Apple's sales revenue in Japan FY 2013-2021

In fiscal year 2021, the net sales of Apple Inc. in the Japanese market amounted to about 28.5 billion U.S. dollars, which represented an increase of more than seven billion dollars compared to the previous fiscal year. According to the company, the main reason for this development can be found in the improvement of iPhone and services net sales in the country.

Leading smartphone vendor in the Japanese market

Apple is the leading smartphone vendor in Japan, and the monthly ranking of sold smartphone models is regularly dominated by the American company. Apple entered the Japanese market in 2008 by partnering with the mobile carrier SoftBank Corp., which pursued an aggressive growth strategy. This meant that iPhones could initially be afforded at relatively cheap rates. At the time, Apple’s domestic competitors, such as Sony, Panasonic, and Sharp, continued to rely on feature phones, which enabled Apple to gain a headstart in the smartphone market. The iPhone was thus able to gain significant market shares, and to establish itself as a popular brand, which is an important factor in the Japanese market as Japanese consumers are considered to be highly brand-conscious.

Consumer electronics in Japan

Japan has long been considered a leader when it comes to consumer electronics, but increasing competition from other countries, such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan, has led to Japanese companies losing their dominant positions in various areas. In the case of televisions and displays, this development was exemplified by Foxconn’s takeover of Sharp in 2016. The production value of consumer electronic equipment, which encompasses segments such as communications equipment and computer terminals, has consistently decreased throughout the 2010s. Japanese companies remain important suppliers, however, for electronics makers from other countries. It is expected, for instance, that chipmaking equipment manufacturers will increasingly shift their attention towards companies in China.