- B2C e-commerce reached ¥26.1 trillion in 2024, up 5.1%
- Only 9.8% of goods sales happen online (up 0.4 points) — far lower than in the UK
- B2B e-commerce reached ¥514.4 trillion, 43.1% of B2B transactions
- Chinese consumers bought ¥2.64 trillion online from Japanese businesses (+8.5%)
The report at a glance
- Original title
- 令和6年度 電子商取引に関する市場調査
- Publisher
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
- Published
- 26 August 2025 (data for 2024)
- Language
- Japanese (release, summary and full report PDF)
- Access
- Free, no registration
Key numbers and findings
| Market (2024) | Size | Change | Online share |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C e-commerce | ¥26.1 trillion | +5.1% | 9.8% of goods sales |
| B2B e-commerce | ¥514.4 trillion | +10.6% | 43.1% |
| C2C e-commerce | ¥2.5 trillion | +1.8% | — |
Within B2C, services recovered most strongly, led by online travel bookings (¥3.52 trillion), alongside dining and financial services. The survey also estimates cross-border e-commerce between Japan, the US and China: Chinese consumers bought ¥2.64 trillion from Japanese businesses (+8.5%).
What it means for companies entering Japan
A single-digit online share for physical goods sounds low to a UK retailer, but it is the opportunity. Japanese consumers still buy much more in stores, so growth online is steady and the market is far from saturated. It also means that for many categories, a Japanese marketplace presence (Amazon.co.jp, Rakuten) and a physical or wholesale route work together rather than as alternatives.
The large C2C figure reflects how normal resale apps such as Mercari are in Japan — useful context for fashion, luxury and electronics brands thinking about second-hand and authenticity.
How to read the original
The METI release links to a short summary (概要) and a long full report (報告書). The summary slides are enough for most readers. A new edition is normally published each August or September, so check METI's press releases for a newer year.
Open the original release (Japanese) ↗
This is an independent summary by Japan Business Insider. Figures are taken from the original publication; the interpretation in “Our reading” is our own. Please check the original before quoting figures.