Introduction
Welcome back, fellow Japan market enthusiast! Today, we’re continuing our journey into Japan’s mobile market. We’ve got a little treat for you—another glimpse at the popular keywords on Apple’s App Store Discover panel this week. (See the past Discover article here) So, if you want to learn more about Japan’s market, keep reading!
The Discover section can be found on the Search menu of the App Store. These keywords are the initial keywords users see when they go to the Search page! It’s worth paying attention to help you with ASO in Japan.
So with that in mind, let’s check out the top 6 keywords that made waves on the Discover panel between September 24, 2023, and September 29, 2023.
Keywords in “Discover” This Week
What keywords are in the Discover suggestions of the App Store in Japan this week?
*Further explanation regarding the keywords can be found at the end of this article.
Keyword Analysis and Findings
Dividing into Categories
Dividing the keywords into categories and relevant themes based on App Store categories, we came up with 7 divisions – games, productivity & tools, entertainment, sports, finance, travel & navigation, photo & video.
Insight for this Week
In the News
One notable insight this week about the keyword 将棋 (Shogi) that trended last September 27, 2023. On the same day, Souta Fujii, a Japanese professional Shoji player, a.k.a. God of Shogi, has won the second time in the “Oza Tournament” (one of the major Shogi titles). Championship rules of Shogi is to win 3 times out of 5, and with just one more win, he’ll be declared as the winner of the tournament. Souta Fujii is already a holder of 7 crowns and this achievement made Shogi fans excited about this continuous win towards the 8th crown!
Japanese Traditional Games
It also might be related to the trending news about Shogi that the traditional Japanese games also showed up in Discover this week! Here are the Japanese traditional games in Japan App Store the week:
- 将棋 (Shogi)
- あみだくじ (Amidakuji)
- 百人一首 (Hyakunin Isshu)
*Apps mentioned are just sample games of the genre: PiyoShogi, 100人あみだ, 小倉百人一首 – 日本のかるた
Conclusion
We learned more about understanding Japanese culture and the Japanese mobile market this week! Evidently, successful localization remains the crucial factor for penetrating the Japanese market. Numerous nuances exist that current translation tools cannot fully grasp just yet. Moreover, keeping updated with the current news in Japan has shown to be highly advantageous in keeping on-trend.
So we hope that this article has provided you with valuable insights of the Japanese mobile market. Be sure to look forward to next week’s keyword list and valuable insights!
Understanding the Japanese Keywords This Week
September 25, 2023:
- テレビ (Television): This keyword likely indicates an interest in TV-related apps.
- 髪型 シミュレーション (Hairstyle Simulation): Users may be looking for apps that simulate different hairstyles.
- jリーグ (J-League): This suggests an interest in Japan’s professional football (soccer) league and related apps.
- バックグラウンド再生 (Background Playback): Users might be looking for apps that allow background audio or video playback.
- VR (Virtual Reality): Indicates an interest in virtual reality apps and experiences.
- 育成 (Training): This keyword is broad and could relate to various training or development apps.
September 26, 2023:
- おせろ (Othello): This is likely related to the game “Othello”
- サッカー (Soccer): Continues the interest in soccer-related apps.
- 育成 (Training): Training keyword in English seems to relate more towards physical training or workout, but 育成 in App Store actually relates more into games where you train characters and take care of them.
- バスケ (Basketball): Users might be interested in basketball-related apps.
- あみだくじ (Amidakuji): This keyword suggests an interest in games or apps related to Amidakuji, a Japanese lottery-like game.
- モンストマルチ (Monster Strike Multiplayer): Likely related to the game “Monster Strike” and multiplayer features. This game has been charting to #10 in Action category this week.
September 27, 2023:
- こんぱす (Compass): This could indicate users are searching for compass or navigation apps. Could also refer to a game called
- コンパス which is ranking #21 for Strategy Games this week
- 背景透過 (Background Transparency): Users might be looking for apps that allow them to edit or create images with transparent backgrounds.
野球 (Baseball): Indicates an interest in baseball-related apps. - 将棋 (Shogi): Suggests an interest in the Japanese board game “Shogi.”
- fx (Foreign Exchange Trading): Users may be looking for foreign exchange trading apps.
- 作曲 (Composition): Indicates an interest in music composition apps.
September 28, 2023:
- 壁紙 (Wallpaper): Users might be looking for wallpaper-related apps to customize their device.
- まいんすいーぱー (Minesweeper): Refers to the classic game “Minesweeper”
- 漢字 手書き 検索 (Handwritten Kanji Search): Indicates an interest in apps that recognize handwritten Kanji characters.
- スケジュール管理 (Schedule Management): Suggests users are looking for apps to manage their schedules.
- みゅーじっく (Music): Indicates an interest in music-related apps.
- フィルムカメラ (Film Camera): Suggests users are looking for apps that emulate film cameras.
September 29, 2023:
- 飛行機 (Airplane): Indicates an interest in airplane-related apps, possibly travel or flight booking apps. Airplane keyword also trended last time during a Friday. This suggests interest into travel when it’s near the weekend.
- 百人一首 (Hyakunin Isshu): Suggests an interest in apps related to the traditional Japanese card game “Karuta.”
- 韓国語 勉強 (Korean Language Study): Indicates an interest in apps for studying the Korean language.
- ポケモン (Pokémon): Suggests users are looking for Pokémon-related apps or games.
- サイコロ (Dice): Indicates an interest in dice-related apps or games.
- 東方 (Touhou): This keyword likely relates to the “Touhou Project,” a popular series of bullet hell shooter games.
