New to Japan’s web search engines? Let’s break it down

Japanese society goes hand in hand with the IT revolution, supported by strong IT literacy and high internet penetration. 

However, internet access only becomes truly useful when users can effectively utilize web search. Whether you’re curious about the web search market and environment in Japan or looking for ways to make the most of it, this is the guide you need. Let’s dive in.

Introduction to Japanese web search

The Japanese web search environment is unique, so let’s start by understanding the basics of search engines in Japan. In Japan, both mobile and desktop web searches are common, and we search in Japanese. This might sound obvious, but I want to emphasize it clearly. Some of my clients assume that English is widely used in Japan and that people search in either English or Japanese depending on the topic. For example, if someone is looking for Broadway tickets, they might think it makes sense to search in English. But the situation isn’t that straightforward.

Why English isn’t commonly used in Japanese searches

The truth is, not many Japanese people are fluent in English. Most feel very uncomfortable trying to use it. It’s not uncommon to meet someone whose English ability is limited to just “Hello” and “Thank you”. That’s the level we’re talking about.

So, it’s safe to assume that Japanese people almost exclusively search in Japanese. What about translation tools like Google Translate? Sure, people know they exist, but very few are willing to rely on them just to look something up, unless there’s a very strong reason or motivation to do so.

How Japanese users actually search the web

Now, how do Japanese people search for information? One important thing to understand is that the Japanese language doesn’t use spaces between words like English does. In English, each word is clearly separated by a space, but in Japanese, no space is inserted between words. This can be confusing for non-native speakers.

That said, when it comes to web search, Japanese users often insert spaces between key terms. For example, a basic search might look like this: “東京 寿司 人気店” (which means “popular sushi restaurants Tokyo”). Some people do type full sentences, but that’s not the mainstream way to search.

Major Japanese search engines

Now let’s take a look at common Japanese search engines and search sites.

Google Japan

Google is the most widely used search engine in Japan. When we talk about Japanese SEO, we’re almost always talking about Google. Some people still claim that we should pay attention to other search engines, but I personally believe that optimizing a website for Google is the best approach. If you do well with Google, your site is likely optimized for other major search engines as well.

If you’re looking to search for something in Japanese, Google Japan should be your first stop.

Yahoo! Japan

There’s also Yahoo! Japan, which is the second most used search engine in the country. It may feel a bit outdated, but a significant number of users still rely on Yahoo’s search engine. Users of Yahoo! Japan tend to prefer densely packed information, like what you see on Yahoo News. The user interface tends to be more “crowded,” which might not appeal to minimalists who prefer a cleaner, less distracting browsing experience.

Emerging search engines

Those two search engines are obvious players, but we shouldn’t forget about Bing. Its market share isn’t very strong, but it’s still used, especially by certain user segments, such as business professionals.

There’s also DuckDuckGo, which is a great option for those who care about privacy. It offers a useful feature that allows you to quickly clear your browsing history. As for its search results for better or worse. I feel that the algorithm has less control over what’s shown. This can be a good thing for users who are uncomfortable with how much control Google has over what appears in search results.

Unique features of Japanese search queries

Now that we’ve covered the basics and the most common search engines, let’s take a deeper look at the uniqueness of Japanese search queries.

Language nuances and context

I already mentioned the practice of adding spaces between words. This is how I recommend you structure your Japanese search queries. Now, let’s take it a step further. Here’s a common mistake many foreigners make when trying to search in Japanese: relying solely on machine translation tools like Google Translate without providing any context.

If you’re using an AI tool like ChatGPT, avoid asking it to translate just a single word. That often leads to translations that are completely off-topic or unnatural in Japanese. Instead, start with context. For example, say:

 “I’m looking for… Now please translate this phrase so I can use it to search: [your phrase for web search].”

 Then take that translated phrase and enter it into your preferred Japanese search engine, whether it’s Google or Yahoo! Japan.

Popular search terms and trends

Let me show you some typical and popular search patterns that you can simply follow. If you’re looking for something in Tokyo, like a hotel or restaurant, you can use the pattern:

 [Proper noun + type of place + location]

 For example:

 コアラ亭 中華 神田

 (This means: Koala-tei Chinese restaurant in Kandam, where “コアラ亭” is the restaurant name, “中華” is the type of cuisine, and “神田” is the location.)

The English phrase “best [something]” is commonly used in searches, but in Japanese, it’s more natural to use “おすすめ” (recommended) followed by your keywords.

To find directions or how to reach a place, a direct translation of “access + location” often works well. In Japanese, “access” is written as “アクセス”, and many Japanese websites use that term to describe how to get there.

Cultural influences on web searches

As an interesting aspect of Japanese search behavior, it’s not uncommon to see nuanced queries instead of direct keywords like “best” or “cheap.” While “cheap” is certainly used, it’s also common to find softer expressions such as “コスパ 良い ホテル” (cost-effective hotel). This suggests that if you’re trying to optimize your business for Japanese search engines, you should consider these more subtle variations as well.

On the flip side, if you’re casually browsing, experimenting with these alternative expressions can reveal a completely different set of search results, ones you might not have discovered otherwise.

Concern for safety and formality is also notable. For example, Japanese users often search for the official source of information by including the term “公式” (official) in their queries. This helps them find the official websites of product manufacturers, celebrities, game developers, and more.

Comparison of Japanese and Western search engines

User interface and experience

It’s worth examining the interface differences between search engines. For example, Yahoo! Japan tends to have a crowded layout filled with news, weather, ads, and trending topics. This appeals to users who prefer to consume as much information as possible in one glance. It gives the feeling of reading an information-packed magazine.

Google, on the other hand (adopted from the Western version), takes a completely different approach. Its interface is clean, minimalist, and centered around a single search box. Interestingly, Google didn’t choose to adapt its design to follow Yahoo! Japan’s style. Even in the Japanese version, it maintains a clean interface, allowing users to focus solely on the search experience.

Katakana and brand term handling

Search engines in Japan need to handle katakana versions of brand names, nicknames, and phonetic spellings differently from their English counterparts. Katakana is the default script for foreign words. For example, “Uber” becomes ウーバー, “Apple” becomes アップル, and “Nike” becomes ナイキ. This doesn’t mean the original English spellings are never used, but people who aren’t comfortable with English often type the katakana versions instead.

To make things more interesting, there are often variations even within the katakana spellings. For example, “McDonald’s” is typically written as マクドナルド, but it can also be shortened to マック. There are even regional differences. In Osaka, McDonald’s is commonly shortened to マクド, which is different from マック, the more common abbreviation in Tokyo.

Interestingly, McDonald’s has embraced these nicknames in its official marketing. One example is 朝マック (Asa Mac), a term used for their morning menu that offers lighter or breakfast-specific options. As a side note, マック can also refer to Apple’s Mac. So if you type マック into a Japanese search bar, you might get results for either one, depending on the context.

Key features unique to Japanese search engines

Yahoo! Japan, as you may already know, is a major part of the Japanese search engine ecosystem. Unlike simple search tools, Yahoo! Japan functions as a full-featured portal, packed with various integrated services.

One of its most prominent features is news. In fact, Yahoo! News is a primary source of daily updates for many Japanese users. Sports scores are a key highlight, and there’s even a common saying: “It made it to Yahoo! News,” meaning that a topic went viral or gained widespread attention.

Users can also quickly access weather forecasts, and it’s not uncommon for people to keep Yahoo! Japan open on their desktops throughout the day to stay updated. This kind of constant engagement is typical of how users interact with the platform.

In addition, there’s a Finance section that provides real-time stock updates, making it a useful tool for business professionals. But the features don’t stop there. Yahoo! Shopping is a major e-commerce marketplace in Japan, using the same information-rich design to showcase a wide range of products with detailed descriptions. Yahoo! also operates Yahoo! Auctions (ヤフオク), one of the most visited auction platforms in the country.

Overall, Yahoo! Japan offers an entire ecosystem of services, with the search engine positioned at the very center.

Optimizing for Japanese search engines

There are also some key considerations to keep in mind when optimizing your content for Japanese search engines (recommended read: what you need to know about Japanese SEO). Here are some important highlights.

Keywords and SEO strategies

The entire search behavior in Japan might still feel somehow “foreign” or “mysterious” to you. If you want to get a sense of what people are actually searching for, try using your relevant keywords (in Japanese, of course, based on the tips I already gave you!) and let the search engines like Google or Yahoo! Japan show you their suggestions. Autocomplete is a great way to spot common patterns.

 For example, you may often encounter words such as…

• Common questions, like “口コミ” (reviews), “評判” (reputation)
• Official sources, with “公式” (official site)
• Comparison terms, like “比較” (comparison), “ランキング” (ranking)

These are actually often used, so it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your keyword strategy for Japanese search engines.

Content localization techniques

Because of the complexity and uniqueness of Japanese search behavior and search engine features, I strongly recommend understanding the entire ecosystem and incorporating it into your content localization strategy from the very beginning. Optimizing your web content for Japanese search engines shouldn’t be treated as a quick fix after you’ve already created a large amount of Japanese content.

The main reason is that SEO requires a systematic approach. For example, you need to structure your entire website with a clear strategy, considering how your most important (pillar) pages are organized and how supporting articles link to them.

As you can imagine, if you target the wrong keywords or misunderstand how Japanese search engines interpret them, you’ll likely have to restructure not just your pages, but the entire site architecture. That results in a more complicated, time-consuming process later on.

Building backlinks in the Japanese web landscape

Now, as a related note, I’d like to mention the importance of building backlinks if you’re serious about establishing an online presence in Japan. This takes time and patience. From my experience, Japanese businesses and website owners, including bloggers and publishers, tend to be more cautious and scrutinize the nature of your website very carefully. They often look into how your site operates, its content quality, and its purpose before deciding whether to collaborate with you or link to your site.

This means you need to strategically present yourself in a way that builds maximum trust. Your main asset, of course, is your website. A poorly translated site is one of the worst ways to start building meaningful relationships in Japan.

Only after carefully designing the localization aspects of your website should you begin outreach to other websites.

Conclusion

Lastly, we should also consider the future trends in Japanese web search. AI is certainly starting to take a fair share of the search market. I’m not saying AI is replacing Japanese search engines, but gradually, and steadily, more people are turning to AI tools to find information.

That said, what remains important is this: for many users, search engines are still the primary method for gathering information when they need to look something up. AI may grow, but traditional search isn’t going away anytime soon. If you’re doing business in Japan and looking for a way to establish your online presence, talk to us. We’ll guide you in the right direction, helping you take the shortest path toward your business goals. SEO is one of the key pillars, and we offer a comprehensive solution tailored to your needs.