Japanese good looks (J-good looks) are still expanding their success to the United States. The breakthrough has been a long time coming, according to Seiso JBeauty author Tracy O’Connor, a good-looking rep and logo strategist originally from Southern California. O’Connor has spent years reading the good fortune of pioneers like Shiseido (with Tatcha and SK-II to follow) building themselves in North American markets. Her own recent contributions to the area (which we’ll get into), combined with others, match the steady expansion that J-good looks is expected to see in the coming years. According to a Statista report, profits generated through the Japanese beauty and private care market are expected to reach more than $47 billion through the end of 2024. Skin care in Japan alone accounts for a market volume of more than $22 billion in 2024. Compound Annual Expansion A 2. 41% average annual expansion rate (CAGR) is expected through 2028. According to another industry report, the shift toward e-commerce has created opportunities for J logos -good looks succeed with a wider audience and expand. your online presence.
Among the participants in J-good looks’ e-commerce expansion is O’Connor, who joined Shikō Beauty Collective as the logo director in March 2023. Featuring thirteen state-of-the-art logos originating from Japan, Shikō is an organized, good-looking virtual hub. founded in New York City. O’Connor, who suffered from chronic cystic acne until he was in his thirties, discovered the life-changing Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam. This led her on an adventure of almost a decade through the discovery of the Japanese good. aspect.
In just the last few months, J-good looks has seen even greater progression in the US market (mainly Los Angeles). Shikō developed an exclusive physical partnership in April 2024 with STRIIIK, a hair and good looks studio based in Beverly Hills. This preceded the June 2024 launch of Maison KOSÉ, the first standalone store in the United States showcasing KOSÉ Corporation’s portfolio of leading Japanese cosmetics brands. KOSÉ has partnered globally with beloved Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and slugger Shohei Ohtani to raise awareness about progression. KOSÉ House is in the Santa Anita boutiques in the Arcadia segment of Los Angeles.
The opening of Maison KOSÉ largely coincides with the expansion of DECORTÉ, the luxury leader in the KOSÉ portfolio. Riding on the good fortune of its best-selling Advanced Liposome Repair Serum, DECORTÉ debuted it at Nordstrom online in March. The logo is also offered at Saks, Bloomingdale’s, and in a curated assortment at Moda Operandi. Meanwhile, SEKKISEI, a more available prestige logo, just launched in the United States on Amazon in addition to its DTC site.
“The United States is an incredibly competitive but exciting market,” says O’Connor. “Breaking through the festival noise requires a complex and nuanced marketing, logo and communications strategy that is customized and tailored to the US market. To be successful, a logo will need to check many boxes. The way corporations do things in Japan doesn’t necessarily work here. Without experience in the US market, financial resources, and the ability to be temporarily informed and agile, it is very difficult for foreign brands to compete. With bases and resources generally overseas, most Japanese companies simply don’t have the support, stamina, or experience to identify a logo and build momentum here in the United States. »
Other barriers to access “include the depreciation of the Japanese yen (currency), demanding operating situations and the school gap,” O’Connor continues. “The products are manufactured and shipped from Japan. Therefore, there is an increase in prices related to the loading of goods. And for American consumers and retailers, there is a school gap and a significant need for education because technologies, ingredients, and even product categories would arguably be other and unknown.
KOSÉ has had its eyes on the Los Angeles market for some time now.
“It’s very attractive from a retail perspective, and it’s one of the largest and most culturally diverse regions in the United States,” says Takayuki Morimatsu, president and CEO of KOSÉ America, Inc. “It’s also home to our global ambassador, which offers a lot of benefits in terms of leveraging the partnership well. As for Arcadia, there is a developing segment of Asian consumers who are very passionate about good looks and Japanese skincare rituals, as well as good looking aficionados from every demographic we need to reach. Many members of this network are also familiar with one or more of our brands. Santa Anita retail outlets have significant foot traffic, as well as an attractive visitor base incorporated with Sephora and Nordstrom.
Global ambassador Shohei Ohtani appears on a promotional symbol for Japanese store Maison KOSÉ at The Shops at Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia, California.
As for the United States as a whole, O’Connor says it’s the best time, thanks to the “good luck of K-beauty, as well as the good luck shown by Japanese-inspired American brands, as well as increased awareness and demand for Asian beauty and wellness products.
He adds: “In the United States, there have long been positive associations with Japanese products that are related to quality, safety, luxury, and well-being. The Japanese are consistently ranked as the healthiest in the world, with the highest life expectancy rates in the world. These partnerships give Japan inherent credibility in self-care and wellness spaces. In addition, American consumers and stores are looking for transparency and authenticity. For all these reasons, Japanese brands are well positioned to bring their expertise, cultural heritage and unique price propositions to the American and Western markets.
For STRIIIK co-founder Kristie Streicher, who has a long-standing relationship with O’Connor, the new store partnership and timing made a lot of sense.
“Tracy took us to the brands in Shikō’s highly curated portfolio, and they really inspired us with their power and innovation,” says Streicher. “We felt that the alignment was very productive for our customers. We had the opportunity to be the first to exclusively offer those amazing Japanese brands in the United States, which is why the timing made so much sense to us. We try to bring the newest and most effective products to our community, and we were excited to offer the ultimate Japanese beauty production produced exclusively in the United States.
Multi-step skincare routines reigned supreme ideally in the midst of the pandemic, when consumers were stuck at home. In fact, many consumers discovered skincare for the first time. While South Korean culture has been popular in the United States for decades, K-beauty stood out at the beginning of the pandemic. Brands like Hanskin, Tony Moly, and Banila Co. have attracted new enthusiasts with fun packaging, multi-step sensory routines, and modern formulas. Like Korean pop culture, O’Connor has described K-beauty as a laugh.
Additionally, “K beauty has a tendency to lean toward a more dramatic and colorful skin finish,” according to an article published on the Shikō Collective blog. “For example, a glass skin finish can be achieved with primers, BB/CC creams, foundations, etc. , for a dramatic, edgy result. »
J-beauty, on the other hand, “relies on the fitness and texture of the skin to give it a more herbaceous look that can be achieved primarily with skincare products,” the article continues.
“Japanese good looks concentrate on meticulous and thoughtful skincare rituals that are rooted in culture and science,” says Kyoko Getz, Shikō’s in-house esthetician and director of education. “Most Japanese products for good looks include classic ingredients and the latest technology. artistic techniques. She focuses on achieving healthy, glowing skin at any age and is committed to a holistic technique for wellness. While Western philosophies can rarely concentrate on a single ingredient, Japanese good looks seek balance and tend to focus on ingredients and product. formulations that help and honor the skin’s herbal rhythms, nourish and nourish it.
The most important point is that one is not better than the other: they are just other formulas and marketing that attract other consumers.
After “testing the water” with the initial release of Shikō, the collective went on to form a team that could bridge the gap between Japan and the United States and keep up with the ever-changing landscape of good looks in the United States. Those efforts included hiring a public relations team in fall 2023, launching a media awareness campaign and familiarizing celebrity makeup artists with the movement. For AAPI Month in May, the team introduced a “Together We Glow” campaign.
“It was vital that we focus on illuminating the diversity of United States’ heritage and how it is reflected in the diversity of the Shikō team as well,” says Midori McGivern, Shikō’s chief marketing officer. Midori explained that the collective engaged their homepage and social media channels to showcase each team member’s AAPI heritage, while also highlighting each of their favorite AAPI products.
On the part of KOSÉ, its flagship brands – DECORTÉ, SEKKISEI and ADDICTION TOKYO – “are already on the market and are developing considerably,” explains Morimatsu. “We also decided on new-to-market brands that have potential due to their popularity in Japan and across Asia, and that align with the trends we’re seeing in the market. Maison KOSÉ is an ideal launchpad for brands in an environment that allows us to check and learn, as well as gain greater insight into American clientele in their relationship with Japanese beauty.
KOSÉ is ready to magnify Japanese technique to achieve good looks and well-being on a global scale, as Shiseido has done.
“We leverage our world-class studies and progression to continually achieve breakthroughs that overcome skin science barriers, exceed expectations, and improve the customer experience around the world,” Shiseido said in an article for this article. “Never lose sight of core values such as omotenashi, the Japanese practice of selfless service, which bestows compassion and empathy and shows the utmost respect. Our heritage is our essence and continues to be at the heart of everything we do.
Since its launch in 1872, the logo has 2,500 patents, 28,000 clinical trials and 31 awards at congresses and conferences of the International Federation of Cosmetic Societies of Chemical Societies (IFSCC).
“Shiseido has a rich history of combining the most productive of East and West to reshape the future,” he continued. “We’ve built a legacy of global firsts. “
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect other people through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange ideas and facts in one space.
To do so, please comply with the posting regulations in our site’s terms of use. We summarize some of those key regulations below. In short, civilians.
Your message will be rejected if we realize that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be locked if we become aware that users are engaging in:
So how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our Community Guidelines. Please read the full list of posting regulations discovered in our site’s Terms of Use.