#Japan #Tokyo #Korean Fashion #MUSINSA

MUSINSA Achieves Nationwide Presence in Japan by 2025

MUSINSA, the popular Korean fashion platform, has revealed impressive sales data for the fiscal year 2025 in Japan. Significantly, the data indicates that the platform has recorded purchases in all 47 prefectures across the country. This insight emphasizes that Korean fashion has not merely cycled through a transient trend among specific demographic groups or regions, but has rather established itself as a mainstream norm in Japan's consumer culture—that of the “New Normal.”

Rising Demand for Korean Fashion in Japan

An analysis of the delivery data from MUSINSA Global Store illustrated strong purchasing activity from regions far and wide, including major prefectures such as Tokyo, which accounted for 9.0% of total orders, followed by others like Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Kyoto, and Osaka. This trend signifies the increasing availability of Korean fashion, allowing consumers nationwide to access and enjoy these styles regardless of physical stores or distance. MUSINSA has solidified its role as a vital connector between Japanese customers and Korean brands.

Rapid Growth of MUSINSA's Japanese Operations

The success of Korean fashion in Japan is further affirmed by the growth metrics provided by the MUSINSA Global Store. In 2025, the yearly transaction volume in Japan surged to approximately 2.4 times that of the previous year. Particularly noteworthy was in October 2025, when a simultaneous run of offline pop-up stores drove the monthly transaction volume to exceed ¥1.1 billion (approximately $10 million) for the first time, demonstrating the synergy between online and offline marketing efforts. Additionally, the repurchase rate skyrocketed, showing an increase of about six times compared to 2023, solidifying Korean fashion's place in consumers' daily wardrobes.

Since the launch of the MUSINSA Global Store in Japan in 2022, approximately 51.7% of its total members as of 2025 joined within the past year, showcasing a significant acceleration in membership growth. Online sales for their distributed brand Matin Kim expanded approximately 2.6 times year-on-year, indicating an increasing brand presence. Notably, the Shibuya store, as the only offline outlet in Japan, welcomed over 200,000 customers, which further illustrates the growing brand recognition within the market.

Localized Strategies Fuels Growth

MUSINSA has adopted three key localization strategies tailored to Japanese consumption culture, which significantly contributed to its success:

1. Localization of Experience via Long-term Pop-ups: Understanding Japan's strong emphasis on experience-led shopping, MUSINSA strategically created a long pop-up store lasting 24 days in the heart of Shibuya. The “MUSINSA TOKYO POP-UP STORE 2025” drew approximately 82,000 visitors. The event was enhanced with a QR code system allowing immediate purchases via Online to Offline (O2O) transactions, thus merging offline trust with online convenience, leading to a record monthly transaction volume of ¥1.1 billion in October.

2. Integration of MUSINSA SNAP: Currently hosting over 4,000 Korean brands, MUSINSA offers diverse style curation, prominently featuring the MUSINSA SNAP function that showcases genuine street fashion from Korea. By highlighting everyday fashion from real trendsetters rather than professional models, this feature enables users to visualize themselves in the latest Korean styles by providing segmented styling based on body type and occasion. This realistic cue allows shoppers to find their ideal fit confidently.

3. Enhancing Refund Transparency: To tackle concerns regarding international online purchases, MUSINSA implemented a quick refund policy in October 2025, reducing refund lead times by about 60%, and inquiries regarding refunds decreased by 75%. This upgrade cultivated consumer trust, with a remarkable 53% increase in repurchase rate observed within just 14 days following the policy's launch.

Future Outlook: Expansion in Japan and Beyond

MUSINSA plans to expand its offline presence in Japan, with a second large-scale pop-up store scheduled for April 2026 in Shibuya, along with two new Matin Kim stores opening by mid-2026. Additionally, leveraging its successful models in Japan and China, it intends to venture into Southeast Asia within the same year.

By serving as a bridge between Korean trends and Japanese consumers, MUSINSA continues to build a reliable infrastructure and provide valuable style guidance, ensuring it stays the go-to platform for Korean fashion.