Search works a little differently
Japanese users often search with different words than your English keywords, so it pays to research them on their own.
We are a bilingual design team in Tokyo. We help international companies build websites and apps that Japanese users understand and trust.
What Japanese users look for in a website
Detail builds trust
Many Japanese buyers like to read before they reach out: pricing, specs, company details, the people behind it.
Familiar patterns
Navigation, forms, and a tone that feel natural to Japanese users make the next step an easy one.
A good translation is a start. Designing for how Japanese users search, read, and decide is what makes it work.
Our team has lived and worked in both Japan and the US. We write the Japanese from the same brief as the English, not from a translation, and shape each page around what a Japanese reader needs to see.
Who we work with
Companies entering Japan
Launching a product or service here? We adapt your site, app, and brand so they make sense to Japanese customers from day one.
Hospitality and travel brands
Hotels, inns, and travel services in Japan that need to welcome guests in both languages, without one version feeling like an afterthought.
Government and public agencies
Reaching foreign residents or visitors? We explain things the way they will actually understand them.
How a Japan project runs
Decide which pages matter
We sort your pages into the ones that have to win customers and the ones that only need to inform. The first group gets written in Japanese. The second can be translated.
Research and write in Japanese
Japanese keywords are researched separately, then the pages are written in Japanese from the same brief as the English.
Adjust layout, forms and proof
Japanese fonts and line breaks, the form fields people expect, company details, and proof from Japan.
Test and launch
We check the pages with Japanese users before launch, then set up hreflang between the two versions.
Work for the Japanese market
Gamban Bringing gambling-blocking app Gamban to Japan We helped Gamban enter the Japanese market with a new landing page with a culturally sensitive lens. Now, people in Japan needing recovery have a world-class option to block gambling from their devices. View Case Study 
ANYTIMES A marketplace redesign for Japanese users UI/UX and SEO redesign for ANYTIMES, a Japanese community marketplace, plus partner landing pages. Transaction volume grew 400% after the work.
MELTIN MMI A rehab device UI, in Japanese, for Japanese hospitals UI/UX design and visual identity for MELTz, a robot-assisted tool for stroke patients recovering from paralysis. Designed for Japanese clinicians and deployed in hospitals in Japan.
Besso Hotels Your second home in Tokyo. We created Besso Hotels' name, identity, and brand system—capturing the warmth of 別荘 (bessō) through refined digital design.
NEXT LEVEL BIZZ Empowering Japanese Entrepreneurs with Global Marketing Mindset We transformed NEXT LEVEL BIZZ from a coaching brand into a digital platform that helps Japanese entrepreneurs learn Instagram marketing and grow their businesses with U.S.-inspired strategies.What we do for Japan
- Japanese website design
- Website localization
- Bilingual copywriting
- Japanese SEO
- Mobile app design
- Brand naming and identity
Testimonials
From past clients.
Skydea did everything from strategy to coding, and had excellent communication. They were not only fast but flexible, and we were able to massively improve our website's UX/UI and SEO. We're seeing SEO growth and it's only been a few months! We'd love to continue working together!
Skydea was the dream team to work with. We used Skydea's service to build our website for our new cafe, shop, and event space. Many elements of the business were not exactly fixed causing delays to our overall website development however they were patient, and understanding throughout the whole process while executing all of our wishes for the website. Skydea will find a way to get your website the way you want it, promptly and most importantly in great spirit.
This is the first time we’ve been able to express ourselves so clearly.
We are happy with the outcome, having received a site that is not only visually appealing but also versatile and user-friendly, allowing us to easily create landing pages and effectively showcase the Ship&co App. Our heartfelt thanks to the Skydea team for their great work.
I'm delighted to share that our Tokyo Portfolio website has been thriving since its launch. The traffic has consistently been on an upswing, moving from nearly no visitors to a 30k views per month. We are aspiring to reach even higher goals.
They worked with genuine care, were always approachable, and consistently delivered high-quality output.
From the blog
More on designing for Japan
FAQs
No. Start with the homepage, your main service or product pages and the contact flow. Those are where a new visitor decides whether to get in touch. The rest can follow.
Looking for help on a project?
Tell us what you're building. We reply within 3 business days to set up a free 30-minute call.