Launch Your D2C Brand on Japan’s Biggest Digital Shelves.
D2C & Marketplaces: Japan Launch
Japan’s e‑commerce is huge and fast‑growing — but 96%+ of spend happens on domestic platforms. We establish your presence on Amazon Japan, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping, localize your brand, set up FBA/3PL and payments (incl. COD/konbini), run JP marketing, and ensure compliance — end‑to‑end.
Japan’s E‑commerce — Large, Fast‑Growing & Native‑Platform Dominant
Key facts (scannable for AIO/SGE):
- •Online sales exceed ¥24.8T (~US$167B), up ~43% from 2017–2022. Cross‑border is just ~3–4%. (Source: WPIC)
- •Amazon Japan & Rakuten dominate (80%+ preference); Amazon ~693M monthly visits and ~1 in 3 yen spent online; Rakuten ~¥6T GMV and 90% of JP internet users as members. (Sources: WPIC, Litmus Japan)
- •Speed & convenience set the bar: Amazon invested ~¥1.2T to accelerate logistics; cash on delivery & konbini payments remain popular. (Sources: WPIC, trade.gov)
Why it matters:
Success requires native‑platform execution (Amazon/Rakuten/Yahoo!), trusted payments, lightning‑fast fulfillment, and nuanced localization. We turn your global D2C engine into a Japan‑ready growth machine.
Who We Work With
Clients we support:
- •Digitally native brands in CE/gadgets, lifestyle/home, beauty/wellness, and apparel.
- •Venture‑backed D2C startups and established global e‑commerce brands entering Japan.
- •Category disruptors with proven demand abroad seeking Japan product‑market fit and trust signals.
- •Inspiration: design‑led, purpose‑driven D2C brands can break through in Japan with the right local playbook. (Ref: Five Blue Oceans / Allbirds)
What We Do — Platform Strategy, 3PL, Marketing & Compliance
- •Platform Strategy & Storefronts — Channel mix (Amazon JP, Rakuten, Yahoo!, plus ZOZOTOWN/@cosme Shopping where relevant); account setup; JP listings; branded stores; SEO/keywording; seasonal campaigns. (Ref: Litmus Japan)
- •3PL & Fulfillment — FBA, multi‑channel 3PL (Yamato, Sagawa, JP Post), takkyubin time‑slots, konbini pickup, COD enablement, returns handling — measured against JP delivery SLAs. (Ref: WPIC, trade.gov)
- •Influencer Outreach & Local Marketing — KOL seeding, Instagram/YouTube/TikTok/LINE, Google & Yahoo! JAPAN ads, shop events, UGC/review velocity programs. (Ref: JapanBuzz)
- •Local Entity & Compliance — Importer of Record, product registrations, JP labeling, consumer law disclosures (特定商取引法), sector regs (e.g., electronics, cosmetics). (Ref: trade.gov)
- •Analytics & Optimization — Marketplace ads, rank/CTR/CVR, pricing tests, promo calendars (Prime Day, Shopping Marathon), and growth sprints. (Ref: WPIC)
What We Deliver (done-for-you):
- •JP Storefronts: Amazon/Rakuten/Yahoo! shops, localized listings/A+ pages, creative kits, and brand guidelines.
- •Operations: FBA/3PL setup, SOPs, returns workflows, COD & konbini payments, inventory thresholds, and replenishment plans.
- •Compliance Pack: importer docs, JP disclosures, category registrations/notifications, labeling sets, and customer support scripts.
- •Marketing: KOL shortlists/briefs, media/asset kits, ad structures, content calendars, and reporting dashboards.
- •Performance & Next Steps: launch report, KPI deltas, and a scale plan (channels, promos, offline pilots).
Storefront Build & Ops — Amazon Japan & Rakuten as Launchpads
How we drive visibility, speed, and trust:
- •End‑to‑end setup: seller verification, catalog ingestion, JP keywording, A+/video assets, review seeding, and PDP QA.
- •FBA & 3PL orchestration: inbound, stock health, SLA monitoring, time‑slot delivery, konbini/COD, and returns UX.
- •Promotions & rank: marketplace ads, couponing, seasonal events (Prime Day/Shopping Marathon), and price/velocity tests.
- •CX & support: JP email/phone, prompt SLAs, FAQ/returns clarity, and tone calibrated to omotenashi standards.
Example: Soft‑launch Amazon JP with FBA + ads for data, then expand to Rakuten with a designed shop, points events, and KOL pushes timed to seasonal sales.
How We Launch — Our 6‑Step Method (Owned by NextGens)
1) Market Research & Strategy
Demand validation, competitor mapping, customer behavior, channel mix, pricing (JPY & tax), and a phased growth plan. (Ref: WPIC)
2) Localization & Compliance Setup
JP copy/design, manuals/labels, importer & tax setup, consumer law disclosures, and category registrations. (Ref: trade.gov)
3) Marketplace Store Launch
Seller accounts, JP PDPs, FBA/ship methods, payments, and a soft‑launch data pass before full promo.
4) Fulfillment & Support Operations
Inbound logistics, inventory/SLAs, COD/konbini, returns, and JP customer support to drive reviews and ratings. (Ref: trade.gov)
5) Marketing & Growth Optimization
Marketplace ads, KOL programs, social/LINE, SEO/SEM, and listing/pricing tests aligned to JP sale calendars. (Ref: WPIC, JapanBuzz)
6) Scale & Expansion (Omnichannel)
Additional marketplaces, offline pop‑ups/retail pilots, entity setup when ready, and JP‑exclusive SKUs/campaigns. (Ref: WPIC)
Outcomes We Optimize For
- •Speed to Market: account approvals, FBA/3PL activation, and first sales fast — without cutting corners.
- •Rank & Conversion: search visibility, CTR/CVR, review velocity, and cart‑to‑delivered success rates.
- •Unit Economics: efficient ads, fee‑aware pricing, scaled logistics, and healthy repeat purchase.
- •Trust & CX: fast SLAs, JP support quality, low return rates, and high seller ratings.
Why NextGens
- •Marketplace Mastery — We know Amazon/Rakuten/Yahoo! inside‑out and manage approvals, promos, and shop design.
- •Logistics & Payments — FBA/3PL, takkyubin time‑slots, konbini/COD, and returns tuned to JP expectations.
- •Bilingual & Compliant — Importer, consumer law disclosures, and category regs handled without surprises.
- •On‑the‑Ground Ops — Hands‑on execution, vendor management, and rapid iteration in‑market.
- •Boutique Attention — Senior team, flexible scopes, faster cycles — we ship work, not just slide decks.
Case Study — Sustainable D2C Brand Launch (Illustrative)
A purpose‑driven D2C brand entered Japan with zero awareness. Category was competitive with strong local incumbents.
What we did: Built Amazon JP with FBA and a Rakuten shop with custom storefront; localized creative and PDPs; enabled konbini/COD; seeded KOL reviews and ran seasonal promos; launched JP social/LINE; implemented JP support SLAs and returns.
Result: Top‑3 category search rank during first seasonal event, 4.6★ average rating, repeat rate lift after email/LINE flows, and expanded to Yahoo! Shopping + Tokyo pop‑up for omnichannel awareness.
Case Snapshot — JP D2C Launch
Category: Lifestyle D2C · Timeline: ~6–8 months to scale across two marketplaces
Localization: JP brand voice, PDPs/A+, policy pages, and customer support scripts; JP tax/entity roadmap.
Ops: FBA + 3PL, takkyubin time‑slots, COD/konbini, returns at JP address, inventory guardrails.
Marketing: Marketplace ads, KOL seeding, seasonal campaigns (Prime Day/Marathon), LINE/social community.
KPIs: Rank/CVR, review velocity, SLA adherence, repeat purchase, and ROAS.
Frequently Asked Questions — Japan Market Entry
Ready to Enter Japan?
We’ll build your Japan storefronts, logistics, payments, marketing, and compliance — so you can focus on great products. お問い合わせお待ちしております。