- LINE reaches around 100 million monthly users in Japan — close to the whole online population
- Where WhatsApp is private messaging, LINE is messaging plus a brand channel, news, coupons and mini-apps
- A LINE Official Account works like an email list with much higher open rates — and costs per message above a free allowance
- Treat LINE as a retention channel: acquire followers elsewhere, then keep them with useful, well-timed messages
What is LINE — and why is it everywhere in Japan?
LINE is a messaging app launched in Japan in 2011, shortly after the Great East Japan Earthquake, when people needed a reliable way to reach family. It became the national default almost immediately. Today it reaches around 100 million monthly active users in Japan (LY Corporation, December 2025) — close to everyone who uses a smartphone.
LINE is operated by LY Corporation, which also runs Yahoo! JAPAN. That matters for marketers: LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN now share an advertising platform, LY Ads, launched in April 2026.
For a UK or European reader, the easiest comparison is WhatsApp. But the comparison stops being useful quite quickly.
LINE vs WhatsApp: same idea, different role
| WhatsApp (UK/Europe) | LINE (Japan) | |
|---|---|---|
| Core use | Private chats and groups | Private chats and groups — plus everything below |
| Brands | Mostly one-to-one customer service | Brand accounts people actively “friend”, receiving offers, news and updates |
| Discovery | Minimal | News tab, VOOM (short video), official account search, ads across the app |
| Expression | Emoji, some stickers | Stickers are a culture and an economy — including branded sponsored stickers |
| Commerce | Catalogues, limited | Coupons, digital loyalty cards, mini-apps for booking and ordering, integrations with PayPay and Yahoo! Shopping |
| Customer expectation | Surprised if a brand messages them | Expect brands to be on LINE; it replaces email for many |
The key point: in Japan, LINE often does the job email marketing does in the UK. Many Japanese consumers, especially younger ones, check email rarely and LINE constantly.
How brands use LINE Official Accounts
- Broadcast messages to followers — launches, offers, restocks, events.
- Rich menu — a permanent tile menu at the bottom of the chat, linking to shop, booking, FAQs, store finder.
- Coupons and shop cards — digital loyalty stamp cards replace paper ones.
- One-to-one chat — customer service, product questions, appointment changes.
- Segmented and automated messages — by attribute, behaviour, or via API integration with your CRM and e-commerce platform.
- LINE mini-apps and LINE Login — membership, reservations and ordering without a separate app download.
The same platform, used differently
Western brands that do try LINE often make the same mistake: they treat it like an Instagram feed, posting several times a week. On LINE, every message arrives as a notification in someone's personal chat list, next to messages from their mother and their friends. Over-message and they block you — permanently and silently.
What works in Japan:
- Fewer, more useful messages — often weekly or fortnightly, sometimes less.
- A clear reason to follow (a welcome coupon, members-only early access, a useful service).
- Messages that feel personally relevant — segmented by interest, location or purchase.
- Polite, warm Japanese copy that matches your brand voice. Casual isn't wrong, but it has to be deliberate.
Getting started: a practical plan
- Open a Japanese LINE Official AccountConsider working with a certified LINE partner if you need verification, ads or API integrations.
- Design the rich menu firstIt is your permanent shop window inside LINE. Decide the four to six things customers most need.
- Give people a reason to add youA welcome offer, early access, or a service that is genuinely easier on LINE.
- Acquire followers from everywhere elseQR codes on packaging and in store, your Japanese website, Instagram, events, and LINE's own friend-acquisition ads.
- Set a message rhythm and stick to itMonitor blocks as closely as clicks.
- Connect it to salesUse tracked links and, where possible, integration with your e-commerce platform to see what LINE actually drives.
LINE and the rest of Japanese social
LINE is usually a retention channel: people find you on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube or in search, and LINE is where you keep them. It works best as part of a system — see how X and Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are used differently in Japan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the LINE app?
LINE is a free messaging app that is the default way people in Japan text, call and share photos. It is operated by LY Corporation, which also runs Yahoo! JAPAN. Beyond chat, it includes brand accounts, news, stickers, coupons, mini-apps and advertising — closer to a “super-app” than to WhatsApp.
Can a foreign company open a LINE Official Account for Japan?
Generally yes — LINE Official Accounts are available to businesses, and many international brands run Japanese accounts. Verification badges, some advertising features and billing arrangements may be easier through a Japanese entity or a certified LINE partner agency, so check current eligibility before planning.
Is LINE free for businesses?
There is a free plan with a limited monthly message allowance. Paid plans raise the allowance and charge for additional messages. Because pricing is based on message volume, good segmentation saves money as well as annoyance.
How is LINE different from WhatsApp for business?
WhatsApp Business is mainly used for one-to-one customer conversations. LINE Official Accounts combine broadcast messaging to followers, a persistent menu, coupons, loyalty cards, chat and integrations with LINE's advertising network. Japanese customers expect brands to be on LINE in a way UK customers do not expect brands on WhatsApp.