In Japan, digital cameras were once considered a household necessity. However the story has changed in the past few years, and smartphones have played a significant role here.
According to a survey conducted by the Japanese Cabinet Office by the end of 2023, only 48.6% of households in the country owned digital cameras. This is the first time since 2004 that the percentage has fallen below 50%. Reportedly, compact cameras are suffering the most. The graphical representation below shows the declining adoption rate of digital cameras in Japan over the years, compared to the increasing adoption of smartphones.
People are willing to trade some superior qualities for an unprecedented accessibility
Over the years, the evolution of smartphone camera systems, combined with easy access to the internet and the ability to share images on social media, has shifted people’s choice for fulfilling their imaging needs. Additionally, a smartphone’s computational photography tricks also make it easier for users to capture good photos without much effort. The most noticeable element in a recent flagship smartphone such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or the Oppo Find X7 Ultra is their camera system.
To top it off, the superior qualities of images captured by dedicated cameras often require trained eyes to be noticed.
The decline in the adoption of digital cameras in Japan has also been confirmed by the Japan International Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA). According to data, the shipment has dropped from 11.11 million units in 2008 to 910,000 units at present. Besides affecting the camera manufacturers, it has also affected the country’s overall competitiveness in the space.
Japan’s home appliance industry is also facing competition. According to the country’s Home Appliances Association, the production of goods in Japan has continued to decline over the past decade, from 7.7 trillion yen in 2000 to 3.8 trillion yen in 2022.
The value of the country’s imports of video recording and playback equipment has reportedly exceeded the value of exports. Specifically, in 2023, the trade balance showed that Japan imported 72.5 billion yen more of this equipment than it exported.
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