TikTok has launched its e-commerce platform TikTok Shop in Japan as the company seeks to reduce its reliance on the US market, where its future remains in legal limbo.
The Monday launch follows local Japanese media reports in late April that TikTok was preparing to recruit sellers for the e-commerce platform.
The company has also been expanding its e-commerce operations with launches in France, Germany and Italy earlier this year.
Diversification
Japan is TikTok Shop’s 17th market, following launches in the UK, the US, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.
The feature allows users to buy items displayed in video livestreams by clicking on a “Shop” tab.
Items are tagged directly in videos for immediate access and influencers earn a commission for each purchase made through their livestreams or affiliate links.
Japan has 33 million monthly TikTok users, according to the Japanese External Trade Organisation, in a country where e-commerce is dominated by Amazon and Rakuten.
In the US, a 2024 law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support required TikTok to divest its US operations to a third party, but the White House last month postponed that deadline for the third time as negotiations continue.
The latest White House executive order put off the TikTok sale deadline to October.
Any deal for TikTok’s US operation, which is used by nearly half of Americans, must be approved by the Chinese government.
European business
TikTok Shop saw significant expansion in Europe in March with launches in Germany, France and Italy.
The feature has been available in the UK since 2021 and launched in Spain and Ireland in December.
TikTok said it was seeking cross-border merchants for its European shops who could operate under its full-custody model, in which TikTok itself handles listing, advertising, shipping and after-sales service, while self-operating merchants would need an invitation to join.
A Brazil launch is also planned, although no date has been decided upon, according to local reports from China, where TikTok parent ByteDance is based.