Which countries like Japan?

The number of international tourists visiting Japan has been increasing year by year, reaching a record high in 2017.

Furthermore, 2019 saw the Rugby World Cup, 2020 hosted the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and 2021 welcomed the World Masters Games Kansai, marking the "Golden Sports Years."

These major sporting events are expected to further increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan and stimulate more active initiatives by government, local authorities, and companies. Against this backdrop, how is Japan perceived globally?

In which countries and regions is the intention to visit Japan growing, and for what reasons? Furthermore, how is "Made in Japan" currently perceived? Dentsu Inc.'s "Team Cool Japan" conducted the "Japan Brand Survey 2018" in 20 countries and regions worldwide from January to February 2018.

This series will introduce survey findings that will be key points for future business targeting visitors to Japan. The first installment focuses on "Favorability Toward Japan."

Q Do you like Japan?

A: In four Asian countries, 97% of respondents answered yes. Each country shows room for growth, making tailored approaches key.

Taiwan has increased its points consecutively over the past two years and secured the top spot this year. Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, tied for second place, have maintained high scores for several years.

Overall, Japan's favorability is high, particularly in Asia and especially within ASEAN.

Incidentally, Canada showed the highest growth rate outside the top rankings, with 66.7% of respondents expressing a favorable impression of Japan. This represents a 4.2% increase from 62.5% in 2017.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)'s "Number of Inbound Visitors to Japan*," the number of visitors from Canada has also increased year over year, suggesting a correlation between positive sentiment toward Japan and the number of visitors.

※Refers to the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan.

While overall favorability is high, preferences vary by country— such as which prefectures or regions visitors want to experience, or what they wish to purchase.

Given the annual increase in international visitors to Japan, tailoring approaches to each group could not only further enhance their positive sentiment toward Japan but also translate into increased intent to visit.

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Japan Brand Survey 2018 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 (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), 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, etc.) and social class classification (SEC)
●Sample size: China: 300 each for A and B groups, total 600; USA: 600; Other regions: 300 each, total 6,600
●Survey Period: January 12 to February 16, 2018

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. It brings together client company representatives handling overseas expansion, media and content specialists, overseas subsidiary network managers, producers, and planners to work on initiatives that project Japan's appeal to the world.