Amazon Japan
Japan's leading online retailer for fast, reliable shopping and Prime services.
Amazon Japan at a glance
Amazon Japan is an e-commerce website and one of the most visited sites in Japan, currently ranked #3 in the country. It was founded in 2000 (Amazon Japan launch) by Jeff Bezos (global Amazon); Japan operation launched under Amazon.com and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan (Japan operations); Seattle, Washington (global HQ). Today Amazon Japan is owned by Amazon.com, Inc.. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 480 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through direct retail sales, third-party marketplace seller fees and commissions, amazon prime japan subscriptions. Its closest rivals include Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, Mercari, au PAY Market.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 470 million / month | +1% |
| Q2 | ≈ 480 million / month | +2% |
| Q3 | ≈ 495 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 480 million / month | -1% |
Traffic sources
- Direct55%
App and repeat-customer traffic
- Organic search25%
- Paid10%
- Referral6%
- Social4%
Audience & demographics
- Men50%
- Women50%
- Age 18-2411%
- Age 25-3425%
- Age 35-5441%
- Age 55+23%
Amazon Japan's user base is broad and balanced across genders, with strongest engagement among working-age adults who value fast shipping and Prime Video.
Geographic reach
- Japan97%
- Other3%
SEO profile
- Organic keywords
- ≈ 5 million
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 120 million monthly visits
- Strongest clusters
- Product listings, brand searches, Prime-related queries
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| amazon | 1 | Very high | — |
| amazon プライム | 1 | High | — |
| amazon 配送 | 1 | High | — |
| amazon ログイン | 1 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- ≈ 2.2 million
- Link profile
- Strong links from review blogs, affiliate sites and news coverage
Top referral sources
- Google Japan48%
- Direct app traffic32%
- Affiliate sites12%
- Other8%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Amazon Japan runs on the same global AWS-powered infrastructure as other Amazon marketplaces, adapted with localized logistics and payment integrations such as convenience-store payment.
Mobile app statistics
- Daily active app users
- ≈ 18 million
- Prime Video app usage
- Millions of monthly streaming sessions
Company information
- Website
- amazon.co.jp
- Sector
- E-commerce
- Owner
- Amazon.com, Inc.
- Owner type
- Public company subsidiary
- Founders
- Jeff Bezos (global Amazon); Japan operation launched under Amazon.com
- Founded
- 2000 (Amazon Japan launch)
- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan (Japan operations); Seattle, Washington (global HQ)
- Employees
- ≈ 15,000 in Japan (estimated, warehouse and corporate)
- Ownership
- Wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)
- Valuation
- Amazon.com global market cap approximately USD 2.0 trillion
- Revenue
- ≈ USD 20 billion annually attributed to the Japan marketplace (estimated)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Top traffic sources
- Direct, organic search, Prime app notifications
Ownership, investors & funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Market entry | N/A | Amazon.com, Inc. |
Financials
- Revenue trend
- Steady growth in Japan retail and marketplace commissions
- Profitability
- Profitable at the Amazon.com group level; Japan margins not separately disclosed
- Cost base
- Fulfilment centres, last-mile delivery, content licensing for Prime Video
Business model & revenue
Amazon Japan combines first-party retail with a large third-party marketplace, supported by a nationwide fulfilment network and Prime membership benefits including fast shipping and video streaming.
- Direct retail sales
- Third-party marketplace seller fees and commissions
- Amazon Prime Japan subscriptions
- Amazon Advertising
- Amazon Web Services (global, minor Japan-specific revenue)
Products & services
First-party retail across nearly every product category.
Third-party seller platform with Fulfillment by Amazon logistics.
Subscription bundling fast shipping, Prime Video and Prime Music.
Grocery delivery service in select Japanese cities.
E-book store and Kindle device sales.
Related deals on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Global Site Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Seller ecosystem
- Active third-party sellers
- Tens of thousands in Japan
- Fulfillment by Amazon usage
- Widely adopted among Japanese sellers
International presence
- Parent company reach
- Amazon.com operates in 20+ countries
- Cross-border selling
- Japanese sellers can list on Amazon US, Amazon Global Selling
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
API & developer information
- Amazon Selling Partner API
- Enables sellers to manage listings, orders and inventory
Website rankings
- Japan e-commerce rank
- #2
- Japan overall rank
- #3
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten | Similar scale | — | Amazon leads on delivery speed; Rakuten leads on loyalty points |
| Mercari | Smaller | — | Mercari focuses on peer-to-peer resale rather than retail |
Overview
Amazon Japan is the local arm of Amazon.com and one of Japan's most visited e-commerce destinations, known for fast delivery, broad selection and its Prime membership bundle. It launched in 2000 as one of Amazon's earliest international markets.
Traffic Statistics
Amazon.co.jp draws around 480 million monthly visits and roughly 58 million monthly unique visitors, with shoppers viewing about 8 pages per session while browsing product listings.
Traffic Sources
More than half of visits are direct, driven by the mobile app and repeat customers, with organic search and paid search also contributing significant volume.
Audience & Demographics
The audience is evenly split between men and women, with the heaviest usage among working-age adults aged 25 to 54 who value fast shipping and Prime Video.
Geographic Reach
Nearly all traffic to Amazon.co.jp originates within Japan, reflecting its focus as a domestic marketplace under the global Amazon.com umbrella.
SEO Profile
Amazon Japan ranks for roughly 5 million organic keywords, dominated by product listings, brand searches and Prime-related queries.
Technology Stack
The platform runs on AWS infrastructure with Java and React components, powered by Amazon's global recommendation engine and robotics-driven fulfilment systems.
Social Media Statistics
Amazon Japan maintains active accounts on X, YouTube and Instagram, with a combined reach in the low millions of followers.
Mobile App Statistics
The Amazon Shopping app has surpassed 50 million downloads in Japan and reaches an estimated 18 million daily active users.
Company Information
Amazon Japan operates from Tokyo under the global oversight of Amazon.com, Inc., headquartered in Seattle, and employs an estimated 15,000 people locally across fulfilment and corporate roles.
Ownership & Investors
Amazon Japan is wholly owned by Amazon.com, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ.
Financials
Japan retail and marketplace operations are estimated to generate roughly USD 20 billion annually, contributing to Amazon's broader international segment.
Business Model
Amazon Japan blends first-party retail sales with a large third-party marketplace, supported by nationwide fulfilment centres and Prime membership perks.
Products & Services
Key offerings include Amazon.co.jp Retail, Amazon Marketplace, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fresh and Kindle Japan.
Competitors
Its main competitors are Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, Mercari and au PAY Market.
Company History & Milestones
Since launching in 2000, Amazon Japan has introduced third-party marketplace selling in 2007, Prime membership in 2013 and expanded grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh in 2017.
Latest News
Amazon continues to expand same-day delivery coverage across Japan while reporting continued growth in its broader international retail segment.
User Reviews & Ratings
Customers consistently praise delivery speed and customer service, though some raise concerns about third-party listing quality control.
Pros & Cons
Pros include fast delivery, wide selection and a strong Prime bundle. Cons include a less rewarding loyalty program compared to Rakuten and occasional marketplace quality issues.
Key Statistics
~480 million monthly visits, an estimated 25 million Prime members and the #3 overall website ranking in Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Amazon Japan? Amazon.com, Inc. Is Prime available? Yes, including fast shipping, Prime Video and Prime Music. Can foreign sellers list? Yes, via Amazon Global Selling.
Data Sources
Amazon.com public filings, Similarweb estimates and Amazon Japan press releases.
Last Updated
September 2026
Related Websites
Rakuten, Yahoo! Japan, Mercari, Kakaku.com and Amazon.com.
Website Rankings
#2 in Japanese e-commerce and #3 overall by aggregate website traffic.
Revenue & Funding History
Amazon Japan was launched directly by Amazon.com in 2000 without separate local funding rounds, growing as part of the company's international expansion.
Employee Statistics
An estimated 15,000 people work across Amazon's Japan fulfilment centres, customer service and retail operations.
Customer Statistics
An estimated 25 million Japanese consumers hold Amazon Prime memberships.
Backlink Profile
Amazon Japan has approximately 2.2 million referring domains, largely from review blogs, affiliate sites and news coverage.
Top Organic Keywords
Top queries include "amazon プライム", "amazon 配送状況" and "amazon ログイン".
Top Referral Sources
Google Japan, direct app traffic and affiliate marketing sites drive the majority of referrals.
Website Technologies
AWS infrastructure, Java, React, a custom recommendation engine and robotics-driven fulfilment systems.
Advertising & Analytics Technologies
Amazon Advertising, Amazon DSP and Amazon Attribution power its ad-tech offering for brands.
API & Developer Information
The Amazon Selling Partner API lets sellers manage listings, orders and inventory programmatically.
International Seller Opportunities
Amazon Global Selling enables merchants worldwide to list products on Amazon Japan, using Fulfillment by Amazon for local logistics.
Company history & milestones
- 2000
Amazon.co.jp launches in Japan
- 2007
Introduces Amazon Marketplace for third-party sellers in Japan
- 2013
Launches Prime membership in Japan
- 2017
Expands Amazon Fresh grocery delivery to Tokyo
- 2020
Accelerates fulfilment network expansion during pandemic demand
Latest news
- Amazon expands same-day delivery areas in JapanAmazon Japan Press · 2026
- Amazon.com reports continued international segment growthAmazon Investor Relations · 2026
Pros & cons
Pros
- Fast and reliable delivery network
- Wide product selection with competitive pricing
- Strong Prime bundle including video and music
- Trusted customer service and easy returns
Cons
- Loyalty points less attractive than Rakuten's ecosystem
- Some counterfeit or low-quality third-party listings
- Less localized cultural marketing than domestic rivals
- Seller fees can be complex for smaller merchants
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Amazon Japan?
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.
Is Prime available in Japan?
Yes, Amazon Prime Japan offers fast shipping, Prime Video and Prime Music.
Can international sellers list on Amazon Japan?
Yes, through Amazon Global Selling programs.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Amazon.com public filingsAmazon Investor Relations
- Similarweb estimatesSimilarweb
- Amazon Japan press releasesAmazon Japan
- Data confidence
- High for ownership and global financials; Japan-specific revenue and Prime membership figures are third-party estimates.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic and revenue figures are rounded estimates compiled from public reports and third-party analytics.
Social media profiles & statistics