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— Latest update: November 2023 —
The Japanese pet market is highly directed towards dogs and cats, as they had an ownership share of 9,96% and 8,63% respectively (2022).
The future of pet ownership seems bright, even with the recent decline. The Japan Pet Food Association expects that the percentage of Japanese families with dogs will rise from 10% to 14% in the near future.
On the other hand, it is anticipated that the cat population will stay consistent. In Japan, the percentage of households with cats has averaged around 8% since 2013.
GlobalPets, Why is the Japanese dog population decreasing?, 2023
Related to them we can find a wide variety of supplies (toys and food) and services. During the fiscal year 2022, the pet industry retail value was worth over 1.65 trillion yen. And already Japan has had four consecutive years of the increased overall value of pet food sales, reaching over $3 billion in FY2019. The annual expenditure on pet currently averages 25,200 yen and is still rising with increased demand for accessories and service. Unlike many product categories in Japan, pet products are unusual since foreign manufacturers, especially in pet food, have the largest market shares rather than domestic Japanese companies. This has to do that Japan’s pet culture is strongly influenced by Western trends.
But the most attractive aspect of this market, as a consequence of long-lived pets and their humanization, is this broad demand where specifications based on size, age and breed offer new niches to invest in. Even with the presence of Covid-19, this market will continue expanding.
Yano Research Institute, Pet Business in Japan, 2021
Tokyoesque, Japan's Pet Sector: Sniffing Out Fresh Opportunities, 2020
EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, Pet Products Market in Japan, 2022
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Joint venture established in 1987 by the European Commission (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government (METI) for promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan.
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