Ultimate Guide to Search Engines in Japan

Most people, when asked about search engines, would probably think of Google first. It is true that the global market, including search engines in Japan, is dominated by Google. However, in Japan’s market, Yahoo! JAPAN has been around for longer and is seen as more reliable. The different trends of search engines in Japan can be understood through a cultural, familiarity, and local-tailored approach to Japanese consumers. Recognizing these differences can help foreign businesses understand the Japanese market better and learn how to optimize search engines in Japan for growth. In this article, we will discuss the differences between the most popular search engines in Japan, Japanese searching behavior, and how to choose the right search engine for your brand and optimize it.

What are the most popular search engines in Japan?

Google, Yahoo! JAPAN, and Bing are the three most popular search engines in Japan. With over 70% of the market share, Google holds the largest portion of Japan’s search engine market, both for mobile and desktop users. Alongside Google, Yahoo! JAPAN and Bing hold approximately 10% share respectively. These platforms have their own strengths and characteristics, each appealing to different audiences within search engines in Japan.

1. Google: In Japan, Google appeals to younger, tech-savvy, and more international audiences. This aligns with Google’s universal style of presenting information. The rise in Google’s user base is also tied to Japan’s increasing openness to global markets. Due to its large user base, Google remains the most competitive of the three search engines in Japan.
2. Yahoo! JAPAN: As the oldest search engine in Japan, Yahoo! JAPAN was once the dominant player, peaking with almost 40% of users in 2015. With its long history, Yahoo! JAPAN appeals to the older and more local population. Most of its users are on mobile devices, thanks to Yahoo! JAPAN’s collaboration with Softbank, which sets it as the default search engine on mobile SIM cards. Yahoo! JAPAN’s services are tailored specifically for Japanese user preferences, making it stand out among search engines in Japan.
3. Bing: Recently, Bing has seen increased usage among Japanese PC users, mainly because it’s Microsoft’s default search engine. Bing appeals to Microsoft PC users regardless of their age and offers an alternative within search engines in Japan.

How different search engines generate search traffic and search volume

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Google, Yahoo! JAPAN, and Bing reach different audiences. Our survey indicates that users turn to each of these search engines in Japan for different reasons. A recent study by Edamame Japan analyzed the organic search traffic for industries like B2B (AI, IoT Devices, Cybersecurity, Creative Agencies) and B2C (E-Commerce) in Japan. Google dominates the traffic share for both B2B and B2C sectors, especially in e-commerce. However, for B2B sectors such as IoT devices—like smart sensors in factories—Yahoo! JAPAN remains a strong player, particularly appealing to older professionals in manufacturing. Bing, meanwhile, shows strength in AI-related searches, including “cloud” and “cybersecurity.” Adapting your SEO strategy for each of these search engines in Japan will help increase traffic and conversion rates. For more insights on how to optimize your SEO for the Japanese market, check out our Ultimate Guide to Japanese SEO.

What are the cultural and behavioral differences that influence how people search in Japan?

The popularity of different search engines in Japan is influenced by Japanese culture and norms. Many Japanese users go online primarily to find information and stay updated on news and events. This preference is one reason why Yahoo! JAPAN remains a popular choice within search engines in Japan. Understanding how users behave and what they prefer is key to knowing how to optimize for search engines in Japan.

1. Customer loyalty: Japanese consumers tend to be loyal to the brands and services they trust, including which search engines in Japan they use. As Jeff Crawford mentioned in Scaling Japan’s podcast, since trust is a sensitive matter in online purchases in Japan, often when users search for companies, they search for user reviews, return procedures, and detailed product information. With Yahoo! Japan’s long history and local collaboration, Yahoo! Japan seems to  be more trustable than other search engines in Japan. They also opt to do online shopping from trustable e-commerce platforms.  
2. Mobile-first approach: Nearly 80% of Japanese users access the internet on mobile devices. Most of the browsing occurs through mobile devices. That is why it is important for companies to adjust their websites to fit mobile devices screen size and data loading speed for both texts and images, especially when considering the impact on rankings within search engines in Japan. The lack of mobile-friendliness of a website can lead to users leaving quickly, which negatively impacts search rankings and customer trust.
3. Language nuance: The complexity of Japanese language is a key difference between western and Japanese searching habits. Aside from having multiple types of characters, the levels of formality, numbers of loan words and local dialects create differences in Japanese searching behavior. For example, the brand “McDonalds” is「マクドナルド」or Makudonarudo in their Japanese website. Japanese users probably would type in the words in Japanese katakana instead of the proper term in English. This shows that localizing contents and your brand is essential to optimize search engines in Japan and meet the preferences of Japanese users.

How does e-commerce make a difference in Japan’s search engine dynamic? 

Aside from the diverse dynamic of search engines in Japan, the prevalence of e-commerce sites also make the search engines in Japan different from that in Western countries. As previously mentioned, Google seems to dominate the B2C e-commerce sector in Japan. E-commerce in Japan is highly unique, combining both traditional customer values and cutting-edge technology. Giant e-commerce platforms in Japan like Rakuten, Amazon Japan, Yahoo! Shopping, and so on play a role in how consumers interact with search engines in Japan. The presence of these platforms influence the difference of conversion rate between Google and Yahoo! Japan. When searching for keywords of products, Yahoo! Japan directs their audience to their integrated e-commerce platform. While this generates benefits for Yahoo! Japan’s ecosystem, the product listing is more limited. Google, unlike Yahoo! Japan, leverages Japan’s trend of e-commerce mainly from Google Ads and Google shopping. At the same time, Google also lists products from giant e-commerce platforms like Rakuten and Amazon. Since Japanese users have the tendency to conduct tedious research before purchasing products, Google has a higher conversion rate since it offers more products than Yahoo! Shopping. It also excels in “intent-based searches” as a result of its sophisticated AI and machine learning models, resulting in more personalized and accurate outcomes. There are also cases when users conduct research prior purchases in Yahoo! Japan, utilizing Yahoo! Chiebukuro Q&A platform, yet continue to make the final purchase after comparing product listings in Google. 

How do you optimize search engine trends in Japan?

Search trends in Japan are constantly changing. Fortunately, Japan’s slight lag behind global trends gives businesses time to develop tailored strategies for search engines in Japan. For example:

1. Zero-click search: Zero-click search happens when users find information they were browsing for from the search result pages (SERP) without having to access websites, driving the number of website traffic lower. This trend happens more intensely in Google as a result of their sophisticated technology of identifying users’ search intent including their featured snippets, frequently asked questions and knowledge graph functions. Some ways to adapt to this trend include utilizing Google ads since paid-advertisements appear higher than the featured snippets, or produce a highly competitive content that will appear as featured snippets. However, there is yet a step-by-step procedure to make your article be featured in the snippets but it is generally highlighted that a page should accurately answer the user’s search intent to be selected for Google’s functions. Considering the dynamic search engine in Japan, opting to use Yahoo! Japan instead of Google may be advantageous.  Although zero-click search also occurs in Yahoo! Japan, it is important to note that the contents in Yahoo! Japan or their AI-driven technology are still not as competitive as Google’s. Using Yahoo! Japan might bring you higher traffic and conversions as well. 
2. Visual search engine: Browsing has grown beyond text-based searches. One function that is particularly growing in Japan’s e-commerce is image-based search. Image-based search is the ability to search for products through visuals. While this feature is available in some e-commerce platforms, it has not been integrated in Yahoo! Japan’s search engine. Unlike the diverse and vast Google Lens or Bing Visual Search, Yahoo! Japan’s image results are often limited to local contents and Yahoo! Shopping’s listing. Regardless, it is important to recognize this trend for better SEO results. In order to get higher conversion, making sure to adjust alt text with local keywords and upload mobile-first picture resolution is a crucial step.  
3. Voice-based search: Voice search interfaces like Siri or Bixby are growing fast at a global scale. In Japan, however, many find conducting voice searches in public embarrassing. The slow growth of voice recognition aligns with the Japanese societal norm of always being considerate to other people in public spaces. Not to mention the intricacy of the Japanese language with their levels of formality and tone, voice search in Japan is still working its way up. With companies investing more on developing voice recognition in Japan, especially Bing under Microsoft, brands can prepare for the upcoming trend by having a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section, using local keywords, and optimizing mobile-friendly websites.

How can you choose the right search engine for your brand?

After knowing the three most popular search engines in Japan, it is clear that each platform offers different advantages. This section highlights the differences and unique characteristics of each search engine. Google is the search engine for you if your brand appeals to the young and international audience. If you are working with a team of specialists, Google’s competitive market can be leveraged from featuring in snippets, utilizing Google ads, e-commerce platforms, image search and so on. Yahoo! Japan, on the other hand, is the right search engine for you, if your brand appeals to the older and local audience and for B2B in traditional industries. Utilizing Yahoo’s integrated e-commerce platforms can help your products be found easily and avoid zero-click search results. Finally, Bing is the place for the professionals and tech-oriented demographic who are enthusiastic about new features including Japanese voice recognition.

Key Takeaways

Search engines in Japan are dynamic, with Google, Yahoo! Japan, and Bing leading the market. Each of these search engines caters to different audiences and sectors. Understanding their differences will help you figure out which search engine is the right one for your brand and lead to higher conversion rate. Other factors including cultural and behavioral differences, such as brand loyalty, mobile-first usage, and language complexity, or growing trends in the search engine system significantly influence how people search in Japan. To optimize your SEO strategy, align your approach with the target audience’s preferences and platform-specific features.