Social Media in Japan 2024 – everything you need to know

What are the most popular social media platforms in Japan in 2024?

Before we discuss which social media platforms are currently most popular in Japan, let’s take a quick look at Japanese Internet users.

As of March 2024, Japan’s population is 122.8 million people, and 104.4 million of them are Internet users, which makes up 84.9% of the total population.

It is estimated that around 96 million people, up to 78.1% of the total population, use social media. 

Source: DMFA YouTube

Facebook

In Japan, Facebook has around 15.05 million users and rather than connecting with family and friends, people use it for business.

It is a good platform for business networking and making professional connections. Over 98.5% of people access Facebook via mobile phone.

Facebook statistics in Japan as of 2024:

• Reach: 12.8% of the total population, 14.2% of those eligible (age 13+)
• Internet User Base Reach: 15.1%
• Audience gender split: 45.1% female | 54.9% male

Key takeaways:

• Facebook’s reach is significant but understanding data can be limited due to age restrictions.
• It reaches a larger portion of the internet user base compared to the total population.
• The audience leans slightly male.

TikTok

In the 4th place, we have TikTok, with 26.05 million users aged 18 and above.

Especially recently, following the global shift from static to dynamic content recently, TikTok is becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger audience. 

TikTok statistics in Japan as of 2024:

• Reach: 24.7% of adults aged 18 and above
• Internet User Base Reach: 24.9%
• Audience gender split: 51.7% female | 48.3% male

Key takeaways:

• Significant growth: Between January 2023 and early 2024, TikTok’s potential ad reach in Japan increased by 25.9% (+5.4 million users).
• Steady recent growth: From October 2023 to January 2024, ad reach increased by 3.8% (+957 thousand users).
• Limited data coverage: These figures may not fully represent the entire user base as they only account for users aged 18 and above on TikTok’s ad platform.

In simpler terms, TikTok’s potential ad reach in Japan is growing steadily. Still, the provided data only reflects users within a specific age range and might not capture the complete picture.

Instagram

Coming in number 3, with 55.45 million users, we’ve got Instagram.

It is prevalent among younger people, from teenagers to early 30s. Instagram has rapidly grown in Japan in recent years, and now over 40% of the population uses it. Food and fashion brands are popular on the platform as a visual app. 

Instagram statistics in Japan as of 2024:

• Reach: 45.1% of users aged 13+
• Internet User Base Reach: 49.9%
• Audience gender split: 58.4% female | 41.6% male

Key takeaways:

• Overall, Instagram’s potential ad reach in Japan increased by 21.3% (to +9.8 million users) between January 2023 and 2024.
• Recent Growth: Ad audience size grew 0.9% (+500 thousand users) in the last quarter (Oct 2023 – Jan 2024).
• Important Note: Similar to Facebook, these figures may not reflect the entire user base. They only show potential reach based on specific targeting options and age limitations (potentially 13+).

In short, Instagram’s ad reach in Japan is promising. However, the data has limitations and may not capture the total growth of the user base.

X (Twitter)

2nd place belongs to X (Twitter), with 73.4 million users.

Japanese X is the second most prominent in the world, right after the USA. X is an attractive option, allowing users to stay anonymous and share their opinions. Similarly to other platforms, younger people mostly use it, and its popularity decreases with age. 

X statistics in Japan as of 2024:

• Reach: 66.1% of users aged 13+
• Internet User Base Reach: 70.3%
• Audience gender split: 56% female | 44% male

Key takeaways:

• Twitter reported a potential ad reach increase of 8.8% (+5.9 million users) from 2023 to early 2024.
• However, ad reach decreased by 1.0% (-705 thousand users) from October 2023 to January 2024.
• Caution: These figures from Twitter’s tools might be unreliable due to significant fluctuations.

LINE

LINE is the true king of Japanese social media.

It first started as a messenger app, similar to WhatsApp, but it is now much more than that. It has over 96 million monthly active users, over 78.1% of the society.

LINE is also the 2nd most downloaded app on the Japanese app store after PayPay (contactless payment system).

Apart from messaging, LINE now offers over 100 services that Japanese Internet users interact with daily, and with such a wide market reach, it is a very powerful marketing tool.

LINE statistics in Japan as of 2024:

• Reach: 78.1%
• Internet User Base Reach: 91.9%
• Audience gender split: 53.3% female | 46.7% male

Want to learn more?

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