Japan mobile app trends 2022

Japan mobile
app trends
2022
Essential app performance
benchmarks and insights
GUIDE

2
Key takeaways ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Japan’s app market: An overview ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Total install growth by vertical …………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Total session growth from 2020-2022 …………………………………………………………………………… 7
Sessions lengths by vertical ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Gaming ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
What’s the state of play in the Japanese gaming market? ……………………………………………………..10
Gaming installs by category ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Marketing costs and performance for casual games in Japan …………………………………………14

E-commerce ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Charting e-commerce growth and distribution ………………………………………………………………… 19
Fintech ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22
Fintech apps know where the money’s at ………………………………………………………………………….. 23
Dating …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26
Falling in love with mobile ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
CTV: The new frontier for app marketers ………………………………………………………….31
The methodology ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33
Contents
Japan mobile app trends 2022

3
Key
takeaways
15%
29%
13%
$6.60
GAMING
From 2020 to H1 2022, hyper casual and role-playing
were the most popular gaming genres. Hyper casual titles
accounted for 15% of total installs, while RPGs came
second with 13%.
E-COMMERCE
E-commerce performed exceptionally well in Japan over
the last two years. January 2022 was the highest charting
period, with an 8% increase compared to the 2021 average
and a 29% boost compared to 2020 .
FINTECH
Fintech apps charted high session growth in the first
half of 2022, with an impressive year-over-year
increase of 13%.
DAT I N G
Sessions for dating apps grew steadily over the last two
years, but so did the cost of acquiring new users. CPI for
dating apps rose in the winter and hit a high of $6.60
per install in February 2022.
Japan mobile app trends 2022

4
Naoki Sassa,
General Manager Japan
“ Despite significant challenges to the app and
mobile marketing industry over the past two years,
Japan has shown its resilience as a top market for app
users and advertisers. From a huge uptick in mobile
payment usage to boosts in gaming and e-commerce
sessions and CTV usage and campaigns, we’re excited
to see how these growth patterns continue over the
coming months.”
Japan mobile app trends 2022

5
Kota Amano,
Senior Country Manager Japan & Korea
“ The mobile economy has continuously grown since the
pandemic started, which brings lower CPI trends in several
app categories. Now is the time to consider what’s next for
mobile marketing to accelerate the growth of your apps.
At the same time, marketers need to know how to acquire
engaged users in post-install.”
Japan mobile app trends 2022

Like the global app market, Japan’s mobile app market saw a burst
of growth in the past two years, driven by changing habits spurred
by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s mobile users turned
to apps to make essential purchases, reorganize their finances,
entertain themselves, or simply pass the time. Yet as the pandemic
largely winds down, user habits continue to evolve.
For app marketers looking to grow their share in Japan, the market brings both unique
challenges and significant rewards. Japan’s median age is relatively high (49. 2), and
despite being a nation known to develop cutting-edge technologies, Japan has been
slow to adopt mobile technology on a population-wide scale.
That said, in the past few years, the number of mobile users in Japan has grown steadily.
Smartphone ownership among internet users aged 16 to 64 passed 90%, according to a
survey by Insider Intelligence. A report by social media agency We Are Social also found
that 98% of social media users access platforms via mobile and that 59% of Smartphone
users play games on mobile.
With usage climbing, entrants and incumbents alike have an opportunity to capitalize
on the nation’s app market. Drawing on data from Japan from 2020 to 2022, Adjust and
Liftoff’s Japan mobile app trends report provides mobile marketers across industries
with an essential overview of new trends, benchmarks, and insights into the island nation.
Our report examines installs, sessions, and ROAS across four key verticals—gaming,
e-commerce, fintech, and dating.
According to Adjust data, Japan’s mobile app market—despite fluctuations from global
changes—continues to keep pace with global growth. Year-over-year growth for app
installs across all verticals in Japan increased by 19% from 2020 to 2021. To take full
advantage of emerging opportunities, marketers must adapt and develop marketing
strategies to fit regional trends and user preferences and habits. To assist, this report
offers perspectives from marketers with extensive experience driving app growth in
the country.
Introduction

7
Between 2020 and 2021, total gaming installs
rose by 52%—much higher than the other
verticals in the region. Of the other app
categories this report covers, e-commerce grew
by 13%, fintech by 11%, and dating by 4%.
In Japan, sessions for all apps saw remarkable
growth over the last two years. 2021 charted an
impressive year-on-year (YoY) growth of 23%.
Total sessions hit a two-year high in August 2021,
33% higher than the 2020 average and 8% up
from the 2021 average.
Sessions in Japan are also trending upwards in
2022 to date—up by 12% in H1 2022 YoY.
Japan’s app market:
An overview
TOTAL INSTALL GROWTH BY VERTICAL
TOTAL SESSION GROWTH FROM
2020-2022 App install growth percentages
YoY 2020 – 2021
App session growth 2020 – H1 2022
(All verticals)
E-commerce
All verticals
Gaming FintechDating
4%
11%
13%
19%
52%
JAN 2020
JAN 2021
FEB 2020
FEB 2021
MAR 2020
MAR 2021
APR 2020
APR 2021
MAY 2020
MAY 2021
JUN 2020
JUN 2021
JUL 2020
JUL 2021
AUG 2020
AUG 2021SEP 2020
SEP 2021
OCT 2020
OCT 2021
NOV 2020
NOV 2021
DEC 2020
DEC 2021
Japan mobile app trends 2022

8
In the first half of 2022, users played gaming
apps for an average session length of 26.5
minutes. This exceeded the average session
length across all verticals by nearly 15 minutes.
Dating apps, second to gaming in session
lengths, kept users engaged for almost 15
minutes per session.
SESSIONS LENGTHS BY VERTICAL App session lengths H1 2022
5
10 15
20 25
30
0
Time in minutes
E-commerce
All verticals
Gaming Fintech
Dating
4.43
10.29
14.4
14.93
26.46
Japan mobile app trends 2022

9
Gaming
15%
of gaming installs in Japan are hyper
casual games, the most popular genre.

10
Japan is a pioneer in the gaming industry, and
it’s home to some of the world’s leading names
in gaming, including Sony, Nintendo, and Sega.
According to analytics company Newzoo,
“Japan’s 75.6 million players…generate[d]
revenues of $22.1 billion” in 2021.
Despite its small size compared to other
countries, Japan is the third-biggest games
market worldwide because of its strong revenues.
To contextualize what is happening in the mobile
gaming market in Japan, we look at a few key
metrics from the start of the pandemic to now. First, let’s look at user activity. Sessions are a
valuable proxy for understanding overall app
growth. In 2021, the number of sessions grew
significantly, with a 22% year-over-increase.
As the pandemic rolled on, users embraced
mobile games at scale.
However, pandemic-driven trends seem to
be winding down. Halfway into 2022, gaming
sessions fell compared to last year. That said,
they are still above early pandemic levels—
compared to H1 2020, sessions were up 8%
in H1 2022.
What’s the state of play in the
Japanese gaming market?
Gaming app session growth 2020 – H1 2022
JAN 2020
JAN 2022 JAN 2021
FEB 2020
FEB 2022 FEB 2021
MAR 2020
MAR 2022 MAR 2021
APR 2020
APR 2022 APR 2021
MAY 2020
MAY 2022 MAY 2021
JUN 2020
JUN 2022 JUN 2021
JUL 2020
JUL 2021
AUG 2020
AUG 2021SEP 2020
SEP 2021
OCT 2020
OCT 2021
NOV 2020
NOV 2021
DEC 2020
DEC 2021
Japan mobile app trends 2022

11
Gaming apps comprise many genres, but the Japanese market seems to favor two
above all others.
Between 2020 and H1 2022, hyper casual titles took up 15% of total installs, while
role-playing games (RPGs) came second at 13%.
However, session distribution differs significantly from install distribution. Action
games and RPGs are still on top, with 17% of total sessions each but hyper casuals,
which accounted for 15% of the total install share, only account for 1% of sessions.
Gaming installs by category
Gaming app installs and sessions by vertical 2020 – H1 2022
2%
0% 4%6%8%10% 12%14% 16%18%
Puzzle
Action
Role Playing
Adventure
Simulation MusicCard
Board
Hyper Casual
Family
Casino Sports
Strategy Casual
Installs
Sessions
Japan mobile app trends 2022

12
Comparing the number of sessions by platform
reveals that iOS hosts around two-thirds of the
gaming apps tracked by Adjust in Japan, while
Android only accounts for 33%.
Retention rates for games in Japan are slightly lower than global figures. In H1 2022,
the average Day 1 retention rate for gaming apps was 22%. Day 7 rates come in at 9%
and Day 30 rates at 3%.
THE PLATFORM WARS
LIFETIME VALUE STARTS WITH RETENTION Gaming app sessions by platform H1 2022
33%
67%
Gaming app retention rates H1 2022
0%
30
0 510 1520 25
Global
APAC
Japan
Day after install
20%
40% 60%
80%
100%
90%
70%
50% 30% 10%
Japan mobile app trends 2022

13
“ The Japanese gaming app market has shown incredible
growth despite the impacts of privacy changes and the
COVID-19 pandemic. The growth of hyper casual games
was particularly impressive, and we also saw a boost at
KAYAC. For hyper casual games where ad promotion is
key, it is essential to acquire and leverage accurate data to
effectively run campaigns in order to drive the acquisition
of high quality users.”
Masaya Murakami,
Director
Japan mobile app trends 2022

14
If mobile gaming as an industry received a boost from pandemic habits, then casual
gaming saw unique growth opportunities. This is hardly surprising. With low barriers to
entry and broad appeal, casual games are perfect for helping users pass the time. They
can also be highly lucrative.
Drawing on data from its recent Casual Gaming Report, Liftoff closely looks at the costs
and ROAS rates for this globally popular genre.
Marketing costs and performance
for casual games in Japan
Casual gaming CPI, June 2021 – May 2022
The cost-per-install (CPI) for casual gaming apps in the past year averaged $5.46. For
most of the year, CPI for casual gaming apps stayed below the $6 mark. CPI declined
steadily between June 2021 and October 2022 and rose again during the winter.
CASUAL GAMING CPI
Aug 21
Sept 21 Jun 21
Jul 21
Oct 21
Nov 21 Dec 21 Jan 22
Source: Liftoff
Feb 22
Mar 22 Apr 22
May 22
$6
$4 $2
$0 $8
$6.26
$5.52$5.56
$5.07$4.88 $5.54
$6.10
$5.73 $5.72
$5.62 $5 .93
$ 4 .92
Japan mobile app trends 2022

15
The average D7 ROAS rate was around 7%, while D30 ROAS rates hovered just under 20%.
CASUAL GAMING DAY 7 AND DAY 30 ROAS
Day 7 and Day 30 ROAS for casual gaming apps
D7 ROAS
D30 ROAS
0%
10%
20%
15%
5%
Source: Liftoff
7.30%19.07%
Day 7 and Day 30 CPI for iOS and Android
$0 $2
$6
$4
Source: Liftoff
$5.22 $5.49
Android iOS
CPIs were similar for both iOS and Android, averaging nearly $5.50. This is consistent with
Liftoff’s analysis of Android vs. iOS performance.
Japan mobile app trends 2022

16
Both platforms had similar D7 and D30 ROAS rates. By Day 30, Android users
outperformed iOS by around two percentage points.
Casual gaming apps ROAS on iOS and Android
D7 ROASD30 ROAS
Android
iOS
0%
10%
20%
25%
15% 5%
7.4 3%
7.19%
18.42%
20.44%
Source: Liftoff
Japan mobile app trends 2022

17
Puzzle and simulation games: CPI
$0$2
$6
$4
Source: Liftoff
$5.48 $5.04
Puzzle Simulation
Puzzle game players cost slightly more each to acquire than simulation game players
($5.48 compared to $5.04).
In addition to having a lower CPI, simulation games posted higher ROAS rates on both
Day 7 and Day 30.
CASUAL GAMING CPI AND ROAS BY SUBCATEGORY
Day 7 and Day 30 ROAS for puzzle and simulation games
D7 ROAS
D30 ROAS
Source: Liftoff
Puzzle Simulation
0%
10%
20%
25%
15% 5%
18.77%
7.02%
22%
8.12%
Japan mobile app trends 2022

18
8%
increase in sessions in January 2022 compared to the 2021 average
E-commerce

19
E-commerce performed exceptionally well in Japan over the last two years. Sessions
surged 20% in 2021 YoY. In fact, January 2022 was the highest charting period, with
an 8% increase compared to the 2021 average and a 29% boost compared to 2020.
Overall, e-commerce app sessions are still up in 2022, growing 7% in H1 2022 YoY. From
2020 to H1 2022, marketplace apps take the lion’s share of installs at 75%. Marketplace
apps are followed by shopping at 23% and deal discovery at 2%.
Charting e-commerce
growth and distribution
E-commerce app session growth 2020 – H1 2022
JAN 2020JAN 2022 JAN 2021
FEB 2020
FEB 2022 FEB 2021
MAR 2020
MAR 2022 MAR 2021
APR 2020
APR 2022 APR 2021
MAY 2020
MAY 2022 MAY 2021
JUN 2020
JUN 2022 JUN 2021
JUL 2020
JUL 2021
AUG 2020
AUG 2021SEP 2020
SEP 2021
OCT 2020
OCT 2021
NOV 2020
NOV 2021
DEC 2020
DEC 2021
Japan mobile app trends 2022

20
Retention rates for e-commerce apps in H1 2022 in Japan were lower than global rates
but higher than the median of the APAC region. On Day 1 after install, APAC had a
retention rate of 14%, and Japan had a rate of 17%. By day 30, retention rates dropped to
4% in APAC and 5% in Japan.
E-commerce app installs by vertical 2020 – H1 2022
30%
20%
10%
0% 40%50% 60% 70%80%
Shopping
Marketplace
Deal Discovery
75%
26%
2%
E-commerce app retention rates H1 2022
0%
30
0 510 1520 25
Global
APAC
Japan
Day after install
20%
40% 60%
80%
100%
90%
70%
50% 30% 10%
Japan mobile app trends 2022

21
“ SNKRDUNK has grown tremendously over the past
four years, and is now taking on the challenge of growing
its business overseas. The mission of SNKRDUNK’s mar-
keting organization is to “create the next marketplace that
is enthusiastic all over the world”. In order to create such
a marketplace, we will expand our marketing activities
through offline advertising and OMO measures along
with digital advertising and CRM. We’re aiming to
boldly take on challenges that will allow more people
to use SNKRDUNK.”
Kazuhito Takahashi,
Marketing CRM leader / PM
Japan mobile app trends 2022

22
Fintech
Japan mobile app trends 2022
13%
YoY fintech session growth in H1 2022 , one of the biggest session increases for a vertical this year

23
Digital payments skyrocketed during the
pandemic as consumers turned to payment
methods with fewer physical touchpoints.
Between 2019 and 2021, cashless payments
in Japan increased in use by 21%. Japan’s
government also began promoting cashless
payments, hoping to achieve 40% cashless
payments by 2025 to stay in line with
global growth.
Worldwide, mobile wallets are taking the lead
in cashless transactions. In 2021, mobile wallet
payments accounted for 49% of e-commerce
transactions worldwide, and this figure is
predicted to reach 53% by 2025 . As a result of this amplification of digital
payments, session growth for fintech apps
in Japan exploded throughout the pandemic.
Sessions increased 47% from 2020 to 2021.
In the first half of 2022, they were up 13%
compared to H1 2021—signs of a dynamic
industry with room for further growth.
June 2022 had the highest volume of fintech
app sessions. Sessions were 30% higher than
the 2021 average and 79% higher than 2020.
Fintech apps know
where the money’s at
Fintech app session growth 2020 – H1 2022
JAN 2020
JAN 2022 JAN 2021
FEB 2020
FEB 2022 FEB 2021
MAR 2020
MAR 2022 MAR 2021
APR 2020
APR 2022 APR 2021
MAY 2020
MAY 2022 MAY 2021
JUN 2020
JUN 2022 JUN 2021
JUL 2020
JUL 2021
AUG 2020
AUG 2021SEP 2020
SEP 2021
OCT 2020
OCT 2021
NOV 2020
NOV 2021
DEC 2020
DEC 2021
Japan mobile app trends 2022

24
Overall, fintech apps charted impressive session growth in the first half of 2022, with a
year-over-year increase of 13%. Sessions for all apps grew 12% in H1 2022 YoY, dating apps
saw a hike of 8%, and e-commerce app sessions jumped 7%.
App session growth percentages YoY H1 2021 – H1 2022
FintechDatingE-commerce
All verticals
1%
9%
15%
13% 11%
7%
5% 3%
12%
13%
7%
8%
Japan mobile app trends 2022

25
For the fintech vertical in H1 2022, Japan had better retention rates than APAC overall.
In Japan, the median retention rate on day 1 was 17%, 11% on day 7, 9% on day 14, and 7%
on day 30.
Fintech app retention rates H1 2022
0%
30
0 510 1520 25
Global
APAC
Japan
Day after install
20%
40% 60%
80%
100%
90%
70%
50% 30% 10%
Fintech app sessions by vertical 2020 – H1 2022
30%
20%
10%
0% 40%50% 60% 70%80%
Bank
Payment
Crypto
73%
15%
12%
A breakdown of sub-verticals shows that payment apps had the most sessions at 73%.
Banking apps came second, accounting for 15% of the total fintech sessions, followed by
crypto at 12%.
Japan mobile app trends 2022

26
Dating
13%
increase in dating app
sessions YoY in H1 2022

27
Like their global counterparts, dating apps in
Japan saw an initial boost in 2020. And the
sector is expected to continue to grow in the
coming years as cities and public venues reopen.
Singles will have better opportunities to meet in
real life, and users who put dating on pause will
be looking to return to dating apps.
For marketers looking to capitalize on new
developments in dating, here’s a look at growths
in session length and trends in costs per install
and registration over the past year.
Sessions for dating apps grew steadily over
the last two years, with H1 2021 posting a 7%
YoY growth compared to H1 2020 and H1 2022
enjoying a 13% uptick from H1 2021.
Falling in love with mobile
Dating app session growth 2020 – H1 2022
JAN 2020JAN 2022 JAN 2021
FEB 2020
FEB 2022 FEB 2021
MAR 2020
MAR 2022 MAR 2021
APR 2020
APR 2022 APR 2021
MAY 2020
MAY 2022 MAY 2021
JUN 2020
JUN 2022 JUN 2021
JUL 2020
JUL 2021
AUG 2020
AUG 2021SEP 2020
SEP 2021
OCT 2020
OCT 2021
NOV 2020
NOV 2021
DEC 2020
DEC 2021
Japan mobile app trends 2022

28
Cost data from Liftoff can help broaden this picture. In the past year, CPI for dating apps
averaged $5.46 while CPA-Registration was $9.92. CPI for dating apps rose in the winter
and hit a high of $6.60 per install in February 2022. The cost per registration dropped in
the summer of 2021 to $8.74 before rising again in winter. Later, CPA-Registarion hit a
new low in May of 2022 at $7.09.
Dating apps CPI and CPA Registration, June 2021 – May 2022
Source: Liftoff
$10$5
$0
$15
$13.86
$3.86 $11.23
$3.82 $10.98
$3.81 $8.74
$4.47 $9. 7 2
$6.29 $10.58
$6.23 $10.92
$6.54 $11.53
$6.30 $8.70
$6.60 $9. 2 1
$5.43 $8.77
$ 4 .98 $ 7. 0 9
$4.44 CPI
Aug 21
Sept 21 Jun 21
Jul 21
Oct 21
Nov 21 Dec 21 Jan 22
Feb 22
Mar 22 Apr 22
May 22
CPA – Registration
Japan mobile app trends 2022

29
Dating apps on iOS vs Android
iOS
Android
Source: Liftoff
CPICPA – Registration
$0 $4
$8
$12
$10
$6$2
$5.61
$4.47 $8.47
$10.20
Overall, iOS users cost slightly less per install, but Android users convert more easily with
an $8.47 price tag.
Japan mobile app trends 2022

30
Masatoshi Takahashi,
CMO
“
As dating apps have grown, so has the competition.
It isn’t easy to stand out if we just do the same thing
that other apps are doing. Uniqueness is the key to
building a competitive advantage.”
Japan mobile app trends 2022

31
Japan is rapidly becoming a major market for
Connected TV (CTV) and Over-the-Top (OTT).
Currently, 21% of Japan’s population use CTV,
with this number predicted to reach 23. 2% by
2025. App marketers are beginning to recognize
the broad reach of CTV ads, with CTV ad spend
in Japan forecast to hit ¥58.8 billion by 2024 .
Success in the CTV space is only possible if
marketers utilize cross-device measurement.
Marketers must have the ability to track
app conversions and events resulting from Connected TV ads, including multi-touch
attribution, given that users often interact
with a brand on more than one device. Adjust’s
comprehensive CTV measurement solution,
CTV AdVision , allows app marketers to
analyze the assist value and assess the impact
of CTV ads on other channels, in addition to
measuring the performance of CTV campaigns.
With mobile penetration in Japan high, CTV
campaigns are set to become a fixture in app
marketers’ user acquisition strategies.
CTV: A new frontier
for app marketers
Japan mobile app trends 2022

32
Ryuichi Ayase,
Senior Product Manager
“ The number of viewers who enjoy video content on
Connected TV is growing rapidly, and as a new marketing
channel, the advertising industry is increasingly paying
attention to it. In addition to the appealing power of large
screens familiar to terrestrial TV commercials, CTV enables
effective advertising operations through targeting and
data visualization similar to digital marketing, providing
advertisers with unprecedented new value. We believe that
the collaboration with Adjust with ABEMA’s CTV will provide
new opportunities—especially for app marketers—and lead to
a major industry shakeup. ABEMA will continue to cooperate
with Adjust to develop initiatives that drive growth in the
CTV market.”
Japan mobile app trends 2022

33
The
methodology
Liftoff looked at data between June 2021 and June
2022 for two verticals—casual gaming and dating.
Date
January 2020 – June 2022
Dataset
A mix of Adjust’s top 2,000 apps and the total dataset of all apps tracked by
Adjust. Our data comes from two sources, one including a list of 45 countries
and one with approximately 250 based on the ISO 3166-1 standard.
All dollar amounts are represented in USD.
Japan mobile app trends 2022

adjust.com@adjustcom
Adjust is the mobile marketing analytics platform trusted by growth-driven marketers
around the world, with solutions for measuring and optimizing campaigns and
protecting user data. Adjust powers thousands of apps with built-in intelligence
and automation, backed by responsive global customer support.
Adjust is a subsidiary of AppLovin (Nasdaq: APP), a leading marketing software
platform providing developers with a powerful, integrated set of solutions to solve
their mission-critical functions like user acquisition, monetization and measurement.
Learn more about Adjust at
www.adjust.com
Liftoff is the leading growth acceleration platform for the mobile industry, helping
advertisers, publishers and game developers scale revenue growth with solutions to
market and monetize mobile apps.
With a suite of solutions including Vungle, JetFuel and GameRefinery, Liftoff supports
over 6,600 mobile businesses across 74 countries, including gaming, social, finance,
e-commerce, entertainment and more. Liftoff is proud to be a long-term partner to leading
advertisers and app publishers since 2012. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA , Liftoff has
a growing global presence with offices around the world.
liftoff.io
ABOUT ADJUST
ABOUT LIFTOFF