Who Called It an 'Old Man's Hobby'? "Tired of the Usual," Millennials & Gen Z Buy Digicams in Japan

Thanks to Japanese Millennials & Gen Z, Digital Cameras Make a Comeback

Shipments Plunge to One-Tenth of Peak, but Market Recovers

Driven by Demand for High-Quality Images and Vlogging

With the widespread adoption of smartphones, the digital camera (digicam) market, which once experienced a downturn, is regaining momentum. Although shipments have plummeted to one-tenth of their peak, the market appears to be on a recovery trend as demand rises for high-resolution photos and videos optimized for social networking services (SNS).

Millennials & Gen Z Leading the Digicam Market...Demand for Differentiated Content

Pixabay

According to the Asahi Shimbun and the Camera & Imaging Products Association of Japan on May 6, digicam shipments in Japan peaked at 11.11 million units in 2008 but dropped to 910,000 units in 2023. This represents a decrease of about 92% from the market’s heyday. However, in 2024, shipments rebounded for the first time in seven years, rising 11% year-on-year to 1.01 million units. Last year, shipments also maintained a level of around 990,000 units, continuing the recovery trend.

The main consumer group driving the market’s rebound has been identified as Millennials & Gen Z. Notably, as of 2024, buyers under age 39 accounted for 46% of total purchases, playing a key role in the market's recovery.

The industry attributes this shift to both consumer fatigue with smartphone cameras and the growing demand for differentiated content. As SNS usage becomes more routine, more consumers are seeking videos with sharper image quality and photos with unique moods. In response, products such as super-telephoto cameras capable of capturing the surface of the moon, vlogging models with self-shooting features, and fast autofocus functions are gaining popularity.

Weaker Yen Spurs More Camera Purchases by Tourists

Japan. Pixabay

The recovery in travel demand after the COVID-19 pandemic has also been analyzed as a factor contributing to market growth. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), 3,058,000 Korean tourists visited Japan in the first quarter of this year, a roughly 22% increase year-on-year, making them the largest group among all foreign visitors to Japan. With the increase in tourists, demand for purchasing cameras locally in Japan is also on the rise. In fact, from September last year through February this year, cameras accounted for 12.8% of duty-free sales at the Japanese electronics retailer Bic Camera, ranking second only to beauty and grooming appliances.

An industry official said, "As more people are becoming tired of taking photos with smartphones, the digicam trend is returning to the market. Manufacturers are also accelerating structural reforms, focusing not on increasing quantities but on high-value-added products such as mirrorless cameras."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.