Korean Cosmetics Overtake France as Japan's Largest Cosmetic Imports

The growing popularity of Korean cosmetics has been attributed to several factors, including the Hallyu or Korean wave, reasonable pricing, and the flexibility of South Korean companies in accommodating small-scale orders.

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According to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun, South Korean cosmetics emerged as the leading choice in the Japanese import market in 2022, surpassing French brands for the first time. The Cosmetics Importers Association of Japan (CIAJ) disclosed that Japan imported South Korean cosmetics, including perfumes and shampoos, worth ¥77.5 billion ($544 million) in 2022, surpassing the imports from France, which amounted to ¥76.4 billion.

French beauty products, driven by prestigious labels like Chanel and Lancôme, had dominated Japan's import market for nearly thirty years. However, this trend has now been reversed due to the rapid growth of South Korean imports, which have increased six-fold in the past decade. While South Korean cosmetics were previously considered inferior in Japan, the popularity of BB cream around 2007 helped improve the reputation of South Korean beauty brands.

The South Korean beauty trend has been further fueled by a surge in demand from young K-pop fans seeking the same cosmetics used by their favorite idols. A representative from the CIAJ remarked that this boom in South Korean cosmetics is not a temporary phenomenon.

The growing popularity of Korean cosmetics has been attributed to several factors, including the Hallyu or Korean wave, reasonable pricing, and the flexibility of South Korean companies in accommodating small-scale orders. This can be seen in the sales performance of South Korean cosmetics, with Loft, a major Japanese general merchandise chain store, experiencing a 1.6-fold increase in sales between March and June this year compared to the same period last year. Additionally, cosmetics developed in collaboration with the Korean beauty brand rom&nd sold out within three days of their launch at Japanese convenience store chain Lawson in late March, as reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun.