Launching in the Japanese App Store: keyword research in Japanese

You have an app that works for Japanese users and you want it found there. You may not read Japanese, and you want a method that does not depend on guesses.

• The keyword field is counted in bytes. App Store Connect states up to 100 bytes (Apple's marketing pages say 100 characters). Non-Latin characters use more bytes, so a Japanese list holds fewer terms than an English one. Test your real string with the keyword field checker.
• Literal translations miss how people search. A phrase that is correct Japanese may not be what users type.
• Name and subtitle limits are in characters. Both are 30, so plan the layout in the title and subtitle guide before you write.
• You cannot judge the result. Without reading the language you rely on rank evidence.

1. Add your app and let LocalASO import the listing. Add two or three Japanese rivals you find on the Japan store as Competitor.
2. Select Japan and any other countries in localization. The AI adapts each keyword into what people in Japan type, and LocalASO checks that phrase in the Japan storefront.
3. Read the board for Japan only. A rank from #1 to #200 is the real position for a Japanese user; 200+ means you are outside the top 200.
4. Open Optimize for Japanese. LocalASO finds around 45 local candidate phrases, checks them in the language's main storefront and packs the name, subtitle and keyword field under the three strategies.
5. Export the Japanese text and ask a native speaker to read it for tone and meaning, then paste it into App Store Connect or upload it as a draft.
6. Re-check ranks after the version goes live. The Japan keywords page lists the storefront details.

Users can search with localized keywords in every country where the localization is shown, so the Japanese metadata only needs to be Japanese.

• No human translation. The AI suggests phrases; a native check is your job.
• No store listing assets. Screenshots and previews in Japanese are yours to make.
• Estimates only. Volume and difficulty derive from rating counts of Japanese results, not Apple search counts.
• No customer support or legal review for the Japanese market.

Start with the keyword field and one storefront. Download LocalASO or see pricing. Compare with the German store and Latin America.