Wearable device ownership in Japan is still tiny, according to September 2015 research. But certain devices do have wide potential appeal.
According to Video Research Ltd., just 3.0% of internet users in Japan owned any type of wearable device in September. Ownership was higher among men, at 4.0%, and highest among younger internet users.
And many people do not have much interest in the devices, the survey found. More than half of those polled who did not have a wearable device were not interested at all, and just 2.9% were enthusiastic enough to say they were “very” interested.
For internet users in Japan who are, however, open to the prospect of wearables, watches are the clear winner. Nearly two-thirds of male respondents, along with 56.0% of females, were interested specifically in purchasing a smart watch in the next year. The interest in wristbands was about half as great, and, again, was slightly higher among men.
One type of wearable had potentially better performance with women: 13.4% said they might be interested in some type of wearable accessory like a ring or necklace.
Research from July found little certainty about wearables in Japan, with most people not sure whether they were interested or not. And based on Seed Planning polling in June, the rollout of the Apple Watch had done little to pique interest in wearables in the country: 62.5% said it had made no change in their interest level.
