Spider-Man finally spins its web in Japan!
At midnight last night at Roppongi’s movie theatre, the first showing of Spider-Man No Way Home finally dropped in Japan! The much-anticipated sequel in the Marvel franchise, Spider-Man is sure to be a web-slinging hit in Japan too, popular not only amongst foreigners and ex-pats living in Japan but native residents too.
The Marvel franchise is incredibly popular in Japan: you can often find collaborations between brands and the franchise. Currently, in a lead-up to Spider-Man No way Home drop, brands like Zoff (eyewear) are collaborating with Marvel, producing Marvel glasses and placing a Spider-Man in their shops.
Of course, this is nothing we haven’t seen before in the West. More and more Western brands are collaborating with film franchises (such as Loewe x Studio Ghibli) as a way to excite fans and bolster sales. This is undoubtedly a staple marketing strategy across the world.
However, what’s unique about Japan is that it is not only big brands that collaborate with franchises, but all shapes and sizes usually participate in ‘goods promotion’. For example, if you are walking down the street in shinbashi, chances are that you’ve had someone thrust a small tissue packet into your hands. These ‘freebies’ are part of a promotional campaign, and whilst they can be free, like are actually often used in campaigns as an incentive for purchase.
Japanese convenience stores participate in this method too: people with a certain amount of ‘points’ can collect free plates or cups, that are usually tied to a certain franchise (like Sanrio, for example). The more popular the franchise, the more likely it will incite customers to purchase.
Japan’s Promotional Goods Market
What makes Japan unique is that when a franchise gets popular, it becomes ubiquitous. It becomes impossible to miss, and at times it feels like it’s being shoved down your throat! From sports drinks to sweets, to toasters and pyjamas, you can find your favourite franchise practically anywhere when it gains momentum.
Right now, Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba are the two Japanese anime series that are hard to miss, with small to big collaborations seen at every corner.
Domestic Competition
So, how are things faring for Spidey over here in Japan? Well, compared to the States and the U.K., perhaps not everyone in Japan is as invested in the franchise – they might have seen one or two of the big ones, but not all the films. Or, equally, they might have never watched the Tobey Maguire Spider-man or Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-man. Tom Holland and Zendaya’s adorable relationship isn’t as probed in Japan either. Overall, Spider-man movies and Spider-man actors are not as popular in Japan as they are in the West – they have less of a ‘cultural icon’ status.
Furthermore, right now the film Jujutsu Kaisen is airing in Japan, and proving to be a gargantuan success. We shouldn’t take anime films lightly in the Japanese market either: in 2019, when Marvel’s Avengers: End Game came out, it smashed box office records across the world, consistently ranking no. 1 in ticket sales among many different countries in the week of its release. Only in Japan did we see something different: Avengers: End Game was beaten in ticket sales by a Detective Conan film. Whilst this fact brought an onslaught of hilarious memes, it’s a good reminder that Japan often beats to the rhythm of its own drum and that anime is a mammoth industry here in Japan.
It’ll be interesting to see in the next coming days how Spider-man No Way Home does in the Japanese box office, especially with domestic competition and the rising Covid cases. All we can say is that we are so excited Spider-man has finally hit the screens! Catch Spider-man No Way Home in cinemas now.
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