While some Japanese marketing platforms can be intimidating for foreign brands, the familiarity of Google Ads in Japan is a comforting sight. However, although you may be experienced in advertising on Google back home, Japan comes with its own set of quirks and cultural rules.
In This Article
Today, we’ll provide an overview of Google’s position within the Japanese search landscape, user behaviors on the platform, and some beneficial tips on how to maximize your Japanese paid search marketing campaign.
Once upon a time, Yahoo! was the premiere search engine in Japan. Its identity as a one-stop, multifunction portal keeps the platform relevant, but it pales in comparison to Google for search in the present day.
As of 2025, Google dominates the Japanese search landscape with an ~82% market share, compared to Yahoo! Japan’s ~10% share, followed by Bing at around 9%. Across all gender and age demographics, Google is miles ahead.
While the smaller engines are still viable, Google is clearly the must-have platform in your marketing strategy. Let’s examine how to take advantage of its potential.
Japanese User Search Behavior on Google
Market share numbers are important, but they’re useless if you don’t understand how Google is being used.
Query Structure
ChatGPT has become more commonplace in the West, and is used frequently as a super-charged search engine. As a result, search queries are shifting from shorthand to a more conversational tone.
In Japan, however, this has always been the case. Japanese searchers tend to enter full, natural-sounding phrases. For an example comparison:
- English user: “cheap flights Tokyo”
- Japanese user: 「東京 格安 航空券 を 探す」 (translated: “Looking for cheap flights to Tokyo”)
This should inform your keyword list to include longer, more formal and natural-style phrasing.
Japanese Writing System Influence on Search
It’s said that Japan has three primary writing systems: Kanji, hiragana and katakana. In truth, thanks to growing Western influence, Roman letters (romaji) see frequent usage in Japan as well.
That means potentially up to four completely different ways to search. This is especially important to know when marketing brand and place names. Don’t just identify the right keywords, identify the proper format in which they’re being used in search.
Google Ads Features that Work Well in Japan
Google Ads are globally standardized, but some features and formats hold more value in different regions and markets. Here are a few that excel with Japanese audiences.
- Call Extensions: We’ve all seen the memes about Japan and fax machines. Well it’s true; traditional methods still linger. But that’s good, because people still use the phone very frequently for business inquiries in Japan. As a bonus, local numbers increase trust.
- Shopping Ads: These are underutilized in comparison to Rakuten, so adopting this feature could give you an edge over your competition on Google.
- Location Extensions (now Location Assets): If you have a physical location in Japan, particularly in dense cities like Tokyo or Osaka, this feature is essential for “near me” type searches.
Japanese Google Ad Copy: The Final Boss
Now that you understand Japanese user behavior and how language plays a part in search, it’s time to formulate ad copy.
Politeness Matters
You’ll notice a running theme throughout our many articles in regard to connecting with your Japanese audience. We always mention a friendly, non-confrontational approach, and we can’t stress it enough.
Japanese searchers are high on information, and tend to avoid making a purchase until they have all the facts. A pushy CTA isn’t going to get them to convert any faster, and it may actually put them off from purchasing altogether.
In short, Japanese Google ad copy should lean more towards a professional tone rather than casual or sales pitch-y.
Trust Over Urgency
Piggybacking off of politeness, another contributing factor we’ve touched on in the past is the issue of trust. Emphasize a proven track record of reliability and quality, even from outside of Japan to start, and conversion opportunities increase.
From there, do your best to cultivate testimonials (口コミ) from Japanese customers, and spotlight these to strengthen your copy.
Formatting and Localization
Japanese characters for ad copy will require some creativity, as they take up double the space of Roman characters. You’ll have to trim your headlines while still sounding natural.
For localization, this is where native assistance comes in very handy. Direct translations of existing copy are far from sufficient, and typically don’t match up with how native audiences communicate or search. To localize effectively, seek out an agency with expertise in ad strategy and creation.
ICJ: The Certified Agency for Expert Google Ads in Japan
PPC is the core of ICJ’s expertise, with multilingual staff certified to execute campaigns on Google Ads in Japan for your brand. Across many industries including real estate, hospitality and travel, we’ve helped companies from outside Japan firmly establish their presence within the market.
Our results speak for themselves, and we’d love the opportunity to do the same for you.
