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Brands The Best Japanese Brands  

Derrick Deane
2.9k votes 570 voters 20.2k views

Some of the biggest companies in the world are based in and began in Japan. From the world's largest automobile manufacturers like Toyota and Honda to leading electronics companies and trendy Japanese clothing brands, Japan has had a huge impact on the global business and consumer market. But which are the best Japanese brands available to consumers?

We've assembled the largest and most popular Japanese companies and brands for your perusal. Do you think Japanese entertainment brands like Sony and Nintendo are the greatest brands Japan has to offer? Or do you prefer their top quality automobiles? If we're talking Japan, you can't forget about the food and major companies like Ajinomoto and Kikkoman are listed here, along with the best whiskey in the world, which just happens to be Japanese. Who knew?!

Of course, Japan is also know for its leading photography companies like Nikon, Canon, and Olympus. Japanese fashion brands have also been taking the world by storm, with exports like Uniqlo and BAPE.

Which Japanese companies and brands from Japan do you think are highest quality and all around best? Vote below and if any of your favorite Japanese companies are missing, be sure to add them for others to vote on!
list ordered by

1
141 49
Toyota is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Motor Vehicles and Passenger Car Bodies, Automotive industry - The world's leading auto manufacturer, valued at $35 billion.

2
153 56
Nintendo is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Consumer electronics, Video game, Interactive entertainment - Home of Mario, Donkey Kong, and other classic video game characters.

3
124 43
Honda Motor Company, Ltd is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Truck, Aerospace, Aviation - Automobiles, generators, lawn mowers, and personal watercraft.

4
153 61
Sony Corporation is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Consumer electronics, Motion Picture and Video Production, Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing - Home of PlayStation, Sony is valued at $8.4 billion.

5
94 34
Panasonic Corporation is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Consumer electronics, Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing, Home appliance - Valued at $5.8 billion, Panasonic is the world's fourth largest television manufacturer.

6
92 38
Toshiba is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing, Electronic Computer Manufacturing, Computer Storage Device Manufacturing - Founded in 1875, Toshiba produces electronics, appliances, IT, and communication equipment.

7
83 35
Lexus is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Automotive industry - The luxury division of Toyota Motor Corporation, Lexus is valued at $2.7 billion.

8
73 29
Canon Inc. is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Photography, Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing, Photographic Equipment and Supplies - Leading company in cameras, printers, and photography accessories. Valued at $11 billion.

9
9 0
Mazda is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added Automotive industry

10
77 36
Suzuki Motor Corporation is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Automotive industry - In addition to cars, Suzuki also makes ATVs, wheelchairs, and outboard marine engines.

11
62 29
Sharp Corporation is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Consumer electronics - Sharp produces televisions, home appliances, mobile phones, and other electronic equipment.

12
68 34
Subaru is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Manufacturing, Motor Industry, Automotive industry - Famous for those hatchbacks, the car company is part of Fuji Heavy Industries.

13
63 31
Mitsubishi Group is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Petroleum industry, Fossil fuel, Automotive industry - Spread out into many sectors including auto, mining, financial services, and more.

14
8 0
Mitsubishi Corporation is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added Food Manufacturing, Construction, Financial Services

15
56 26
Nikon Corporation is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Photographic and Photocopying Equipment Manufacturing, Photographic Equipment and Supplies - Maker of optics and imaging products as well as photography equipment.

16
52 25
Daikin is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Manufacturing, Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing, Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment - An air conditioner manufacturer headquartered in Osaka keeps things cool during summer.

17
58 30
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Financial Services, Motor Vehicles and Passenger Car Bodies, Automotive industry - Auto maker selling cars under the Nissan, Infiniti, Datsun, and NISMO brands.

18
51 26
Hitachi is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Special Industry Machinery, NEC, All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing - Highly diversified company operating in 11 business segments, including electronics.

19
42 23
Bridgestone is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Manufacturing, Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading) - Best known for their automotive tires, they also manufacture golf products and bicycles.

20
42 25
Uniqlo is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Fashion, Clothing, Retail - Stylish (but consumer friendly priced!) casual wear and high quality clothing.

21
45 28
Konica Minolta is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Consumer electronics, Electronics industry - The photography company merged with Japanese company Minolta in 2003 to form Konica Minolta.

22
38 25
Shiseido is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
The fourth largest cosmetics company in the world with an estimated brand value of $2 billion.

23
31 20
Olympus Corporation is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Photographic and Photocopying Equipment Manufacturing, Photographic Equipment and Supplies, Electronics industry - Optics and photography company currently partnered with Sony and Mitsubishi.

24
31 21
Shimano is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Cycling - The $800 million company specializes in cycling components, fishing, and rowing equipment.

25
10 3
PlayStation is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added

26
29 22
Kikkoman is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Best known for their soy sauce they also make alcoholic beverages such as shochu and sake.

27
30 24
ASICS is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Sports equipment, Sportswear - Best known for their running shoes which consistently rank among the top performance footwear.

28
20 15
Komatsu Limited is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Mining, Manufacturing - Construction, mining, and military equipment company valued at $1.9 billion.

29
27 23
Ajinomoto is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing - The food and chemical company is the world's largest producer of the artificial sweetener aspartame.

30
24 22
Suntory is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
One of the oldest distillers in Japan is still making some of the country's best alcohol.

31
23 21
Ricoh is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Photography, Office Machinery Manufacturing, Office Machines - Ricoh primarily manufactures copiers, cameras, printers, and production printing products.

32
5 3
Yakult is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added

33
3 2
Asahi Breweries is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added Malt Beverages, Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing, Beverage industry

34
3 3
Brother Industries is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
theoldhousetm added

35
30 33
A Bathing Ape is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Clothing - Founded in 1993, "BAPE" (as the kids call it) makes trendy street wear style clothing.

36
23 26
Yamazaki is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
This Japanese whiskey won Best Whiskey in the World in 2014, beating all those great Scottish brands.

37
17 20
Korin is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Top of the line Japanese chef's knives following hundreds of years old traditions of and many generations.

38
16 19
Nomura Securities is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Investment banking - Nomura Securities specializes in financial services and management and consulting. 

39
18 22
Unicharm is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Japanese Brands
Primarily sells adult and baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, and pet food.