Snapping Photos in Tokyo Wearing Uniqlo and Drinking Asahi Beer: "What's No Japan?" A Shift in Consumer Trends

Sharp Drop in Active Boycott Participation: 41.9% to 8.6%
"Personal Choice and Preference" Cited as Main Reason

A recent survey has found that the fervor of the "No Japan" boycott movement, which once spread widely across South Korea against Japanese products, is fading rapidly. The proportion of respondents who said they would actively participate in the boycott has dropped to one-fifth of the level from around five years ago, while the perception that a "Yes Japan" atmosphere is now more prevalent has become dominant.

According to the "2026 Perceptions on Consumption of Japanese Products and Content" survey conducted by the market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on July 8, which targeted 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 59 nationwide, only 8.6% of respondents in May this year said they would "continue to actively participate" in the Japanese product boycott, a sharp decrease from 41.9% in December 2020. In contrast, the proportion of respondents who said they "no longer intend to participate" rose more than fourfold from 10.2% to 42.7% over the same period.

The willingness to stop participating in the boycott was most pronounced among those in their 20s and 30s, with 55.6% and 47.2% responding as such, respectively. For those in their 40s and 50s, the figures were 35.6% and 32.4%. Conversely, the proportion of those who said they would continue with the boycott was higher among people in their 40s (12.4%) and 50s (10.4%) than among those in their 20s (4.4%) and 30s (7.2%). The data shows that younger generations are losing interest in the boycott movement at a faster pace.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

'No Japan' Loses Momentum as 'Yes Japan' Rises... Resistance to Japanese Consumption Fades Significantly

The top reason cited for the reduced willingness to participate was that "purchasing products is a matter of personal choice and preference," at 33.7% (multiple responses allowed). This was followed by "I have lost interest and become indifferent," at 28.4%.

Similarly, 55.2% of respondents said they did not feel any discomfort or aversion when seeing posts on social media about others traveling to Japan or buying Japanese products.

The percentage of respondents who believe that "the Japanese product boycott should continue" has also steadily declined, from 42.0% in 2022 to 21.6% in 2024, and to just 15.1% this year. Meanwhile, 43.1% of all respondents said the current atmosphere is closer to "Yes Japan" than "No Japan."

The import volume of Japanese beer has surpassed the level before the boycott movement and continues to rise. Photo is not directly related to the article content. Photo by Moon Honam

Japanese Brands Make a Comeback as Boycott Momentum Fades... Beer and Uniqlo Lead the Way

The "No Japan" movement originally spread nationwide in 2019, following Japan's export restrictions against South Korea. At the time, the boycott of Japanese products and the trend of refraining from travel to Japan dealt a major blow to Japanese clothing brands such as Uniqlo, as well as Japanese beer and automobile sales.

Recently, however, the trend has reversed. This change is also reflected in various statistical indicators.

According to the "2026 Imported Food Inspection Yearbook" from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the volume of Japanese beer imported last year reached 100,322 tons, a 22% increase from the previous year. This marks the first time annual imports of Japanese beer have exceeded 100,000 tons. After plunging to 50,860 tons in 2019 due to the impact of the boycott, import volumes have now, in just seven years, far surpassed pre-boycott levels.

Japanese brands have also regained their presence in the apparel market. According to WiseApp·Retail, Uniqlo’s estimated monthly payments in May this year reached 323.5 billion won, soaring 93% from the same period last year and hitting an all-time high. Compared to the payment amount of 52.6 billion won in May 2022, this represents more than a sixfold increase in just four years.

Changing Perceptions Toward Japan... Travel Remains Popular

Behind these changes appear to be shifting perceptions of Japan and an expansion of exchanges between the two countries.

According to the "Media Opinion Poll on Japan" released by Japan Newspaper Communication Survey Association in February, 56.4% of Korean respondents said they had a favorable impression of Japan. This is the first time since the survey began in 2014 that the figure has exceeded 50%.

Indeed, personal exchanges between the two countries have surged since COVID-19 restrictions eased, with travel demand continuing to rise: the number of travelers between South Korea and Japan reached 12 million in 2024 and exceeded 13 million last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.