Japan: internet and everyday apps

TL;DR

Japan has roughly 107 million internet users (107,000,000 people) — about 87% of the population and rank #9 globally.
The apps people open most: LINE, Chatwork, LINE WORKS, LINE. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Banking, Public services and more.
The one to know first: LINE — The de facto messenger in Japan.

Japan in numbers

2025–2026

Internet users: 107 million107,000,000 · #9
Penetration: 87.0%#78
Population: 123 million123,000,000 · #12
GDP: $4.19T#4
GDP growth: -0.2%#196
GDP per person: $34,065#50
Land area: 377.9k km²#62
Capital: Tokyo
Region: Asia
Official languages: Japanese

How Japan goes online

Japan is highly connected and willing to pay for good products. LINE is the default messenger, Yahoo! JAPAN still runs the news habit, and Mercari plus PayPay changed how people sell second-hand goods and pay for coffee.

Around 87%. With a population of about 123 million and 107 million online, roughly 16 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 156 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

156 Most-used apps

Websites people in Japan actually use

The 39 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Shopping4 News4 Jobs4 Classifieds3 Food3 Government3 Telecom3 Banking3 Transport3 Search2 Utilities2 Education2 Mail1 Travel1 Property1

Rakuten IchibaShoppingrakuten.co.jpA giant marketplace where plenty of people shop mainly to collect points. Amazon JapanShoppingamazon.co.jpNext-day delivery and range made it the default for everything from groceries to gadgets. Kakaku.comShoppingkakaku.comCheck the lowest price and read the reviews before buying anything electrical. Yahoo Shopping JapanShoppingshopping.yahoo.co.jpPayPay bonuses, and the sheer number of sellers. NHK NewsNewswww3.nhk.or.jpWhen something shakes, many people check this before turning on the TV. NikkeiNewsnikkei.comBusiness news and market data. The Japan TimesNewsjapantimes.co.jpThe English daily, and its archive. Asahi ShimbunNewsasahi.comA national daily, morning and evening editions. TownworkJobstownwork.netPart-time and shift work listings. RikunabiJobsrikunabi.comGraduate and mid-career openings, and briefing bookings. MynaviJobsmynavi.jpThe job-hunting site, and company briefings. Hello WorkJobshellowork.mhlw.go.jpThe public employment office, and its job search. MercariClassifiedsjp.mercari.comThe resale app that made selling old clothes and books normal. MercariClassifiedsmercari.comThe flea-market app where most resale happens. i TownpageClassifiedsitp.ne.jpThe phone directory, and maps for local shops. TabelogFoodtabelog.comWhere the group decides where to eat — usually after everyone checks this. Demae-canFooddemae-can.comDelivery, and the partner shops nationwide. CookpadFoodcookpad.comEveryone’s recipes, and the “I made it” reports. e-GovGovernmentelaws.e-gov.go.jpThe official portal for laws and administrative procedures, including moving house. e-GovGovernmente-gov.go.jpOnline applications for government procedures. Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentGovernmentmetro.tokyo.lg.jpCity services, disaster notices and applications. NTTTelecomntt.comThe former monopoly, still the backbone for fixed lines and corporate networks. NTT docomoTelecomdocomo.ne.jpThe mobile carrier: plans and handsets. SoftBankTelecomsoftbank.jpA mobile carrier, and its fibre service. Bank of JapanBankingboj.or.jpThe central bank: policy statements, rates and the quarterly Tankan survey. MUFG BankBankingmufg.jpThe largest banking group. SMBCBankingsmbc.co.jpSumitomo Mitsui Banking, and its retail services. Japan AirlinesTransportjal.co.jpDense domestic schedules and the place to manage JAL mileage and bookings. JR EastTransportjreast.co.jpOperator of the Yamanote loop and the northern shinkansen, with timetables and passes. ANATransportana.co.jpDomestic and international bookings. Yahoo! JAPANSearchyahoo.co.jpStill the everyday front door for many: news, weather and auctions in one page. Google JapanSearchgoogle.co.jpThe first stop for research, with strong Japanese search and a widely used map. TEPCOUtilitiestepco.co.jpThe Kanto region’s power supplier: outage notices and tariff plans. Japan Meteorological AgencyUtilitiesjma.go.jpTyphoon tracks and warning levels, usually a step ahead of television. University of TokyoEducationu-tokyo.ac.jpThe country’s oldest national university. Kyoto UniversityEducationkyoto-u.ac.jpA research university with a long Nobel record. Japan PostMailjapanpost.jpPost, savings and insurance handled at the same counter. Japan National Tourism OrganizationTraveljnto.go.jpTourist information and what is in season. SUUMOPropertysuumo.jpRental and sale listings.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A

How many people in Japan are online?

About 107 million (107,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 87% of the population, which puts Japan at #9 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Japan use most?

Mostly LINE, Chatwork, LINE WORKS, LINE — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Banking, Public services. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Japan?

LINE, Chatwork, LINE WORKS, LINE, KakaoTalk dominate this space. The best-known is LINE — The de facto messenger in Japan.

How high is internet penetration in Japan?

Around 87%. With a population of about 123 million and 107 million online, roughly 16 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Japan?

The everyday ones are Yahoo! JAPAN, Google Japan, Rakuten Ichiba, plus the other 39 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12

Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Japan: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/jp-en.html

Japan: internet and everyday apps

Japan in numbers

How Japan goes online

What people actually use

Messaging

Social

Video

Shopping

Payments

Food

News

Music

Travel

Tools

Classifieds

Cloud storage

Security

AI assistants

Learning

Health

Parcels

Maps

Gaming

Reading

Banking

Public services

Websites people in Japan actually use

Nearby and similar markets

Frequently asked questions

Sources