Are More Countries Developing a Fondness for Japan? ~Exploring "Japan Fans"~

Japan continues to see a steady increase in foreign tourists. Nowadays, you can hear various languages spoken in the streets.

However, to turn this situation into a business opportunity, it is crucial to understand "what attracts tourists to Japan and motivates their visits" and "how Made in Japan is perceived overseas."

Dentsu Inc. conducted the "Japan Brand Survey 2019" across 20 countries and regions in December 2018. This series will introduce survey findings that offer insights for inbound business and overseas business expansion, comparing Japan's past and present through data.

In Part 1, we delve a little deeper into "Favorable Impressions of Japan."

Latest Japan Brand Survey article: Global Sentiment and Japanese Identity ~Japan Brand Survey 2024~

 

Countries/Regions with the Highest Affinity for Japan: Taiwan and Thailand Tied for First Place

In the "Japan Brand Survey 2019," Taiwan and Thailand tied for first place with a Japan favorability score of 98.3% (combined score of "Very Favorable" + "Favorable"). Last year's top-ranked Vietnam came in a close third, followed by Malaysia and the Philippines tied for fourth place.

Countries and regions from 1st to 9th place all scored in the 90% range. Even Turkey, newly included in this year's survey, achieved a strong score of 88.0%, making this another excellent year. Looking at the rankings, ASEAN countries and regions consistently rank highly, a trend that has remained unchanged for several years.

Compared to three years ago in 2016, "Taiwan," which already had high favorability, increased its score by over 6 points to take the top spot. Overall, many Asian countries seem to have seen their scores rise.

Although their rankings are lower, the UK (2016: 63.5% / 18th → 2019: 71.0% / 15th) and Germany (2016: 58.0% / 19th → 2019: 64.0% / 19th) saw significant score increases, indicating growing favorability toward Japan within the European region.

What kind of people like Japan? Why is this increasing?

Looking at the gender and age trends among those who answered "I really like Japan," there is a tendency for them to be "male" and in their "20s to 30s."

This trend is particularly pronounced in North America, where 64.5% of respondents who answered "I really like Japan" are in their 20s or 30s, and men account for 64.5% of this group.

So, what attracts people who like Japan? The Japanese aspect that those who "really like Japan" are most interested in is, consistent with the overall trend, "Japanese food," scoring highly at 61.7% (overall +7.6 points).

Looking at other items, travel-related aspects like "Japan's four seasons" (11.1pt higher than the overall average) and "Japanese festivals" (10.4pt higher) scored highly. Modern culture-related items such as "Japanese fashion" (13.3pt higher) and "Japanese design" (9.7pt higher), along with content-related items like "Japanese movies" (9.1pt higher), also ranked high.

Perhaps reflecting the demographic trend of a high proportion of young men, it is characteristic that many are drawn not only to traditional Japanese culture but also to food and contemporary culture.

In the UK, where favorability has significantly increased over the past three years, interest in "Japanese Fashion" (2016: 20.0% → 2019: 27.0%) and "Japanese Design" (2016: 19.5% → 2019: 26.3%) has notably grown. In Germany, besides technology-related items, "Japanese food ingredients" (2016: 11.5% → 2019: 19.3%) and "Japanese fashion" (2016: 13.0% → 2019: 20.0%) have also seen their scores rise.

It can be inferred that as various aspects of Japanese culture, including food, have become known overseas, favorable sentiment toward Japan has increased, particularly among younger generations.

What impact do people who like Japan have on Japan?

Finally, let's examine how those who answered "I like Japan" – essentially Japan fans (81.9% of the total) – engage with Japan.

In this survey, 31.3% of respondents reported having visited Japan privately. However, when limited to those who answered "I really like Japan," 43.6% had visited Japan. Furthermore, 30% of this "really like Japan" group are repeat visitors who have traveled to Japan multiple times privately.

On the other hand, many have also used Japanese products. For example, 61.6% of those who "really like Japan" reported having used Japanese-brand automobiles or motorcycles (compared to 49.5% overall).

Japanese food also scored highly overall, with particularly high purchase/consumption rates in categories like "Fruit" (9.9pt higher than the overall average), "Green Tea/Matcha" (8.5pt higher), and "Seafood" (8.3pt higher).

The survey results clearly show that people who came to know and love Japan through its food, content, and modern culture (i.e., Japan fans) have become valuable customers who visit Japan and purchase Japanese products.

Marketing targeted at these "Japan fans" is highly effective.

Particularly when selling goods and services in Europe and North America, where interest in "Japan" is still relatively low, Japan fans could become strong allies.

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Japan Brand Survey 2019 Overview
・Purpose: To understand overseas consumers' awareness and actual behavior regarding the overall "Japan Brand," including food, tourism, and Japanese products
・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, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey
*This time, Brazil—which showed little change in past survey trends—was excluded, while Turkey, gaining attention for inbound tourism, was added.
・Survey Method: Online survey
・Respondent criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 *Middle-income level and above
　*Definition of "middle-income class" (income criteria): Criteria set for each 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: December 2018
・Research organization: Video Research Ltd.