If you’ve ever visited a Japanese website, you might have noticed something peculiar—they often look cluttered, text-heavy, and, well, a little outdated compared to sleek Western websites. At first glance, this might seem like poor design, but there’s actually a lot more to it. These design choices are rooted in cultural preferences, practical needs, and even technological history. Let’s break it down.
1. Packed With Information
Japanese users love details. Whether it’s a shopping site, a government page, or a restaurant’s website, people expect all the information to be available up front. That’s why Japanese websites often cram a lot of content onto a single page—menus, images, prices, FAQs, and contact details all in one place. While it might look overwhelming to someone used to minimalist designs, it ensures nothing is missed by the user.
2. Tradition Over Trends
In Japan, tradition is important, and that extends to design. Many businesses stick with older web layouts because they work, and their audience is comfortable with them. Flashy redesigns or trendy, minimalistic interfaces could alienate customers who value familiarity over novelty.
3. Mobile-First, and Sometimes Mobile-Old
Japan has been a mobile-first society for years, with people browsing the web on their phones long before it was common elsewhere. Many Japanese websites are optimized for older mobile devices and slower networks, which means they prioritize function over form. As a result, designs may lean toward simplicity and compatibility rather than cutting-edge visuals.
4. Ease of Navigation
Japanese websites often cater to a wide range of users, including older generations who may not be as tech-savvy. To make navigation easier for everyone, they rely on visible menus, links, and clickable options—sometimes all on the same page. While this makes sites look cluttered, it ensures that people can find what they need without having to dig through multiple layers.
5. Limited Investment in Design
For many Japanese businesses, especially small ones, a website is seen as a utility rather than a showcase. It’s there to provide information or process orders, not to impress visitors with a sleek interface. Because of this, companies often don’t spend much on design updates, resulting in sites that might look dated by global standards.
6. Language and Text Layout
The Japanese language naturally takes up more space than English because of the complexity of kanji, hiragana, and katakana characters. Plus, Japanese readers are accustomed to dense layouts with lots of text, so they don’t find these designs overwhelming. For them, it’s normal and expected.
7. Legacy Systems
Many Japanese websites were built years ago on old systems, and overhauling these can be expensive and time-consuming. Instead, businesses tend to update content without changing the overall structure or appearance, which can leave the site looking like it’s stuck in a time capsule.
The Bigger Picture
While Japanese websites might seem outdated to outsiders, they’re designed with the local audience in mind. The cluttered layouts, heavy text, and familiar navigation aren’t accidents—they’re deliberate choices that prioritize functionality and user comfort over global design trends.
So, next time you stumble upon a Japanese website that feels like a blast from the past, take a moment to appreciate why it’s designed that way. It’s not about keeping up with trends; it’s about serving the people who use it.
