Wayfinder Japan - Japan UX Research Services

JApan ux research

Insights to guide the way

Our team are experts in planning and conducting qualitative and quantitative user research to help your product succeed in Japan.

Exploratory Research

Understand the lifestyle and pain points of your target users in Japan, and learn about how your competitors are perceived to position your product for success in the Japanese market.

Evaluative Research

Test your translated/localized prototypes or live products (websites, apps, physical products) with Japanese users to identify opportunities for improvement.

Strategic Research

Understand the Japanese tech market with a combination of competitor analysis, market research and user research to help you position your product for success in Japan.

Japan UX Research Services

Wayfinder offers a wide variety of UX research services to allow you to understand local audiences and adapt your product to Japan.

Qualitative UX Research

User Interviews

Get help planning, recruiting for and executing qualitative user interviews in Japan. Interviews can be conducted either online or in person, and we can provide live interpreting for observers.

Usability Testing

Observe Japanese users interacting with your product and identify areas for improvement. For usability testing, a translated prototype or service is essential. We also offer expert review & professional translation to ensure that users focus on the product, not the translation.

Concept Testing

If you are at an early stage considering Japan Market Entry, starting with concept testing can be a good way to get initial feedback from potential users in Japan. We can work with you to create research stimuli that expresses the value of your product, and explore different potential target user demographics.

Focus Groups

We generally don't recommend focus groups for product feedback in Japan due to the tendency for group-think and shallower insights compared to individual interviews. However, focus groups can be a great way to explore new concepts with target users, or explore how a product designed to be used by groups of people is affected by group dynamics.

Ethnography & Home Use Tests

Venture inside the homes of target users to gain deep insights into their lifestyles and pain points. We can arrange home use tests, allowing you to obtain feedback from users as they unbox a product and continue to use it in their home.

Other Research Services

Competitor Analysis

The Japanese tech landscape is unique, with home-grown apps & services with unique features often beating out bigger international rivals. It is therefore a great idea to understand and learn from your competition in advance. We offer detailed analyses of potential competitors to meet your specific needs.

Social Listening

Understand how your brand or product is being perceived & discussed on social media in Japan.

Quantitative Surveys

We partner with Japan's largest research panel to offer survey capabilities to corroborate findings from qualitative research.

User Recruitment

We partner with Japan's largest research panel to offer user recruitment services. We are able to recruit for even the most specific requirements.

Wayfinder helped us successfully navigate the Japanese cultural landscape and secure research participants in tough-to-access populations that other vendors doubted would be possible. Would recommend working with them in a heartbeat.

SENIOR DESIGN RESEARCHER (USA)

“

Japan Ux research

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer recruitment?

Yes! We partner with Japan's largest research panel that boasts over 25 million respondents. We can recruit for even the most specific requirements, and can access research participants of all demographics, living all over the country.

Do you offer a full service with reporting?

Yes! We can provide services to match your needs, ranging from recruitment only to a full service from planning to recruitment, execution and reporting. Get in touch to learn more and get a quote.

Do you have a research facility?

We source research facilities that meet the needs of each project. This flexibility allows us to meet requirements like having large numbers of observers, or livestreaming to observers overseas.

Should we do research online or in-person?

Just like the rest of the world, Japanese users are generally happy using Zoom to participate in online user interviews. We've conducted Zoom interviews with all ages, from teenagers to octogenarians and usually don't have any issues. However we recommend in-person for focus groups or for testing physical products.

Can you get the participants to use our tools like dScout, UserZoom, UserBrain etc.?

Unfortunately most of these tools do not offer a Japanese UI, so it is usually difficult to get participants to use them. Contact us with your requirements and we will come up with workarounds to meet your needs.

Can you source English speaking participants?

Japan has one of the lowest rates of English proficiency in the developed world, with only 2-8% of the population speaking English fluently. English speakers in Japan have usually lived overseas and have different life experiences and perspectives to the general population, so we generally recommend against recruiting English speakers. Of course the situation is different if you are specifically targeting English speakers in Japan for your service.