Study of UX/UI design specificity in Japanese mobile applications through case analysis: focusing on Japanese entity services

Abstract

The Japanese manufacturing and IT industries, often compared to Galapagosization, have developed differently from the global market since the 1990s. To address potential disruptions in industrial development, Japan's government established the Digital Agency and South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups began supporting Korean IT companies in entering the Japanese market. This study is part of preliminary research for developing “Mobile Service Localization Guidelines for Korean IT Companies in the Japanese Market” and aims to understand Japanese mobile service specificity. It involves understanding Japan's socio-cultural characteristics, analyzing Japanese user behavior across various media, and validating findings through expert interviews. The study evaluated UX/UI specificity in approximately 15 Japanese mobile services, uncovering significant cases reflecting Japanese user characteristics.