Resources · Study · Leather goods
Leather Goods in Japan
A $12.4bn market, up 16.3% in FY2024, and how Polène, Il Bisonte, Jérôme Dreyfuss and Hereu got in.
For direct-to-consumer leather goods brands considering Japan: market size, who buys, how foreign brands got in, and what to check before you commit budget.
Sector report · 2027 edition · 34 pages · English · PDF
From the report
- $12.4bnJapan's bag and leather goods market, FY2024 retail salesYano Research, March 2026
- +16.3%Year-on-year growth, FY2024Yano Research, March 2026
- 41%of Japan's bag imports by value come from Italy and FranceUN Comtrade, HS 4202, 2023
- 23.4%Online share of apparel and fashion accessory salesMETI, 2024 data
What's inside
- 01The marketMarket size, channels, cities and customers.
- The market in numbers
- 2026: the high end holds up
- Five ways to sell
- Three markets in one
- Tokyo, Asia's shop window
- Who's buying
- Retail hotspots
- 02The landscapeCompetitors, price points, and how foreign brands got in.
- What Japanese shoppers carry
- Who you're up against
- The price ladder
- Polène, Il Bisonte, Jérôme Dreyfuss, Hereu
- SWOT for an independent foreign brand
- 03Going directKeep control of pricing, brand image and customer data in Japan too.
- DTC or distributor?
- Marketing and sales channels
- Localize your offer
- Working with creators
- Shipping, customs, IP and labeling
- Retail calendar
- Your first year, step by step
- First-year budget
- What not to do
Written by
“It should help you decide whether Japan is right for your brand, and how to go about it.”
Geoffrey Guyonnet
Founder, Eighty One