View full webinar recording: https://youtu.be/X0RDirqxn18
Key Takeaways
- Strong Market Growth with Untapped Potential: Viet Nam’s B2C e-commerce market has grown rapidly, reaching $31 billion with a 25.5% growth rate, making it one of the fastest-growing markets globally. Meanwhile, Japan is the third-largest e-commerce market in the world. However, Vietnamese exports through e-commerce account for only about $2 billion out of Japan’s $900 billion market, highlighting significant untapped potential for expansion.
- Quality and Trust Are Critical in Japan: Japanese consumers place a strong emphasis on quality, reliability, and trust, often valuing these over price. Businesses must provide accurate product information, high-quality Japanese translations, and efficient delivery services. Trust-building is essential, as consumers rely heavily on reviews and responsive customer support, and even small signs of unprofessionalism can quickly undermine credibility.
- Overcoming the “Fragmentation Trap”: Scaling in Japan can be challenging due to fragmented systems—where inventory, logistics, and financial data are not well integrated. While many companies focus on customer-facing digital marketing, long-term success requires improving internal digital visibility by connecting data across platforms and partners to enable smoother and more efficient operations.
- Evolving Legal and Regulatory Environment: Viet Nam is introducing a new Law on E-Commerce (effective July 1, 2026) to address emerging trends such as livestreaming, affiliate marketing, and the role of “Super Apps.” Foreign businesses targeting Viet Nam must ensure compliance with local regulations, including registration requirements for platforms using “.vn” domains or exceeding certain transaction thresholds.
- Winning Through Niche Strategies and Partnerships: Rather than competing directly with major platforms like Amazon or Rakuten, SMEs are encouraged to focus on niche markets, such as handicrafts or specialized consumer segments. Successful examples show that starting with a targeted community approach—such as serving the Vietnamese diaspora in Japan—and leveraging end-to-end (“one-stop”) services for logistics and compliance can significantly improve market entry and growth.
E-Commerce Opportunities in the Japanese Market
The ASEAN-Japan Centre, in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam (MOIT) hosted a seminar titled “E-Commerce Opportunities in the Japanese Market” on June 4, 2026. The event brought together Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from Viet Nam, cross-border e-commerce experts, and Japanese business representatives to explore new digital pathways for entering the Japanese market.
The core of the seminar focused on practical market entry strategies, evolving consumer trends, and localized technical operations, featuring insights from the following experts:
- Mr. Nguyễn Anh Vũ, Chief of Office, Viet Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam, presented on “Development Trends of Cross-border E-commerce in Viet Nam,” which provided an overview of the macroeconomic landscape and growing infrastructure supporting Vietnamese enterprises as they scale their digital export capabilities internationally. Link to presentation: Click here.
- Mr. Masachika ETO, Executive Director, Japan E-commerce Association (JASEC), gave a presentation entitled “Decoding the Japanese Digital Consumer: 2026 Market Trends,” which offered a deep dive into shifting Japanese consumer behaviors, localized digital retail preferences, and critical entry strategies tailored specifically for the 2026 market landscape. Link to presentation: Click here.
- Ms. Ngọc Mai, FPT Japan Holdings, presented on “Beyond Digital Visibility: The Role of Technology in Building Scalable E-commerce Operations in Japan,” which shared practical strategies on leveraging IT solutions, robust technology infrastructure, and back-end operations required to scale seamlessly inside Japan’s digital ecosystem. Link to presentation: Click here.
- Mr. Pham Viet An of Seso (Vietnamese Food Business Company) delivered a presentation on “The Journey of Building a Vietnamese E-Commerce Platform in Japan,” which provided a real-world case study detailing the operational journey, challenges, and successes of a Vietnamese enterprise establishing its own dedicated digital footprint in Japan. Link to presentation: Click here.
Following the presentations, a comprehensive bilingual Q&A Session allowed attendees to address specific market barriers, regulatory queries, and logistical issues. To maximize the impact for both online and onsite participants as well as international stakeholders, inquiries were handled across both Japanese and Vietnamese languages.
The event concluded with a dedicated business networking session, bringing together local market facilitators, specialized tech partners, and Vietnamese companies hoping to export to Japan. This session offered an invaluable platform for organizations to form direct business connections and explore collaborative trade avenues.
Moving Forward
As digital trade continues to redefine international commerce, the ASEAN-Japan Centre remains committed to supporting MSMEs across ASEAN member states. By lowering the barriers to entry through knowledge-sharing and strategic networking, this seminar marked another step forward in strengthening economic ties and fostering sustainable trade partnerships between Viet Nam and Japan.
