Japan App Market Statistics in 2023

Japan App Market Statistics in 2023 for Android
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Japan’s mobile app market is booming. With some of the highest annual install rates world-wide and consistently impressive usage rates, Japan has cemented itself as one of the most important mobile app markets around. This is partially because Japan has a highly advanced economy with a robust, technologically-engaged population, and also partially due to the fact that Japan is home to many of the globe’s most important tech companies. To name a few: SoftBank, SHARP, Sony, Seiko Epson, and more.

In this article, we will provide a number of detailed app statistics and insights into the Japan Android app market with focus on apps only. We will cover a number of topics, including: how many Japanese app publishers exist on the Google Play Store, how many apps they have released, and how Japanese apps have performed compared to the global average. The data is aggregated based on address, such that only major app publishers and ones with valid Japanese addresses on the Android market have been considered. Furthermore, all download statistics are estimates.

How Many App Publishers Are from Japan?

There are more than 7,226 Japanese publishers on Google Play out of all 1,013,062 app publishers. One of the biggest Japanese publishers are KAYAC Inc., BabyBus, Geisha Tokyo Inc., Nintendo Co. Ltd., LINE Corporation, KONAMI, Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., GOODROIDInc., New Story Inc., 株式会社ドワンゴ . Less than 1% of all app publishers on Google Play are from Japan. Find the biggest app publishers with our App Market Explorer.

Percentage
Globally
Japanese
Publishers
vs
Total
Publishers

How Many Apps Are from Japanese App Publishers?

There are more than 35,058 apps from Japanese publishers on Google Play out of the 3,251,255 apps. Apps with most downloads of Japanese publishers are TVer(ティーバー) 民放公式テレビ配信サービス, LINE: Calls & Messages, PayPay-ペイペイ, Yuru Keigo Stickers, マイナポイント, Yahoo! JAPAN, 楽天ペイ, My docomo - 料金・通信量の確認, ウェザーニュース 天気・雨雲レーダー・台風の天気予報アプリ, フリマアプリはメルカリ - メルペイのスマホ決済でもっとお得 . 1% of all apps on Google Play are from Japanese publishers. Filter for apps by publisher country with our tool here.

Percentage
Globally
Japanese Apps
vs
Total Apps

How Are Apps from Japanese Publishers Rated?

The average rating of 35,058 apps from Japanese publishers on Google Play is 2.91 out of 5 stars. This is less than the overall average rating of all apps of 3.74 stars. Apps from Japanese publishers on Google Play have on average 1,653 ratings. This number is higher than the average number of ratings of all apps, which is 1,678 ratings. Sort by the best rated app or by the app with most ratings directly in our App Market Explorer.

Average rating of
Japanese Apps
2.91 stars
Average #Ratings of
Japanese Apps
Average rating of
All Apps
3.74 stars
Average #Ratings of
All Apps

How Focused Are Japanese Publishers on Apps vs. Games?

71% of released apps by Japanese publishers are apps and 29% are games. That means the focus is more on apps than on games. Compared to the worldwide market, Japanese publishers focus more on games with 29% of releases compared to all publishers that focus 14% on games. Use our full App Market Explorer to filter for the most successful mobile apps and games.

Apps71% Games29%
Apps86% Games14%

How Many Downloads Do Apps from Japanese Publishers Get?

Apps by Japanese publishers have an average of 252.38k downloads. Overall they get more downloads than the average of all apps which is 232.17k. We offer also more detailed download estimates for any app.

Download Statistics
Average Downloads Per Japanese App
Average Downloads Per App

How Do Japanese Apps Monetize?

12% of apps by Japanese publishers are paid. That is a higher value of paid apps compared to the overall apps, where 3% are paid. 35% of apps by Japanese publishers include ads. That is a lower value compared to the whole world, where 35% have ads. 11% of apps by Japanese publishers make use of In-App Payments to monetize. That is higher than the average of 4%.

Paid Apps monetization paid Japanese Paid Apps12% Overall Paid Apps3%
Ads monetization ads Japanese Include Ads35% Overall Include Ads35%
In-App Billing monetization iap Japanese In-App Billing11% Overall In-App Billing4%

Do Japanese Publishers Release on both iOS and Android?

42% of apps of Japanese publishers are available on both Google Play and iTunes. Overall they put more effort in publishing on both stores, compared to the average publisher with 26%. Use our iOS to Android Matching API or Android to iOS Matching API to find the same app across stores.

Japanese Apps
Available on Both Stores
Overall Apps
Available on Both Stores

Who Are the Top 10 Japanese Publishers Based on Downloads?

The following are the top publishers from Japan that accumulated most downloads.

sdks
1 LINE Corporation

LINE Corporation is on position 1 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. LINE Corporation is an app developer and publisher, and provider of internet services, based in Tokyo, Japan. Launched in 2011, it is a subsidiary of the South Korean internet search giant, Naver Corporation. LINE Corporation has developed and published such apps as LINE Lite: Free Calls & Messages, LINE Camera - Photo editor, LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum, LINE PLAY - Our Avatar World, and more. They own 59 apps that have been downloaded together more than 1.19b+ times.

1.19b+
59
2 Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is on position 2 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. They own 104 apps that have been downloaded together more than 464.34m+ times.

464.34m+
104
3 FeliCa Networks, Inc.

FeliCa Networks, Inc. is on position 3 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. FeliCa Networks, Inc. – which was founded in 2004 – has developed and promoted communications around the concept of "Just Touch.” Their next goal is to connect customers with businesses in a smooth and secure way. By uniting FeliCa technology and new platforms targeting future lifestyles, FeliCa Networks aims to be a business partner like no other. FeliCa Networks, Inc. has published おサイフケータイ アプリ, おサイフケータイ Webプラグイン(連携用), おサイフケータイ 設定アプリ, おサイフケータイ Webプラグイン, and more. They own 7 apps that have been downloaded together more than 411.38m+ times.

411.38m+
7
4 Yahoo Japan Corp.

Yahoo Japan Corp. is on position 4 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. Yahoo! Japan Corp. is a Japanese internet company. It was formed as a joint venture between the American internet company Yahoo! and the Japanese company SoftBank. Yahoo! Japan Corp. is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and has developed and published a number of mobile apps. Yahoo Japan Corp. has published: Yahoo!乗換案内 無料の時刻表、運行情報、乗り換え検索, ヤフオク! -ネットオークション、フリマアプリ スマホでかんたんショッピング, 防災速報 - 地震、津波、豪雨など、災害情報をいち早くお届け, Yahoo!ショッピング-アプリでお得で便利にお買い物, and more. They own 41 apps that have been downloaded together more than 337.7m+ times.

337.7m+
41
5 SHARP CORPORATION

SHARP CORPORATION is on position 5 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. Sharp Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation specializing in the design and manufacturing of electronic products. The company was founded in Tokyo in September, 1912. More recently they have begun developing and publishing mobile apps. SHARP CORPORATION has built such apps as: SHアルバム, SHSHOW, エモパー, エモパー おれんじん, and more. They own 310 apps that have been downloaded together more than 312.32m+ times.

312.32m+
310
6 KDDI株式会社

KDDI株式会社 is on position 6 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. KDDI株式会社 is a Japanese telecommunications operator founded in 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp, KDD Corp, and IDO Corp. They provide mobile cellular services using the "au by KDDI" brand. KDDI株式会社 is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. KDDI株式会社 has developed the apps +メッセージ(プラスメッセージ), au WALLET−au PAYも使えるスマホ決済アプリ, auサービスTOP, デジラアプリ, and more. They own 63 apps that have been downloaded together more than 246.44m+ times.

246.44m+
63
7 SoftBank Corp.

SoftBank Corp. is on position 7 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. SoftBank Corp. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company owns stakes in various global brands, including Arm Holdings, Boston Dynamics, Sprint, Alibaba, and more. Softbank also runs Vision Fund, the renowned technology-focused venture capital fund. SoftBank Corp. has developed and published SoftBankメール, My SoftBankプラス, Mobile Installer (ソフトバンク), Disaster Message Board, and more. They own 69 apps that have been downloaded together more than 221.74m+ times.

221.74m+
69
8 NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO is on position 8 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. NTT DOCOMO is Japan's largest telecommunications company. Founded in 1991, they provide innovative, convenient, and secure mobile services that enable customers to lead smarter lives. NTT DOCOMO also has numerous apps to their name, including dポイントクラブ, My docomo - 料金・通信量の確認, dメニュー, d払い-スマホ決済アプリ、キャッシュレスでお支払い, and more. They own 79 apps that have been downloaded together more than 212.93m+ times.

212.93m+
79
9 EKATOX APPS

EKATOX APPS is on position 9 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. They own 7 apps that have been downloaded together more than 190.99m+ times.

190.99m+
7
10 ibis inc.

ibis inc. is on position 10 of the biggest Japanese app publishers. ibis inc. is the Japan-based developer behind the ibis Paint app, which began with the desire to share the joy of digital drawing. ibis Paint is a social drawing app available via smartphones, tablets, and other devices. ibis inc. has developed ibis Paint X and ibis Paint. They own 2 apps that have been downloaded together more than 188.83m+ times.

188.83m+
2

What Are the Most Used SDKs by Japanese Publishers?

The following shows which SDKs are most used by Japan app publishers. To find out which apps integrate the following SDK use our App Market Explorer. We have also aggregated the worldwide Top Ad Network SDKs and other categories.

sdks
1 icon Google Firebase

70% of apps from Japanese publishers have Google Firebase integrated. In total 21,121 apps. Firebase is a mobile and web application development platform SDK that gives app builders the ability to develop their apps faster, without worrying about infrastructure. It includes functionalities like analytics, databases, messaging and crash reporting so developers can move quickly and focus on their users.

70
21121
2 icon Firebase Cloud Messaging

47% of apps from Japanese publishers have Firebase Cloud Messaging integrated. In total 14,127 apps. Firebase Cloud Messaging is a cross-platform messaging solution developed by Google that lets app developers reliably deliver messages at no cost. With Firebase Cloud Messaging, app developers can notify a client app that new email or other data is available to sync, and drive user re-engagement and retention with notification messages.

47
14127
3 Kotlin

40% of apps from Japanese publishers have Kotlin integrated. In total 12,107 apps.

40
12107
4 icon OkHttp

36% of apps from Japanese publishers have OkHttp integrated. In total 10,977 apps. OkHttp is an open source project designed to be an efficient HTTP client. It's also easy to use. OkHttp’s request/response API is designed with fluent builders and immutability. It supports both synchronous blocking calls and async calls with callbacks.

36
10977
5 icon gson

35% of apps from Japanese publishers have gson integrated. In total 10,775 apps. Gson is a Google-developed Java library that app developers can leverage to convert Java Objects into their JSON representation, and vice versa. It works with arbitrary Java objects, including pre-existing objects of which developers do not have the source-code.

35
10775
6 icon Google Ads AdMob

33% of apps from Japanese publishers have Google Ads AdMob integrated. In total 10,124 apps. Google Ads AdMob is a mobile advertising platform that enables users to monetize their mobile applications via in-app advertising. AdMob is based on the Google Mobile Ads SDK and serves over 200 billion ad requests a month, with over 1 million advertisers and 1 million apps currently running on the AdMob mobile ad network.

33
10124
7 Google Ads AdMob Mediation Adapters

33% of apps from Japanese publishers have Google Ads AdMob Mediation Adapters integrated. In total 9,932 apps.

33
9932
8 icon Firebase Crashlytics Fabric

26% of apps from Japanese publishers have Firebase Crashlytics Fabric integrated. In total 7,756 apps. Fabric Crashlytics is the most powerful, lightest weight crash reporting SDK on the market. App developers that leverage Fabric Crashlytics are able to spend less time finding crashes and more time fixing them.

26
7756
9 Google Maps

25% of apps from Japanese publishers have Google Maps integrated. In total 7,729 apps.

25
7729
10 icon Google Analytics

23% of apps from Japanese publishers have Google Analytics integrated. In total 7,056 apps. Google Analytics is an analytics SDK that enables app developers to measure user interactions on their app. It is designed to give developers the tools necessary to collect, configure, and analyze data in order to reach the right audience.

23
7056

What Are the Most Used Android App Permissions by Japanese Publishers?

The following shows which android permissions are most frequently request by Japan app publishers. Use our App Market Explorer to filter the Google Play Store by apps with specific permissions.

sdks
1 Internet Access

android.permission.INTERNET makes it possible for app publishers to create network sockets and use custom network protocols within their apps. This permission is not required for internet connection however, as the mobile browser provides all apps with the ability to send data to the internet. 100% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Internet Access permission. Total 43,270 apps.

100
43270
2 Network Information Access

The android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE permission can be leveraged by app developers to enable their apps to view information about network connections. This information includes such things as which networks exist and which already have connections. 100% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Network Information Access permission. Total 40,098 apps.

100
40098
3 Phone Sleep Mode Preventation

android.permission.WAKE_LOCK gives apps the ability to prevent the phone they are running on from going into sleep mode. This is good for apps, like YouTube, that get extended periods of engagement that do not necessarily require the user to touch the screen or otherwise interact physically with the device. 91% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Phone Sleep Mode Preventation permission. Total 31,934 apps.

91
31934
4 Write External Storage

android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE makes it possible for app developers to enable their apps to modify or delete the contents of users’ SD cards. 65% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Write External Storage permission. Total 22,708 apps.

65
22708
5 Push Notification

com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE can be used within apps to allow them to accept cloud to device messages sent by the app’s service. It should be noted however, that using this service will incur data usage, and malicious apps could cause excess data usage. 60% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Push Notification permission. Total 21,119 apps.

60
21119
6 Install Referrer

Apps often advertise other apps. By leveraging com.google.android.finsky.permission.BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE apps can make sure that installs of other apps launched via their ads are properly attributed. 60% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Install Referrer permission. Total 20,922 apps.

60
20922
7 Read External Storage

The android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission allows app developers to enable their apps to read the contents of user SD cards. 49% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Read External Storage permission. Total 17,329 apps.

49
17329
8 Wifi Information Access

App publishers can leverage android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE to enable their app to view information about Wi-Fi networking. This includes whether Wi-Fi is enabled and the names of the connected Wi-Fi devices. 45% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Wifi Information Access permission. Total 15,640 apps.

45
15640
9 Vibration

android.permission.VIBRATE makes it possible for app builders to give their apps control over the vibrating function of the devices they are running on. 44% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Vibration permission. Total 15,461 apps.

44
15461
10 Start At Boot Time

android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED gives apps the ability to start themselves as soon as the system it is running on has finished booting. It should be noted, however, that this can often slow down the phone start time. In addition, it can slow down the device generally by enabling the app to run constantly. 44% of the apps from Japanese publishers use the Start At Boot Time permission. Total 15,272 apps.

44
15272

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play apps top chart of Japan. 47% of the top apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Apps in Japan's Grossing Top Chart?

The following shows the official Google Play Grossing top chart of Japan. 87% of the top grossing apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Social Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play social top chart of Japan. 47% of the top social apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked News Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play news top chart of Japan. 60% of the top news apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Travel Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play travel top chart of Japan. 60% of the top travel apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Shopping Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play shopping top chart of Japan. 80% of the top shopping apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Lifestyle Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play lifestyle top chart of Japan. 87% of the top lifestyle apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.

What Are the Top 10 Highest Ranked Business Apps in Japan?

The following shows the official Google Play business top chart of Japan. 47% of the top business apps in Japan are from Japanese app publishers. See the full chart here.