Japan’s cosmetics exports jumped 39% in value in 2017, marking a fifth record year. Tourists visiting Japan create new devotees who continue to use the products long after returning home.
The export value hovered around the 100 billion yen range in the early 2010s but has increased sharply since 2015, more than doubling in the past three years.
Some 90% of the exports went to Asian markets; top destinations were China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The U.S.A and France were also high on the list of importers.
Visitors buying high-quality Japanese cosmetics often keep using them after leaving; one cosmetics company says that half of Chinese customers who buy the company’s products while visiting Japan continue to purchase them after they get back to China.
