#Japan #Chiyoda #Core Web Vitals #Gaprise #Largest Contentful Paint

February 2026 EC Site Speed Ranking Overview

In a recent announcement, Gaprise, a support company for digital businesses based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, released its February 2026 EC Site Speed Ranking, showcasing the performance of 271 e-commerce websites in Japan. The report, relying on data from the Chrome User Experience Report, highlights significant insights into display speeds crucial for online retail success.

Key Details of the Survey

The survey was conducted as of February 2026, focusing on the top 300 companies in sales detailed in the 83rd mail-order and distance education revenue ranking by Direct Mail Newspaper. The focus was on websites with a monthly traffic of over 100,000, ensuring a solid dataset for analysis.

Measurement Methods

Using the official dataset from Google’s Chrome User Experience Report, the analysis compared the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) for each site on a mobile device accessing via a 4G network. LCP measures the time it takes for the most significant visual content on a web page to load, which plays a critical role in users' perceptions of loading speed.

Google sets a benchmark of 2.5 seconds for a good user experience, with values exceeding 4 seconds indicating a poor experience. Improvements can significantly enhance LCP, as evidenced by Renault's case study showing improvements to under one second.

Insights from the Rankings

Breaking the 1-second Barrier

One remarkable takeaway from the rankings is that all top 10 sites successfully achieved an LCP of under 1.1 seconds. Noteworthy sites such as Murauchi.com, AmiAmi Online Shop, Life Net Super, and Shiseido Parlor managed to exceed the 1-second threshold, exemplifying excellence in load speed that meets user expectations.

Overall Trends

Approximately 76% of the 271 websites were able to achieve an LCP within 2.5 seconds, reflecting a growing awareness of speed's importance among online retailers. Major e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Yodobashi.com, and BicCamera also made it to the top 100, showcasing a significant performance that far exceeds Google's 'GOOD' benchmark of 2.5 seconds. This trend highlights the increasing consumer expectations regarding loading speeds and the urgent need for improvement among underperforming sites, which may risk losing conversions if they lag behind industry leaders.

The Impact of Core Web Vitals and New INP Metrics

The report introduces a new metric, Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which measures the responsiveness of web pages to user interactions. The top five performers in INP include established names like Tamago Base and Elecom Direct Shop, emphasizing not just the importance of speed but also the overall efficiency of web interactions.

Analyzing Performance Improvements

INP enhances insights into how users experience site interactions alongside LCP. Integrating both metrics for comprehensive performance assessment is crucial for any website seeking improvement. Successful strategies included:

• - Optimizing JavaScript execution
• - Enhancing event handler efficiency
• - Improving rendering performance

This signifies the continuous need for modernization and technical upgrades not only in LCP but also in INP metrics.

Additional Resources and Company Information

For further details, data on all 271 ranked websites, and good practices, visit our media outlet MarTechLab.

About Gaprise

Founded in January 2005, Gaprise is at the forefront of the rapidly expanding Japanese SaaS market. According to Gartner, Japan's enterprise IT spending is projected to exceed 30 trillion yen by 2025. As a leading SaaS distributor, Gaprise continues to connect innovative technologies from around the globe while offering a variety of solutions tailored to client needs.

Gaprise also remains committed to improving site speed and enhancing user experiences, all aimed at facilitating business growth in an increasingly competitive landscape. Through advanced technology implementations and consulting, we engage with clients to analyze market conditions and optimize their online engagement effectively.

For inquiries about site speed services, please visit Gaprise.