Tokyo Shelf Report — Blog
Field notes on Japanese cosmetics retail, regulation, and market structure. Written for overseas buyers, product developers, and sourcing teams.
Regulation
What is a Japanese quasi-drug? A guide for overseas buyers
A primer on Japan's distinctive quasi-drug (医薬部外品) classification for overseas buyers sourcing skincare and personal care products.
Read the article
Retail
How Tokyo drugstores organize their skincare shelves
From cleansers to sheet masks: the shelf logic of a Tokyo drugstore and what it reveals about consumer shopping patterns.
Read the article
Market intelligence
@cosme vs Amazon Japan: which ranking tells you what
@cosme and Amazon Japan rankings answer different questions about Japanese cosmetics. A guide to interpreting each signal correctly.
Read the article
Regulation
Reading a Japanese cosmetics ingredient list: a translation primer
A practical primer on decoding Japanese ingredient lists — JIS naming conventions, katakana transliterations, and how to map them to international INCI names.
Read the article
Retail
Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Welcia, Tsuruha: Japan's three largest drugstore chains
A side-by-side profile of Matsukiyo, Welcia, and Tsuruha — Japan's top three drugstore chains and their implications for cosmetics sourcing.
Read the article
Retail
Don Quijote's cosmetics section: what makes it different
Don Quijote (ドンキ) runs cosmetics differently than mainstream drugstores. Here's what sets their assortment and pricing apart.
Read the article
Market intelligence
Japanese beauty awards that actually move shelf placement
Not all Japanese beauty awards drive real-world retail outcomes. A ranked guide to the awards that buyers actually care about.
Read the article
Regulation
Why Japanese sunscreen labels differ from US and EU
PA++++, SPF 50+, and the PPD method: a guide to Japanese sunscreen labeling and how it differs from US and EU conventions.
Read the article
Market intelligence
How Japanese cosmetics seasons work: launch calendar by category
Japan's cosmetics industry runs on a predictable seasonal cadence. A month-by-month calendar of when major brands launch by product category.
Read the article
Glossary
A glossary of Japanese cosmetics terms for non-Japanese speakers
A reference glossary of the Japanese cosmetics vocabulary — from category names to claim terms — that overseas buyers encounter on Japanese packaging.
Read the article