and services leveraging Japanese culture and strengths into overseas markets. Dentsu Inc. also invests in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Cool Japan Organization (fund). The team brings together client company representatives for overseas expansion, media and content specialists, overseas subsidiary network managers, producers, and planners to work on initiatives promoting Japan's appeal globally.