Search: a meaningful share of people use Yahoo!
About 12% of smartphone searches in Japan are on Yahoo!. Worldwide the figure is under 1%, so for Japan we plan Google Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads together.
Japan Market Entry for overseas companies
Starting ads in Japan? Work with a team in Japan.
You can leave your Google Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads for the Japanese market to us, from strategy through operations. Our group includes members who speak English and Korean.
Do any of these questions about advertising in Japan sound familiar? If even one does, talk to us first
- We don't know how much budget to put on which search platform in Japan
- We're not sure we can prepare ad copy in natural Japanese
- We're worried about a language barrier when working with an agency in Japan
- We don't know what words people in Japan use to search for our product
- We don't know what Japan's advertising rules and platform reviews will reject
- We can't tell whether ads and landing pages that worked overseas can be used as they are in Japan
- We want to start with a small test and need to know what budget we can begin with
- We haven't decided how to report results in Japan to our team at headquarters
- We also want advice on what to use in Japan besides search ads (social media, video and so on)
Half of Japan's advertising spend is internet advertising
Japan's total advertising spend in 2025 was ¥8.0623 trillion. Internet advertising accounted for ¥4.0459 trillion of that, passing half of the total for the first time.
The largest segment of internet advertising is performance-based paid search. Symbe manages these search ads, along with display ads.
- 8.0623 trillion yenJapan's total advertising spend in 2025
- 50.2%Internet advertising as a share of total advertising spend
- 38.7%Performance-based paid search as a share of internet advertising media spend
Source: Dentsu, "2025 Advertising Expenditures in Japan" and "2025 Advertising Expenditures in Japan: Detailed Analysis of Expenditures on Internet Advertising Media" (both released in March 2026)
Search and smartphones in Japan differ from the global average
The budget split you use elsewhere may not fit if you bring it over unchanged. Here are three figures for Japan.
Smartphones: about 60% are iPhones
About 60% of smartphones in Japan are iPhones, roughly twice the global average (about 30%). That means your ads and landing pages will mostly be seen on an iPhone screen.
Social media: LINE and YouTube are above 80%; the rest vary
More than 80% of people use LINE and YouTube. Usage of other social media platforms varies.
Vertical video ads on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and similar platforms are handled by our group company, ZVA Inc.
ZVA Inc. website (external)Source: Statcounter (smartphone search engine and OS share, September 2026) / Institute for Information and Communications Policy, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "FY2025 Survey Report on Usage Time of Information and Communications Media and Information Behavior" (published June 2026; ages 13–79)
What you can leave to us
- Ad strategy for Japan (platforms, budget split, keywords)
- Account structure and initial setup for Google Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads
- Bid and budget adjustments, search term review and negative keyword setup
- Writing, improving and testing ad copy in Japanese
- Conversion tracking setup and checks
- Monthly reports and improvement proposals
Vertical short-form video ads (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) are handled by our group company, ZVA Inc.
ZVA Inc. website (external)*Support that involves landing page production or similar work is discussed separately.
Advertising in Japan has rules you need to follow
Ad copy and landing pages for Japan must be worded in line with the following laws. Here are the four main ones.
| Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (misleading representations) | It prohibits representations that make quality look significantly better than it is, or that make prices or terms look significantly more favorable than they are. |
|---|---|
| Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (stealth marketing) | Since October 1, 2023, representations that cannot be recognized as advertising have been treated as misleading representations. Posts you ask influencers and others to make are also covered. |
| Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (mail-order sales) | Mail-order advertising must state the price, payment, delivery, returns and similar terms. Representations that differ significantly from the facts and exaggerated representations are prohibited. |
| Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act | It prohibits false or exaggerated advertising about the efficacy or effects of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices and similar products. It applies to everyone involved in the advertising, not only the advertiser. |
*For wording that requires a legal judgment, we recommend checking with a lawyer or other specialist.
Why Symbe
01
A team with long experience in performance advertising in Japan
Founded in 2013, we have supported more than 500 clients. We manage several billion yen in ad spend per year.
02
One team, from strategy to operations
Sales and operations are not separated, so your questions are answered right away by an account manager who knows the whole picture. Contacting us from overseas does not add extra back-and-forth.
03
Consult with us in English, Korean, or Chinese
Meetings can be held in English, Korean, or Chinese. Emails and reports can be handled in the same language.
From first consultation to launch
- 1
Contact us through the form
- 2
We meet online to hear about your product, goals and budget
- 3
Strategy and plan proposal for Japan
- 4
Account setup and launch
- 5
Monthly review and improvement proposals
After launch, we repeat five steps
We don't stop after a one-time setup. We look at the results and go back to the first step.
- 1
Research
We research search terms and competitors' ads in Japan, then set the direction for platforms, budget split and keywords.
- 2
Prepare for Japan
We write ad copy in Japanese and set up conversion tracking.
- 3
Launch
We structure the Google Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads accounts and start running ads.
- 4
Adjust
We adjust bids and budgets, review search terms and exclude the ones that don't fit. We compare ad copy through testing.
- 5
Review
We share results in a monthly report and propose what to try next.
FAQ
Can we work with you without a legal entity in Japan?
We also welcome inquiries from companies without a Japanese entity. We will explain how a contract can be arranged once we hear about your needs.
Can we proceed without speaking Japanese?
Yes. Meetings can be held in English, Korean, or Chinese. Emails and reports can be handled in the same language.
What budget do we need before we can talk to you?
We propose the plan that best fits your ad spend and the scope of work you leave to us. Start by telling us your goals and rough budget.
Are there any set terms for the contract period?
We will explain the contract period and cancellation terms based on your needs.
Whose name is the ad account under, and how is ad spend paid?
The ad account holder, billing currency and payment method are decided together with you before the contract.
Do we also need Yahoo! JAPAN Ads for Japan?
About 12% of smartphone searches in Japan are on Yahoo! (Statcounter, September 2026). Based on your product and your customers, we advise whether to combine it with Google Ads.
Can we translate and use the ad copy we run overseas?
The words people search with in Japan can differ from a direct translation. We recommend rewriting the copy in Japanese to match search terms used in Japan.
Can you also produce landing pages?
Support that involves landing page production or similar work is discussed separately.
Can you also handle vertical video ads?
Vertical short-form video ads on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and similar platforms are handled by our group company, ZVA Inc.
Languages you can use with us
Japanese
We handle inquiries, meetings and reports, all in this language.
English
We can hold meetings in English. Emails and reports can also be in English.
한국어
We can hold meetings in Korean. Emails and reports can also be in Korean.
中文
We can hold meetings in Chinese. Emails and reports can also be in Chinese.
You can fill in the contact form in English, Korean, or Chinese.
Start by telling us what you want to achieve in Japan
Consultations are free. Feel free to contact us even if you are only just starting to plan ads for Japan.
We reply within 2 business days.
Company information
| Company name | Symbe, inc. (株式会社シンビ) |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 22, 2013 |
| Address | 4-4-11, 8F, Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan |
| Group company | ZVA Inc. (vertical short-form video ads) |