Country Reports·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Sensor Tower
Domestic publishers maintain a dominant market position, capturing roughly one-third of total downloads and over 50% of all in-app purchase (IAP) revenue in Japan.
Anime-style intellectual property remains the primary revenue driver, accounting for 42% of total IAP revenue between January and July 2025.
Mobile action and strategy titles accounted for 63% of total digital advertising spend during the first half of 2025.
The LINE platform is the primary advertising channel in Japan, generating approximately 40 billion impressions and accounting for over 80% of mobile ad exposure.
Live-ops and event-driven strategies are highly effective, evidenced by 'Last War: Survival' achieving a 2.7-fold increase in downloads during H1 2025 through aggressive daily offers and themed campaigns.
While download volumes have stabilized post-2020, the Japanese mobile market continues to see IAP revenue growth driven by high-spending iOS users.
Market genre preferences have shifted toward strategy titles, such as 'Pokémon TCG Pocket' and 'SD Gundam G Generation ETERNAL', alongside puzzle games that currently lead download charts.
Domestic publishers maintain a dominant market position, capturing roughly one-third of total downloads and over 50% of all in-app purchase (IAP) revenue in Japan.
Anime-style intellectual property remains the primary revenue driver, accounting for 42% of total IAP revenue between January and July 2025.
Mobile action and strategy titles accounted for 63% of total digital advertising spend during the first half of 2025.
The LINE platform is the primary advertising channel in Japan, generating approximately 40 billion impressions and accounting for over 80% of mobile ad exposure.
Live-ops and event-driven strategies are highly effective, evidenced by 'Last War: Survival' achieving a 2.7-fold increase in downloads during H1 2025 through aggressive daily offers and themed campaigns.
While download volumes have stabilized post-2020, the Japanese mobile market continues to see IAP revenue growth driven by high-spending iOS users.
Market genre preferences have shifted toward strategy titles, such as 'Pokémon TCG Pocket' and 'SD Gundam G Generation ETERNAL', alongside puzzle games that currently lead download charts.