Affiliate Marketing in Japan: The Ultimate Guide For Success

Affiliate marketing in Japan (アフィリエイトマーケティング) is a performance-based marketing channel in which businesses pay publishers, bloggers, website owners, and influencers a commission for each sale, lead, or click they generate.

Japan is one of the world's largest affiliate marketing markets, with the market estimated at approximately ¥411.6 billion in FY2023 by Yano Research Institute and forecast to exceed ¥514 billion by 2025.

In Japan, Affiliate Service Providers (ASPs) primarily structure the affiliate marketing channel, acting as intermediaries between advertisers and affiliates. The two largest ASPs are A8.net (active since 2000) and ValueCommerce (active since 1999).

For foreign brands entering Japan, affiliate marketing offers a cost-effective, performance-based route to building brand awareness, reaching Japanese consumers, and driving sales without the upfront cost of traditional advertising.

This guide covers how affiliate marketing works in Japan, how to join or create an affiliate program, and which platforms and programs are worth considering.

What is affiliate marketing in Japan?

Affiliate marketing is when businesses collaborate with individuals, such as influencers, to promote their products or services. This marketing operates based on sales where the affiliate will earn a small amount for every sale, lead, or click to the advertiser’s platform.

This approach allows brands to build trust with Japanese consumers and expand their local marketing.

It is most beneficial to foreign brands to connect with new audiences in Japan.

Advertisers

They are companies, businesses, or brands that have a product or service to sell. If they have the resources, they can create affiliate programs to attract people who can help them reach a larger audience in Japan.

Other times, businesses and brands will collaborate with those with an online presence.

Affiliates

Bloggers, influencers, website owners, or anyone with an online presence can be an affiliate. These people are recruited or join an affiliate program relevant to their content and audience.

Once part of the program, they will have an affiliate link from advertisers to promote the product or service. Their link will take them to a Japanese or English page, depending on your target audience.

Promotions and marketing

Affiliates will promote the advertiser's products or services through their marketing channels, such as:

• Website Content: articles, reviews, or blog posts are published that relate to the products or services with embedded affiliate links.

• Social media: sharing affiliate links and promoting products on social media platforms.

• Email marketing: sending a marketing email to their subscriber's list with affiliate links to your business.

• Content creation: such as making videos, YouTube shorts, or TikTok, or creating tutorials with affiliate links in the video description.

Additionally, coupons and promotional deals are shared with their audiences. 

A note on disclosure requirements in Japan

Since October 2023, Japan requires all affiliate-driven content to disclose the commercial relationship between the affiliate and the advertiser.

Under the revised Act Against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (AUPMR), any post, article, or video created by an affiliate at the request of a brand must clearly indicate that it is an advertisement.

Acceptable disclosures include labels such as "PR," "advertisement" (広告, kokoku), or "sponsored by [Brand Name]." This applies across all marketing channels including website articles, social media platforms, YouTube, and LINE. Affiliates who fail to disclose can expose both themselves and the advertiser to administrative penalties from Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA). Brands building affiliate programs in Japan should include clear disclosure requirements in their affiliate agreements.

👉 Read also: Japan's Advertising Laws: What You Ought to Know

Commission

An affiliate will earn a commission for every successful conversation. These commissions will vary depending on the advertiser’s terms. So they might receive a percentage for every sale or a fixed amount.

How does affiliate marketing work in Japan?

Similar to other countries, here’s how affiliate marketing works in Japan:

Step 1: Create an affiliate program

Businesses with enough resources can create an affiliate program for individuals or entities with an online presence to join. Through a program, affiliates can promote your product or service to their niche or target audience.

Step 2: Affiliate promotion

Affiliate marketers will receive a unique affiliate link or ID, which is tracked to see their promotional efforts through successful clicks or purchases.

The affiliate will promote the advertiser’s product through their online marketing methods.

Step 3: Track your analytics

There are tracking mechanisms with affiliate actions via cookies, unique affiliate IDs, or offer codes.

So when users click on an affiliate’s link or input their offer code, that purchase is tracked and recorded.

Step 4: Commissions and payments

For every tracked action, the affiliate will earn a commission, which will vary based on the affiliate program.

Usually, the commission earnings will be a percentage of the sale or a fixed fee regularly.

Step 5: Ongoing partnership

Any successful affiliate partnerships will lead to ongoing collaboration. Advertisers and affiliates will achieve mutual goals in the long term.

Benefits of joining Japanese affiliate programs

Foreign brands will see the most benefits when joining a Japanese affiliate program. It will help them grow their presence in the Japanese market with more benefits in the long run.

1. Build trust more easily

Building trust is one of the major hurdles to overcome when marketing to Japanese consumers.

There is an expectation that your product and service will be at the highest standard. Thus, many Japanese consumers are highly risk-advised and will buy from retailers they know.

So, working with affiliates will help increase your brand awareness. The affiliates, who have worked hard to build their brand and trust with their audience, can promote your product. If the influence trusts your brands, then their audience can too.

2. Expand your presence

Many foreign brands will struggle to enter the Japanese market due to various reasons, such as the language barrier.

Affiliate marketing helps expand your brand presence more than without one.

Without necessarily hiring new employees, you will have individuals or affiliates who will promote your business’s products or services. Through their endorsement, your brand will be in the Japanese market.

Also, it is recommended to have an address in Japan to show you can be locally found.

3. Target your audience

Many affiliates built up their own branding with a dedicated audience. If your brand matches with theirs in terms of industry or sector, there is a greater chance of picking up potential customers with high lifetime value.

By working with affiliates in Japan, you can start long-term relationships with new audiences as part of your customer base.

Affiliate marketing platforms in Japan: ASPs and international programs

Affiliate marketing in Japan operates primarily through Affiliate Service Providers (ASPs, アフィリエイトサービスプロバイダー).

ASPs act as intermediaries between advertisers and affiliates, handling tracking, commission settlements, and compliance. For any foreign brand entering Japan and looking to build an affiliate program from within the Japanese market, partnering with at least one major Japanese ASP is the recommended starting point.

The two largest Japanese ASPs are A8.net, operated by FAN Communications and active since 2000 (rated No.1 for affiliate platform satisfaction for 15 consecutive years by the Affiliate Marketing Association in Japan), and ValueCommerce, which launched Japan's first ASP affiliate service in 1999 and had 8,707 advertisers and over 1,079,312 registered affiliates as of April 2026.

Rakuten Affiliate is another widely used platform with strong integration across Japan's e-commerce ecosystem.

For bloggers, website owners, and international affiliates who want to promote Japanese products and brands to audiences outside Japan, the following three English-friendly affiliate programs are strong starting points.

1. Kokoro Japan

Their affiliate program is for individuals interested in promoting high-quality Japanese-related things, such as beauty, health, and food & drinks. They aim to recreate the same shopping experience that you would have in Japan.

One of the biggest highlights is their global reach and strong emphasis on customer satisfaction.

If you become an affiliate, you will have:

• 20% Sales Commission

• 60 Days Referral Window

• Up-to-date items:

• Monthly Payouts

• Dedicated Support: they will provide you with a dedicated affiliate team and manager to assist affiliates in their marketing endeavors.

2. NatureLab Tokyo

NatureLab Tokyo specializes in high-quality haircare products ranging from hair treatments to scrubs, shampoos, and conditioners for various hair types.

Being part of their affiliate program will include:

• 20% Sales Commission

• 30 Days Referral Time

• Marketing Materials

• Dedicated Support Team

• Performance Dashboard

3. Japan Candy Box

Japan Candy Box is a subscription-based service that delivers unique and delicious Japanese candies and sweets to customers worldwide. Their products range from KitKat, Meiji, Calbee, Collon, and more.

Their affiliate program has many benefits, such as:

• $5 Sales Commission

• Promotional materials

• Tracking dashboard

• Monthly payouts

• Dedicated support team

Frequently asked questions

What is affiliate marketing in Japan and how does it work?

Affiliate marketing in Japan (アフィリエイトマーケティング) is a performance-based marketing model in which businesses pay affiliates such as bloggers, website owners, and influencers a commission for each sale, lead, or click they generate through a unique affiliate link or code. Japan's affiliate marketing market was estimated at approximately ¥411.6 billion in FY2023 by Yano Research Institute. The channel is structured primarily around Affiliate Service Providers (ASPs), which act as intermediaries managing tracking, commission payments, and compliance between advertisers and affiliates. Brands sign up with an ASP, create an affiliate program, and publishers apply to promote their products through that program.

What are the main affiliate marketing platforms in Japan?

The dominant platforms for affiliate marketing in Japan are ASPs (Affiliate Service Providers, アフィリエイトサービスプロバイダー). A8.net, operated by FAN Communications and active since 2000, is Japan's largest ASP by number of advertisers and has been rated No.1 for affiliate platform satisfaction by the Affiliate Marketing Association in Japan for 15 consecutive years. ValueCommerce, which launched Japan's first ASP affiliate service in 1999, had 8,707 advertisers and over 1,079,312 registered affiliates as of April 2026. Rakuten Affiliate is a third major platform with strong integration across Japan's e-commerce ecosystem. For foreign brands and publishers targeting international audiences with Japanese products, programs such as Kokoro Japan (20% commission, 60-day referral window) and NatureLab Tokyo (20% commission) are accessible English-language options.

Can foreign brands run affiliate programs in Japan?

Yes. Foreign brands can run affiliate marketing programs in Japan either by partnering with a Japanese ASP such as A8.net or ValueCommerce, or by creating their own affiliate program and recruiting Japanese publishers directly. Partnering with an ASP is recommended for brands new to Japan, as ASPs handle tracking infrastructure, commission settlements, publisher relationships, and compliance with Japanese advertising regulations. Having a Japanese business address is also advisable to demonstrate local presence and build trust with Japanese consumers and potential affiliate partners.

Do affiliates in Japan need to disclose sponsored content?

Yes, and this is a legal requirement since October 2023. Under Japan's stealth marketing regulations introduced via Cabinet Office Notice No. 19 under the AUPMR, affiliates must clearly disclose any commercial relationship with the brands they promote. Acceptable disclosures include labels such as "PR," "advertisement" (広告, kokoku), or "sponsored by [Brand Name]." This applies to website articles, blog posts, social media posts, YouTube videos, and any other marketing channel. Brands building affiliate programs in Japan should make disclosure requirements a contractual condition for all affiliate partners, as both the affiliate and the advertiser can face Consumer Affairs Agency penalties for non-compliance.

What commission rates are typical for affiliate programs in Japan?

Commission rates for affiliate programs in Japan vary depending on the product category and whether the program runs through an ASP or directly. Physical product programs such as Kokoro Japan and NatureLab Tokyo offer 20% per sale. Japan Candy Box offers a fixed $5 per subscription sale. Software, financial services, and digital products typically offer higher percentage commissions than physical goods. ASP platforms like A8.net host thousands of programs across industries including beauty, health, kitchen appliances, financial services, and e-commerce, with commission structures ranging from fixed fees to percentage-based models. Reviewing multiple programs within your industry on a Japanese ASP is the most effective way to benchmark commission rates for your sector.

Why is affiliate marketing effective for reaching Japanese consumers?

Affiliate marketing is particularly effective in Japan because Japanese consumers place high value on trusted recommendations from sources they already follow, and are generally skeptical of direct advertising from unfamiliar brands. An affiliate with an established audience in Japan effectively transfers their credibility to the brand they promote, giving foreign companies a route to build brand awareness with Japanese customers that would otherwise take years to develop independently. Japan's high internet penetration, strong e-commerce culture, and the popularity of content channels such as blogs, YouTube, and Instagram make it a well-developed environment for affiliate marketing. The performance-based commission model also means businesses only pay for results, making it a cost-effective customer acquisition channel relative to traditional advertising.

What industries perform best for affiliate marketing in Japan?

Affiliate marketing in Japan performs strongly across beauty and skincare, health and wellness, food and beverages, financial services (particularly investment and foreign exchange), travel, and e-commerce. Digital wellness, telemedicine, sustainable consumer products, and AI-based tech solutions are forecast to drive the highest growth in affiliate marketing in Japan post-2025, according to industry analysts. Kitchen appliances and home goods have also seen strong affiliate traffic growth. The beauty sector in particular is well-established across ASP platforms, with many brands running high-converting affiliate programs targeting Japanese consumers through lifestyle bloggers and Instagram creators.

In closing

Affiliate marketing in Japan is a great way to reach your potential Japanese audience. It is cost-effective and scalable where both the business brand and the affiliate mutually benefit from this collaboration.