The End of Tracking Becomes the Beginning of Trust: Overseas Manufacturers' Strategy to Dominate the Japanese Market with First-Party Data by 2026
- あゆみ 佐藤
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
Introduction:
The Real Shift Is Not the Disappearance of CookiesFor several years, the planned deprecation of third-party cookies in Google Chrome drew intense attention. In July 2024, Google revised its position and announced it would maintain third-party cookie availability under a new user choice framework. As a result, the immediate issue is no longer a sudden, universal disappearance of cookies.
However, the real transformation affecting digital marketing is happening elsewhere.Stricter privacy regulations, browser-level restrictions, OS limitations, and changes in advertising measurement have steadily weakened cross-site tracking–based marketing models.
In this environment, competitive advantage is shifting away from “how much we can track” toward “how well we can earn trust and use data with consent.”At the center of this shift lies first-party data.
Chapter 1: Understanding the Global and Japanese Regulatory Landscape
Europe: Consent-First by DesignUnder GDPR and related ePrivacy frameworks, the use of tracking technologies—including third-party cookies—has required explicit user consent since 2018. Transparency, opt-in mechanisms, and withdrawal options are now standard expectations.
United States: State-Led Data SovereigntyIn the U.S., laws such as CCPA and CPRA have expanded consumer data rights on a state-by-state basis, requiring companies to design flexible, region-aware data strategies.
Japan: Entering an Operational Turning PointJapan fully enforced its revised Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) in 2022. Since then, discussions under the legally mandated three-year review process have continued. As of 2025, amendment proposals are under examination, with potential phased implementation expected from 2026 onward.
What matters most is that Japan is entering a phase where accountability, clarity of purpose, and transparency are becoming prerequisites for sustainable data utilization.
Chapter 2: Why Tracking-Based Marketing Is Becoming Fragile
Traditional digital advertising relied heavily on third-party cookies to follow users across multiple sites and platforms.This model is increasingly unstable due to:
Browser and OS-level tracking restrictions
Consent-based fragmentation of available data
Measurement and optimization becoming confined within individual platforms
As a result, advantage is shifting from “large volumes of shallow data” to “deep, legitimately obtained customer data” owned directly by brands.
Chapter 3: What First-Party Data Really Means
First-party data refers to information collected directly through a company’s relationship with its customers.
Explicit first-party data (directly provided by customers):
Email addresses, names, phone numbers, physical addresses
Account registration details and shipping information
Purchase history and wishlists
Customer service inquiries
Implicit first-party data (behavioral data within owned channels):
Browsing behavior and dwell time
Cart additions and removals
Email opens and click activity
Product reviews and ratings
Because this data is collected within a company’s own platforms, it can be used legally and sustainably when accompanied by proper disclosure, consent mechanisms, and opt-out options.
Chapter 4: The Role of CDPs in Customer Understanding
Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) serve as the backbone of first-party data utilization.They unify data from e-commerce systems, CRM tools, POS systems, email platforms, mobile apps, and customer support records into a single customer view.
This enables companies to move beyond transaction history and understand:
Which explanations resonate with which customers
What concerns delay purchasing decisions
Which touchpoints contribute to conversion
Customer understanding becomes three-dimensional rather than transactional.
Chapter 5: Micro-Audiences as a Source of Competitive Advantage
With integrated first-party data, brands can build micro-audiences—segments defined not by age or gender alone, but by behavior, intent, and engagement.
For example:
Customers with multiple purchases in the last six months
High engagement with skincare-related content
Strong email responsiveness
Prior inquiries about ingredients or usage
For such audiences, messaging focused on reassurance and detailed explanation is often more effective than price promotions.
Chapter 6: Real-Time Data Use and the Japanese Market
One strength of first-party data is immediacy. However, in Japan, restraint matters.
Effective implementation requires:
Clear explanations of why data is used
User control over preferences
Moderate frequency and granularity
In the Japanese market, trust and comfort consistently outperform speed and aggressiveness.
Chapter 7: Regulation as a Foundation for Trust
Japan’s ongoing APPI review discussions include topics such as expanded use of pseudonymized data, clarified third-party transfer conditions, and more pragmatic breach notification rules.These changes are not designed to halt data usage, but to formalize trust-based utilization.
For overseas brands, success does not come from waiting for regulations to settle, but from proactively designing for transparency, purpose limitation, and data protection.
Chapter 8: A Three-Stage Strategy for Overseas Brands
Stage 1: Build Data Entry PointsDesign membership, email subscriptions, and behavioral tracking with clear customer benefits.
Stage 2: Integrate and Improve QualityAdopt a CDP or equivalent system and begin small-scale, iterative optimization.
Stage 3: Operate Micro-Audience StrategiesStart with high-value segments and refine messaging through explanation-driven personalization.
Conclusion: Privacy as Competitive Advantage
The era of effortless tracking is already destabilized. In Japan’s next phase of e-commerce growth, winners will be brands that earn trust, explain value clearly, and build long-term relationships through first-party data.
Privacy protection is no longer a compliance burden—it is an investment in repeat purchases and sustainable market share.For overseas brands, beginning this transition now is the most reliable path to growth in Japan.
https://www.atara.co.jp/unyoojp/2024/07/google-no-3pd-deprecation/
https://growth-marketing.jp/knowledge/first_party_data_usecases/
https://digitalidentity.co.jp/blog/marketing/privacy-protection-law.html
https://www.salesforce.com/jp/marketing/data/what-is-a-customer-data-platform/
https://blog.jpac-privacy.jp/proposedamendmentstothepersonalinformationprotectionact_2503/
https://www.u-tokai.ac.jp/uploads/2021/02/about_pdf_annual-report2010_mokuroku.pdf
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