Dentsu Announces "2015 Hit Products in Japan"

Dentsu Inc. (TOKYO:4324)(ISIN:JP3551520004)(President & CEO: Tadashi Ishii; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 74,609.81 million yen) announced today the release of its "2015 Hit Products in Japan” report. Produced as part of a series that has been chronicling hit products since 1985, the latest report examines major trends that represented the Japanese people’s mindset in 2015. It is based on an Internet survey of the general public in Japan carried out at the end of October and early November 2015 by Video Research Ltd.

The following top 20 products (which include some popular content and social phenomena) were selected from 120 popular items and services by 2,000 Internet survey respondents aged between 15 and 69.

2015 was a year in which signs of change were evident. Although there were some bright spots such as the emergence from deflation due to rising stock prices at the beginning of the year and other factors, it was also a year where uncertainty caused by cost-of-living increases and concerns about future prospects created a less than favorable consumption environment. The increase in inbound tourism consumption, however, an example of which is binge shopping by Chinese and other foreign tourists, had a considerable impact on Japan’s consumption figures, and this is also reflected in this year’s hit product rankings.

Binge shopping / inbound tourism, which took first place in this year's rankings, drew attention to the Chinese New Year (also known as the Spring Festival) holiday which was celebrated in February. Through the mass media’s frequent reports on the buying of Japanese products by foreign tourists on their holiday trips, attention was also drawn to other holidays celebrated by people of other nationalities, such as the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, and this media coverage had a significant impact on the Japanese public. As their eyes were drawn to the binge shopping by inbound tourists, the Japanese people rediscovered the charm of Japan and once again focused on local products, as can be seen in the No. 7 ranking for the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the No. 9 ranking for the hometown contribution tax system, which enables people to make a donation to the local or prefectural government of their choice and receive gifts of regional products in return.

The second equal ranking shared by tennis player Kei Nishikori and the Japan National Rugby Team’s performance at Rugby World Cup 2015 shows the Japanese public’s surprise at and admiration for their world-class performances in areas where Japan felt that it was facing a big wall. It can be said that with each success on the world stage, there were many people who gained courage as they saw how their athletes competed outside of Japan.

The following "2016 Expected Hit Products” list was compiled using the products selected for the "It has been popular this year / It is popular now.” category as a base and then focusing on those selected for the "It will become popular.” category.

Top Five Hit Products in Earlier Years (2014 to 2005)

2014

1. Frozen (Walt Disney animated movie)
2. Talking mascot characters
3. Tokyo Skytree
4. Free voice call apps (such as LINE)
5. Yo-kai Watch (games, manga and toys)

2013

1. Tokyo Skytree
2. Hybrid cars
3. Smartphones
4. Robot cleaners
5. Vehicle collision prevention systems

2012

1. Smartphones
2. Tokyo Skytree
3. SNSs such as Facebook that require real name registration
4. Robot cleaners
5. Salted rice malt

2011

1. Smartphones
2. LED light bulbs
3. Tokyo Skytree
4. Nadeshiko Japan (the Japan women’s national football team who won the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Germany™ tournament)
5. AKB48 (48-member all-girl theater/idol group with its own theater in Akihabara, Tokyo)

2010

1. Smartphones
2. Twitter
3. Munchable chili oil
4. Digital broadcasting-equipped widescreen flat-panel TVs
5. Ryoma Sakamoto (1836–1867; popular historical figure and visionary who played a key role in bringing about the Meiji Restoration. "The Legend of Ryoma” TV drama series also became a hit this year.)

2009

1. Hybrid vehicles
2. Flu masks
3. Low-priced domestic fashions
4. Vehicles eligible for tax reductions and eco vehicle purchasing subsidies
5. Eco-point energy-saving home appliances

2008

1. Innovative remote-controlled TV games
2. Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)
3. Digital broadcasting-equipped widescreen flat-panel televisions
4. Bargain products (private brand products/outlet malls)
5. Touch pen portable games

2007

1. Touch pen portable games
2. Innovative remote-controlled TV games
3. Billy’s BootCamp™
4. Digital cameras
5. Widescreen flat-panel televisions

2006

1. Brain training products
2. Widescreen flat-panel televisions
3. The Da Vinci Code
4. HDD-equipped DVD recorders
5. High-performance portable game machines

2005

1. Portable digital audio players
2. HDD-equipped DVD recorders
3. Blogs
4. Widescreen flat-panel televisions
5. Agar weed gelatin

[About the Dentsu Group]

Dentsu is the world’s largest advertising agency brand. Led by Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004), a company with a history of 114 years of innovation, the Dentsu Group provides a comprehensive range of client-centric brand, integrated communications, media and digital services through its nine global network brands—Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum—as well as through its specialist/multi-market brands including Amnet, Amplifi, Data2Decisions, Mitchell Communications (PR) and 360i.

The Dentsu Group has a strong presence in 124 countries across five continents, and employs more than 43,000 dedicated professionals. Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd., its global business headquarters in London, oversees Dentsu’s agency operations outside of Japan. The Group is also active in the production and marketing of sports and entertainment content on a global scale.
www.dentsu.com

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