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According to an annual survey, the share of people in Japan who use the internet stood at **** percent in 2025. The internet penetration rate slightly decreased compared to the previous year. 

Spread of the internet in Japan

Commercial internet services became available in Japan in the early 1990s and were adopted by an increasing number of people in the years that followed. The use of modems was made possible by the Telecommunications Business Act, which came into effect in 1985 and liberalized the telecommunications business. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (NTT), which had a monopoly on the telecommunications system until then, was privatized during that year. Compared to other parts of Asia, regulation of internet service providers (ISPs) in Japan was less strict, which made it easy for entrepreneurs to establish related startups. However, high-speed digital leased lines were comparatively expensive. A further hurdle that had to be overcome was the complexity of the Japanese writing system. As these problems became solved, the internet gained greater acceptance in Japan, so that by the early 2000s it was used by most people in the country. Survey figures indicate, however, that there remain differences based on age group, household income, and the regions people live in.

Internet usage today

Survey data also show that the most common reasons for using the internet in Japan are social networking services, communicating with other people via e-mail, and the looking up information. Among social networks, X and Instagram enjoy a particularly high popularity, while LINE reigns supreme among messaging apps. The main devices used to access the internet are smartphones and PCs. Leading internet service providers include Asahi Net, Biglobe, Nifty Corporation, NTT Plala, and So-net, while the three major mobile carriers in Japan are NTT Docomo, au by KDDI, and SoftBank. E-commerce giant Rakuten joined the competition by launching its mobile carrier service in 2020.