Find success for apps and games in Japan
5 localization tips for your app or game to achieve success in one of the world’s largest app markets
(This article is based on material that was first published on the Think with Google website as part of their Market Finder series.)
With over 100 million mobile subscribers and 36 million gamers, Japan is one of the world’s largest markets for mobile apps. For marketers, the opportunities are significant — but it’s important to remember that local in-app preferences differ to those of the global market, and extra effort is needed to ensure your app is successfully localized and distributed.
One notable difference to many markets is that apps available in English only are seen as “foreign”. As such, these apps tend to be very niche and have fewer opportunities.
Let’s take a closer look at 5 key steps that can help your app or game find success in Japan.
1. Launch in popular game and app categories
The first step in achieving success in any market is having a product that appeals to consumers.
Games
Action and role-playing games (RPG) are popular in Japan. In many cases, those games are associated with well-known IPs and contribute to growing those IPs. The monetization of so-called “gacha” games — replicating real-life toy capsule machines that reward people with exclusive collectibles — has been the main revenue stream for mobile games in Japan for a while. We are also seeing new monetization trends such as subscriptions models etc which suggests a new possibility of successful monetization models outside of gacha. .
Apps
Productivity, tools, social, and messaging apps are popular in Japan. Shopping and entertainment apps also perform well. Entertainment (music and video), dating, and comics apps are also popular and often monetized with subscriptions. Mobile cashless payment apps are also seeing a significant rise, as more providers enter the app market.
2. Localize your pricing
Japan’s official currency is the yen and has no denominations beyond the decimal point. So, 100JPY would be seen as normal, whereas 101.23JPY will appear strange. Consumers also prefer prices with fewer digits, for example, 990JPY is preferable to 1,000JPY.
Apps monetized by subscription is a growing trend in Japan, buoyed by the fact that many Japanese consumers encountered this payment model in the pre-smartphone era. Subscriptions for entertainment apps — such as AWA, Ameba, and Hulu — typically cost between 900 and 1,500JPY per month.
Music apps usually offer a 1 to 3 month free trial, after which the monthly subscription is usually 500 to 900JPY. Dating apps tend to offer a range of subscription options, such as monthly, 3 monthly, or 6 monthly.
3. Adapt your language and tone
The Japanese language has a wide range of nuances in the way it’s written and spoken. For example, there’s the formal keigo, regional dialects such as hakata-ben and kansai-ben, and other forms of Japanese that are characteristic to a specific demographic.
Given the complexity, the context of each situation is the key to a good translation. When briefing your translator ensure the context for your app text is clear. Be precise in whichever form you decide for each in-app character and setting, and make sure it’s consistent throughout. This is also a consideration for your Google Play listing, marketing materials, ads, and other marketing content.
Example: A senior and mentor-like character is first introduced in the game with a casual and slightly gruff tone.
The dialog on the left translates to: “That ain’t right…” While the dialog on the right translates to: “Steal is such a dirty word… I simply took it from some bad guys and gave it to the good guys.”
Example: However, later in the same app, this character suddenly has a more formal tone, asking “Please share your thoughts”, which feels out of character. It would have been better to use “Share your thoughts, will ya?” (感想を聞かせてくれんか？）
As with any language translation, be aware that UI layouts may restrict the character length. Words in English may be much longer or shorter when they’re in Japanese. Some developers try to get around this challenge by changing the font size, but this can make the UI look unpolished and confusing.
Example: Comparison of the wrong and right use of font size.
Example: Another issue to look out for after translation is awkward line breaks. Never start a new line mid-word, with punctuation, or with a Japanese particle (は、を、も、).
Be aware that if your asset does not provide all the characters or kanjis needed then one or more kanji in the word may have a different font. Particularly when working with a new font, check your app or game thoroughly to make sure all the characters are consistent.
There is a distinct visual feel for every font that can reinforce the feel of your app.
Last, but by no means least, don’t make the mistake of using Chinese characters for Kanji. There is a noticeable difference, and users will definitely spot that error.
4. Adapt to cultural and local nuances
When preparing your app for the Japanese market, consider using a local publisher or marketing team to adapt its look and feel. Even if your localization appears fairly minimal, it’s vital to have a native Japanese speaker check that everything looks and sounds natural, and you’re delivering a polished user experience.
Seasonal events
There are many ways to make your app feel more relevant to Japanese users. One way is through affiliations with seasonal events such as sakura season, golden week, or new year. You could also develop anime-like marketing assets that people will find familiar.
If you do decide to promote your app during certain times or events in the cultural calendar, a good understanding of typical user behavior during these moments will help you plan your campaigns better.
For example, knowing that people are likely to spend more time in your app during long holidays such as New Year (January), Golden Week (end of April to early May), and Silver Week (mid-September), means you can adjust your marketing or in-app experiences accordingly.
It’s also fairly common for Japanese companies to pay bonuses twice a year (usually June and December). Shopping apps often run special sales campaigns during long holidays at the end of the fiscal and school year (around April), and during the school holidays in spring (March), summer (July and August) and winter (late December to new year).
App icons
Many app developers make their app store icon stand out by tweaking the design to mark special occasions, milestones, or big updates. For example, 200万 ユーザー (“2 million users”), ー周年 (“1 year anniversary”), 大型アップデート(“Major update”.)
5. Adapt your user acquisition strategy
Google Play Store
For new launches on the Google Play store, pre-registration is widely used in Japan to acquire users early. Consider rewarding your users who have pre-registered for your app. This is a great way to drive interest for your campaigns and generate excitement. Google Play Points was first made available in Japan to help retain and reward users who spend.
Online
Japan is a highly-sophisticated market for online advertising, offering possibilities for deep links, ads, YouTube partnerships, and social media campaigns. Social media is very popular and commonly used by the younger generations.
Offline
Both out of home (OOH) and TV are popular advertising methods, and there are many specialist agencies who can help you with this.
Final thoughts
There is no shortage of opportunities for app and game developers in this mature market. This does however lead to a high level of competition making it imperative to adapt your strategy to the local culture and market to ensure your app or game gets noticed. Hopefully some of the tips mentioned will open up the vast opportunities this country has to offer.
For some interesting facts and figures about the Japanese market, check out the World Bank website.
What do you think?
Do you have thoughts on launching apps or games in Japan? Let us know in the comments below or tweet using #AskPlayDev and we’ll reply from @GooglePlayDev, where we regularly share news and tips on how to be successful on Google Play.
