Japan is a curious case in the history of web design. The adoption of technologies based on web standards has been a bit slower due to the complexity of its alphabets and the intricacies of its culture which is truly creative, futuristic, and visually amazing.
Japanese digital art, installations, or games are very expressive and inspirational; but, this tradition has brought about an experimental web ecosystem based on obsolete technologies that have stuck around longer than they should have.
Likewise, although it appears contradictory, companies aimed at the general public seem extremely attached to consumer behavior. Western companies are mostly focused on brand reputation through minimal design, which is the mainstream in Western culture, but this strategy is interpreted by the Japanese consumer as a lack of information and understanding – and this is one of the reasons for the visual “horror vacui” of their electronic commerce. One example of this cultural peculiarity is the Japanese version of the site Rakuten when compared with its international version.
Japanese web design, with all its complexities and idiosyncrasies, is something that really calls our attention and we at Awwwards trust in its creativity becoming more accessible and contributing more to the industry. Take a look at our directory to find more interesting agencies from Japan.
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Starryworks
starryworks.co.jp
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Party
prty.jp
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Akqa
akqa.com
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Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo
wktokyo.jp
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Ficc
ficc.jp
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Simone
ilovesimone.com
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1-10
1-10.com
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SONICJAM
sonicjam.co.jp
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IMG SRC
imgsrc.co.jp
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Mount Inc.
mount.jp
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Rana Extractive Inc.
ranaextractive.com
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Shiftbrain
shiftbrain.co.jp
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HYS Inc.
hys-inc.jp
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FORM PROCESS
form-process.com
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Ground
ground-tokyo.jp
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IN-FOCUS
in-focus.co.jp
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Baquemono
baqemono.jp
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DONGURI
don-guri.com
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Letters Inc.
letters-inc.jp
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S5 Style
s5-style.com