According to multiple China domestic and international media reports, a recent market survey has revealed that Chinese TV brands now account for half of Japan’s market share, sparking global attention and heated discussions.
The first to report this was Nikkei Asia, which, on January 25, cited data from Japan’s BCN Research Institute, stating that over half of the flat-screen TVs sold in Japan in 2024 were from Chinese brands. This marks the first time since 2004 that Chinese TV brands have surpassed the 50% market share threshold in Japan.
As is well known, a 50% market share is a critical benchmark, and exceeding this level clearly demonstrates just how popular Chinese TV brands have become in Japan. The survey highlighted that Hisense Group led Japan’s market with a 41.1% share in 2024. Among this, its sub-brand REGZA, acquired from Toshiba, accounted for 25.4%, while its own brand held 15.7%. Following closely was TCL Technology Group with a 9.7% share, outperforming Japan’s well-known domestic brands Sony and Panasonic.
The report analyzed that a significant reason for the surge in Japanese households’ demand for smart TVs was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which restricted people’s activities. Chinese TV manufacturers such as Hisense and TCL, which have been cultivating the Japanese market for years and are known for their high – cost – performance products, seized this market opportunity. From 2020 to 2024, the market share of Chinese companies in Japan increased by about 20 percentage points.
A Japanese salesperson at a TV store in Chiyoda – ku, Tokyo, was quoted as saying that the preference of Japanese consumers for domestic brands when purchasing TVs is a thing of the past. Fewer and fewer people insist on buying only Japanese – made products. It is worth noting that Chinese TV brands have won the favor of many young Japanese consumers. Japanese youth are more familiar with Chinese brands and usually research product performance and pricing online in advance. When they visit stores, they often directly specify their intention to purchase Chinese – branded products.
The Financial Times Chinese Edition also covered this event on February 2 with the headline “Chinese TV Brands Steal the Show in Japan’s Market,” commenting that underestimating the ingenuity of Chinese competitors is unwise.
The fact that Chinese TV brands now have a market share of over 50% in Japan has become a focal point in international financial reporting.
A remarkable reversal of fortunes
Japan is well – known as a powerhouse in consumer electronics and manufacturing. Brands such as Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, and Sharp have long enjoyed global reputations for their TV products, and to this day, these Japanese TV brands continue to sell well worldwide and are still regarded as symbols of high – end quality.
In the 1980s, with the wave of China’s reform and opening – up, China’s economy experienced rapid growth, and black – and – white TVs became a common household item. Japanese TV brands such as Panasonic, Hitachi, Toshiba, Sharp, Sony, and Sanyo entered the Chinese market, benefiting from China’s economic boom.
Public records show that starting in 1983, China imported a large number of household appliances from Japan. In 1984, the country imported 1.466 million TVs, including 1.188 million color TVs. The following year, in 1985, the import volume of TVs surged to 5.085 million units.
The Panasonic black – and – white TV, in particular, was a familiar companion for many people born in the 1980s and 1990s. As China entered the color TV era, Japanese TV brands continued to dominate the Chinese market for many years. For a long period, Japanese companies such as Panasonic, Sharp, and Sanyo virtually monopolized the Chinese color TV market, leaving domestic Chinese TV brands to look on enviously.
However, as Chinese TV brands like Hisense and TCL grew stronger, they began to make a full – scale push into international markets, including Japan. The Japanese market for home appliances and electronics has always been one of the most challenging in the world, given the strength of Japanese TV brands.
In recent years, Chinese home appliance brands have become increasingly popular in Japan. They have continuously improved in product research and development, design, technology, and service, especially in the area of intelligence, where their advantages have become more pronounced and mature.
According to Euromonitor data, Hisense’s market share in Japan’s TV market was only 2.4% in 2017. By 2021, it had risen to 12.9%, ranking fifth. By 2024, Hisense Group had achieved a remarkable 41.1% market share, standing out as the leader.
Chinese TV brands have adopted a two – pronged approach to expanding into international markets. One is to develop their own brands, and the other is through acquisitions. Over the past two decades, Chinese TV brands have taken over or acquired numerous factories or sub – brands of international TV companies. As early as 2004, TCL acquired the color – TV business of France’s Thomson. Before 2015, Panasonic sold its Sanyo TV factory in Mexico to TCL and its white – goods business and assets in Japan and Southeast Asia, including the Sanyo and AQUA brands, to Haier. In August 2016, Foxconn acquired Sharp. In 2017, Hisense acquired a 95% stake in Toshiba Visual Solutions Corporation (TVS).
The recent success of Chinese TV brands in Japan once again demonstrates their appeal in international markets.
In stark contrast, TV sales in China have been declining. People are accustomed to watching short – video clips, news, and live – streaming. Even the elderly are turning away from traditional TV – watching. According to the latest data from Lotu Technology’s “China TV Market Brand Shipment Monthly Tracking,” in 2024, the total shipment volume of TV brands in China was 35.96 million units, a 1.6% decrease from 2023 and the lowest level in over a decade since 2010.
However, there is a silver lining. In 2024, the retail value of China’s TV market reached 120.2 billion yuan, a 12.3% increase from the previous year. This growth was partly driven by sales policies such as “trade – in” programs.
Nowadays, Chinese TV brands are selling well in international markets, especially in Japan, where they have achieved a market share of over 50%. This is a reversal of the situation in the past when Japanese TV brands dominated the Chinese market. It is a classic example of how fortunes can change.
Chinese TV Brands’ Japan Success: Key Lessons for Other Chinese Brands to Go Global
In the view of FirmKnow, the popularity of Chinese TV brands in Japan indeed provides several important lessons, especially for Chinese brands seeking to go global.
Over the years, the Chinese consumer market has emphasized youth – orientation. If young people like something, products that meet their needs are provided. This principle also applies to international markets.
For example, in Japan’s home – appliance industry, brands such as Panasonic and Sony are well – established but still appear somewhat outdated in terms of brand youthfulness. A survey conducted by Panasonic in 2021 revealed that only 53% of people in their twenties were aware of the Panasonic brand, a significant drop of 29% compared to 2016. The majority of users for Panasonic, Toshiba, and Sony are over 40 years old.
In contrast, Chinese TV brands are aggressively targeting young Japanese consumers with effective youth – oriented strategies. For instance, over half (53.6%) of TCL’s users in Japan are aged 30 or younger. Similarly, 45.8% of Hisense’s customers in Japan are under 30.
This demonstrates that consumer markets around the world are constantly evolving, and capturing the attention of younger consumers is a crucial breakthrough. A youth – oriented strategy is a universal approach that works everywhere.
No matter which country’s market is being considered, different brands on the same track cater to different consumer groups. The key is that consumer markets are diverse, and many consumers are attracted to products that offer good value for money. In a sense, consumers have an inherent preference for cost – effective products.
A key reason for the popularity of Chinese TV brands in Japan is their ability to leverage their global supply chains to reduce costs and offer products that are both high – performing and affordable. For example, a 55 – inch TV from a Chinese brand can be priced below 100,000 yen (approximately USD 730), which is significantly lower than the 200,000 yen (approximately USD 1,460) price tag of similar – sized TVs from Japanese brands such as Sony and Panasonic.
Chinese TV brands were once labeled as being cheap and of low quality. However, they have now achieved excellence in product quality, pricing, and overall cost – performance ratio. Naturally, this has won the recognition and favor of Japanese consumers, especially young Japanese consumers.
At the same time, Chinese TV brands are also striving to move upmarket, innovating and expanding into larger – sized and more high – end product series. They are making significant progress in capturing market share from Japan’s domestic high – end TV brands and even from Samsung.
Chinese TV brands have done a lot in terms of internationalization. They have focused on brand internationalization and product localization, conducting extensive local marketing activities and sponsoring sports events to increase their visibility.
There was even a case where a foreign blogger conducted a street interview and found that some locals mistakenly believed a well – known Chinese global TV brand was actually their own national brand. To a certain extent, this reflects the successful internationalization of the brand.
Another crucial point is that developing international markets requires patience. It is a long – distance race and a protracted battle.
Entering and developing international markets is a necessary path to becoming a global brand. In the past, it was companies from developed countries such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea that entered the Chinese market. Now, it is the turn of Chinese brands to go global and rise to prominence. This is also a process of internationalization.
Developing international markets requires not only efficiency and speed but also patience and perseverance. The fact that Chinese TV brands have been expanding into international markets for over 20 years and have achieved their current success is a testament to this.
The success of Chinese TV brands in international markets, especially their conquest of the Japanese market, is truly commendable and serves as an excellent case study for other Chinese brands looking to go global. Chinese new – energy vehicle manufacturers, in particular, could benefit from studying the stories of Chinese TV brands’ international expansion.
