The cosmetics, personal care and fragrance industry thrives rapidly in Japan because they always prioritized their personal hygiene, and take great pride in how they present themselves. Japanese population is extremely sensitive to packaging. Any beauty and personal care product company is well-known by the combination of beauty product and packing. Japan has a set of packaging environmental laws and the consumers are disciplined in implementing them. The recyclable pack weight compared to the product weight ratio reduces steadily which is a part of the packaging environment and sustainability drivers. Cosmetics for the aged population need to display more usage features and should be consumer friendly. Japanese desire for constant improvement for any of the beauty and personal care products. The decline of birth-rate in Japan indirectly affects the beauty and personal care products. Japanese consumer packaging recyclability consists of refillable technologies, single package platforms, mobility, and airtight packing.
New generation beauty and personal care products are very sensitive to exposure of light and air. Therefore, airtight packing continues as a leading packing with improved innovative technologies applied in cosmetic packaging. Japanese are investing in recyclable resins and are making huge investments in recycling supply infrastructure. The most safe and stable material in beauty products packing till date is PET. The country is investing in the research and exploration of biodegradable resins. The Japanese brands prefer simplicity in the shape and design in the packing of the cosmetic products.
According to the study “Beauty and Personal Care in Japan”, supermarkets and drugstore are the leading suppliers of the beauty and personal care products in Japan. Colour cosmetic are capturing the attention of teenagers and professional young women in Japan. The affordable price of the cosmetics is affecting the Japan’s beauty industry with promising high quality and is giving the major international players a run for their money. Japanese government is encouraging the local industries to promote their manufacturing capabilities in the beauty and personal care sector. Thereby, promoting the heritage and culture of the Japan by using local ingredients traditionally.
Japanese consumers opt for decent quality products even if they are cheap. Any premium priced product does not affect the consumers trust level of products. Japan beauty and personal care products sector has many premium cosmetics brands featuring different target audiences, package design aspects or lifestyles. It was observed that there was a decline in the premium products purchases. The year 2016 witnessed a stronger growth despite the constraints of Japan’s economic uncertainty and population decline. The growing Japanese ageing population has provoked the leading domestic players to develop age-specific beauty and personal care products such as Lúcido, Prior, Sofina Beaute and Sofina Grace. These products address age-related concerns, such as body odour and scalp health.
Domestic leading players in Japan’s beauty and personal care are Shiseido, Kao, Kosé and Kanebo. These companies invest more in research and development and promote products that address major consumer needs. New product, Kao was developed focused on addressing specific needs. Kao was launched with easy-fill refill packs and reasonable price. Fancl’s Beauty Bouquet was introduced for population in their 60s or older. Lion introduced Systema Haguki Plus Night Care Gel toothpaste to improve gum health while sleeping. Japanese use fragrance for enjoyment, personal expression and to minimising body odour. Mandom is one such body odour product used as antisocial targeting middle aged Japanese men.
Population decline has inevitably impacted the demand for beauty and personal care products. Baby and child-specific products suffered in Japan due to the declined birth-rate. Many Japanese women and women demand for skin care products for naturally beautiful skin and declined the use of heavy facial make-up. They opted for lighter alternatives such as BB/CC creams which are in strong demand with benefits such as boosting radiance, minimising pores, evening skin tone and softening wrinkles.
Shiseido is leading player in skin care products with double-digit value share. Shiseido is an iconic Japanese player with completed 140 years in the year 2012. The company has a strong global reputation for quality and innovation with premium and mass skin care. Other leading premium brands are Elixir, Clé de Peau Beauté and Benefique while the mass brands are Shiseido FITIT and Senka.
The beauty and personal care products has witnessed a slightly stronger growth in the recent years due to population ageing and population decline and is being maintained by leading players such as Shiseido and Kao. Age-specific products are leading addressing specific consumer needs. The beauty and personal care products in Japan may witness growth in the aged population products compared to other age products in the coming years.
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