Internet penetration rate Japan 2023, by device

A survey conducted in Japan in August 2023 showed that almost 73 percent of the respondents used smartphones to access the internet. Smartphones were the leading internet access devices, followed by PCs and TVs.

Internet usage in Japan

Internet usage became increasingly common in Japan throughout the early 2000s, so that by the mid-2000s a majority of Japanese were connected to the web. Today, Japan has a high general internet penetration rate. However, there are differences based on factors such as household incomes, the various age groups of users, or the geographical regions people live in. In addition, the widespread adoption of smartphones by consumers in the 2010s has made mobile internet usage much more convenient and commonplace than before. This is shown, for instance, by the average time people spend using the internet via mobile devices per weekday, which increased considerably during this period. Today, it can be said that smartphones have become indispensable for many Japanese consumers.

The Japanese smartphone market

Although Japan is home to major consumer electronics companies that manufacture mobile phones, such as Sharp and Sony, Apple is the undisputed leader when it comes to smartphone sales in Japan. Apple introduced the iPhone to the Japanese market in 2008 by partnering up with SoftBank, one of Japan’s major mobile carriers. While its rivals, KDDI and NTT Docomo, refrained from selling the initially unpopular iPhone for several years, SoftBank engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign with considerable advertising efforts and highly competitive pricing. Consequently, Apple was able to outpace its competitors in the long run and secured the leading position it holds to this day. The company regularly accounts for the largest share of the domestic shipment volume of smartphones. In addition, the newest iPhone models frequently dominate the ranking of the best-selling smartphone models.