Huge Yen For Gay Market In Japan

TOPICS: Japanese gay market. Japan. Gay market in Asia. Gay marketing. Lesbian and gay market research. Japan gay market valuation. Asian gay marketing developments. Lesbian and gay media. Gay PR. Japan Times. New lesbian and gay market research reveals size of lesbian and gay market. The Japan Times values Japanese gay market incomes at 6.6 trillion yen.

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Out Now now operates gay advertising, gay market research, gay PR and training services in most areas of the world. One last and very great frontier is the many diverse areas known collectively as Asia.

In Japan, new research has attempted, for the first time, to place a value on the scale of the Japanese gay market.

Reporting in The Japan Times yesterday asserts that new market research values the gay market in Japan as being worth 6.6 trillion yen, or around EUR€41 billion (USD$55 billion) in earned incomes each year.

That is an initial estimate and further research will be needed to better understand the market opportunities that may exist in the Japanese market, but it is a good first step to starting to try and get a handle on the size of the gay yen market.

Perhaps what is more important though is the need that still remains to better understand what issues that may be particular to Japan, and the Japanese gay consumer market, apply in Japan.

It is only by better understanding gay market consumer issues that the development of the most effective gay market strategies becomes possible.

It is a clear case of a great start, and more gay market research needed.

Here is an extract of The Japan Times report on the value of the gay market in Japan:

BIG SPENDERS ON FASHION, TRAVEL - At 6.6 trillion yen, gay, lesbian market no small niche

Japan has an estimated 2.74 million people who are either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and in terms of targeting a niche market, they have a combined purchasing power of 6.64 trillion yen -- the equivalent of the nation's liquor consumption.

Akihiro, a 22-year-old gay man who asked that his full name not be published, said he spent 80,000 yen (EUR€500) on clothing, shoes and accessories in March alone.

"I love 'And A' brand. It touches my heart," he said of a clothing line popular with gays.

Like many other gay and lesbian consumers, Akihiro is a loyal customer to gay-friendly companies -- and he spends without hesitation.

Yukiko, a 31-year-old lesbian who also asked that her last name not be used, said she travels overseas with her partner two or three times a year, where she does not have to worry about being stared at. She spends a lot on traveling and polishing her skills in various fields.

"My generation is not afraid of staying single, so we don't hesitate to invest money on skill development," she said.
In the case of a 32-year-old gay who goes to a gym three times a week, design, rather than function, is a priority when it comes to shopping.

"I love the iPod. It feels good when you touch it," he said. "Softbank's mobile phones that come in 20 different colors are cool, too."

Many in this segment are heavy Internet users, as it allows some degree of anonymity and provides a forum for exchanging ideas and information.

Foreign companies here already recognize the potential for this segment, as firms participate in various gay and AIDS-prevention events.

Tower Records ran an ad in the brochures of the annual Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, while Denmark-based furniture store BoConcept has run ads in yes, a magazine featuring nonstraight lifestyles published by a subsidiary of Tower Records.

"Gay-themed magazines are very limited here, so readers tend to read every page, unlike regular magazines that readers often leaf though," said Yukiko Konno, marketing coordinator of BoConcept Japan.

Employees of Body Shop outlets have participated in gay rights parades at different locations in Japan to offer giveaway goods.

Levi Strauss gives out condoms with the firm's logo printed on the package at events related to AIDS prevention, and is looking at the gay and lesbian segment as a marketing target.

"The question is how these activities can translate into money. We need to study the possibility of appealing to gay and lesbian customers," said Atsushi Murohashi, human resources manager at Levi Strauss in Japan.

Lehman Brothers Japan Inc. meanwhile sees the lesbian and gay segment as a pool of resources instead of a marketing target, and holds job seminars specifically targeting nonstraight college students.
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