Contents
Introduction
To gain trend insights on the Japanese App Store, my team records keywords that appear on the Discover section of Search tab in App Store each day. This section can be a really good source of keyword insights, especially on a language that is foreign to you. In this article, I’m taking the insights further by choosing an interesting keyword and analyze the ranking apps in this trending keyword – the most used keywords and patterns on the creative assets.
For this analysis, let’s utilize ASO index‘s free feature called “App Explorer.” This ASO tool enables me to explore the Japanese App Store in realtime, and easily get insights in just one screen.
Trending Keyword: スケジュール管理
Today, I chose this keyword that showed up at the Discover section just last May 1st, 2024.
スケジュール管理, a katakana and kanji combination, where the katakana スケジュール means schedule, and the kanji part 管理 means management or control. This keyword might’ve trended on May 1st as it’s the start of the month and Japanese App Store users might be looking for apps to schedule their month.
If you want to learn more about the intricacies of Japanese language and how Japanese keywords work in the app stores, read here.
Top Ranking “スケジュール管理 (Schedule Management)” Apps
- シンプルカレンダー :スケジュール帳カレンダー(かれんだー)
- TimeTree タイムツリー – カレンダーやメモの共有
- Cahoカレンダー かわいいスケジュール帳カレンダー
- Lifebear カレンダーとスタンプが人気の手帳アプリ
- TickTick: todoリストとタスク管理とカレンダー
- Treeカレンダー シンプルスケジュール管理の人気カレンダー
- ToDoリスト リマインダー通知付きのメモ帳&やることリスト
- minical – シンプルでミニマルなカレンダーアプリ
- Google カレンダー
- Yahoo!カレンダー
Popular Keywords Used in the Titles
- Almost all of the apps utilized the keyword カレンダー (calendar) in their titles as it’s highly related to scheduling.
- Some top apps also emphasizes their apps simplicity by using the keyword シンプル (simple).
- “Todoリスト (To-do list)” also appeared. Good thing to take note of is that Japanese people usually spell it as “ToDo” instead of the usual “to-do” or just “to do.”
- And lastly, we have the スケジュール帳 (schedule book) which appeared 2 out of 10.
Icons: Common Patterns
- Calendar are used in about half of the top apps, emphasizing their primary functionality.
- Checkmarks were also used to emphasize the task list features.
- For differentiation, some apps used Character like an illustration of a girl and also a bear holding a notebook.
Screenshots: Common Patterns
- Usage of the keyword “No.1” seems to be a trend since half of these top 10 apps used it on their screenshots.
- Emphasizing simplicity was also strong. Keywords such as シンプル (simple) were used 3 out of 10
- Another trend is the “Easy to ____”, such as 使いやすい (easy to use), わかりやすい (easy to understand), 見やすい (easy to see)
- “Can understand at a glance” or 一目でわかる was also used by some apps
- A number of these top ranking schedule apps are also selling their cute user interface by using the keyword かわいい (cute) in their screenshots and showing how they can use cute stamps and colors.
Color and Fonts
These schedule management apps are all about simplicity, so these apps also opted for simple fonts like Gothic (ゴシック体) or Sans-serif, and some used Maru Gothic (丸ゴシック体) or Round Gothic to emphasize softness and kawaii.
As for the color, majority of these apps opted for clean white background on their icons as well as on the screenshots. Combining it with pastel colors.
Wrap-up
These findings provide valuable insights for app developers aiming to enter or enhance their presence in the Japanese App Store’s schedule management category. Through the use of ASO index‘s App Explorer feature, we were able to gain valuable insights into the strategies employed by these apps to attract users and stand out in a competitive market. By understanding the keyword trends, common patterns in app features, and design elements preferred by users, developers can tailor their offerings to meet the specific demands of this market. Incorporating simplicity, functionality, and appealing aesthetics, along with strategic use of keywords and visual elements, can enhance app visibility, engagement, and ultimately, user satisfaction.
ASO tool used: ASO index
