Demand volume of paint Japan FY 2023, by industry

In the fiscal year 2023, the overall consumption volume for paint in Japan was forecast at around 1.23 million tons. The main sector driving this demand was the building industry, with a consumption volume forecast of around 337 thousand metric tons.

The building sector as largest demander of paint

In Japan, paint is mainly demanded in the building and construction sector for exterior and interior walls and floors. Despite post-COVID-19 recovery and active redevelopment in the Tokyo metropolitan area, prolonged high prices have slowed down new construction starts, presenting additional challenges for the paint industry. 
Following the building sector, road vehicles, metal products, and the shipbuilding sector followed as the largest consumers of paint in Japan. Here coatings are used to optimize, protect, or decorate the surfaces of automobiles, ships, and trains.

Paint industry in Japan

In recent years, water-based resin paint was the type of paint with the largest consumption volume in Japan, followed by powder paint. Water-based resin paint is not just used for industrial and floor coatings but also for hygiene coatings, while powder paint is used for coatings on metal as it is harder than conventional paint.
Even though the number of facilities in the Japanese paint manufacturing industry remains relatively small, Nippon Paint and Kansai Paint rank both among the largest paint manufacturing companies in Japan as well as among the paint companies with the largest global market share.