Korean consumer goods exports have surpassed USD 10 bn for the first time, with cosmetics leading the charge. In Japan, Korean cosmetics now account for 30.1% of total imports, outpacing France (24.3%) and maintaining the No.1 position for three consecutive years. Beyond cosmetics, demand is rapidly expanding into health supplements, beauty devices, and lifestyle products.

Much of this growth has come from indie brands with strong product planning and value-for-money positioning—63% of exporters in 2023 were SMEs. Yet these brands face high barriers in Japan, including strict certifications, complex customs and tax procedures, and hurdles in establishing local entities or meeting platform requirements.

PoPoKii is a cross-border distribution platform that addresses this challenge through ”gifting”. As the No.1 Korean brand distributor on LINE Gift Japan, PoPoKii stands out not simply as an aggregator but as an operator that has redesigned the UX around gifting—delivering seasonal product bundling, curated sets, and localized review management to achieve differentiated results.

Why We Invested

・Tailwind from LINE Gift’s Growth

Compared to Korea’s KakaoTalk gifting, Japan’s market is still in its early stage—only about one-quarter the transaction volume and one-fifth the number of brands. This highlights the huge growth potential of the Japanese market, with LINE Gift now entering a new expansion phase. As a top-selling Korean brand partner, PoPoKii is strategically positioned to benefit, especially as physical, delivery-based gifts outpace e-gifts.

・A Clear Path to Scalability

PoPoKii has already proven itself in B2C physical gifting and is now expanding into B2B. While today’s corporate gifting in Japan is dominated by e-gift coupons, PoPoKii focuses on curated physical gifts that deliver emotional impact and richer brand experiences. This approach creates structural defensibility—through product selection, curation, import, and logistics—avoiding the margin pressure and commoditization risks of e-gift models. With premium offerings, custom packaging, and enterprise-focused features, PoPoKii is opening new value in the B2B gifting market.

A Cross-Cultural, Execution-Driven Team

Korea’s digital gifting culture shows a globally unique level of maturity, built on product variety, simple UX, and rich gifting contexts. The PoPoKii team deeply understands both Korean and Japanese cultures, and the founders bring practical experience and networks in brand operations and distribution. They are especially strong at localizing and reinterpreting Korea’s gifting experience for the Japanese market, with a proven ability to execute quickly.

We believe PoPoKii is just getting started, and the company is well-positioned to shape the future of digital gifting in Japan. As gifting continues to evolve into a richer and more personal experience, we look forward to supporting PoPoKii on its journey to bring more brands into the hands—and hearts—of Japanese consumers.

If you are a brand interested in expanding into Japan, we’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to reach out anytime.

👉 contact@popokii.com

PoPoKii

https://www.popokii.com