Japanese Skincare Label Fas Triples Sales, Growing 300% Each Year
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Japanese beauty label Fas has tripled sales since launching in 2023, expanding revenue by 300% each year as it builds an international presence beyond legacy domestic brands.
Incubated by Sirok, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based entertainment and digital advertising group CyberAgent, the business held its first standalone pop-up in Harajuku in early October. Minami Inoue, founding brand manager at Fas and managing director at Sirok, is leading the company’s push toward long-term brand equity.
The label sources fermented black rice extract from Kyotango in Kyoto Prefecture, retailing its core Black Essence toner for JPY 11,550 ($73) for 200 millilitres. Its lineup also includes Black Lift eye cream priced at JPY 16,500 ($105) for 15 millilitres and a daytime SPF50+ cream at JPY 6,600 ($42) for 40 millilitres.
Instead of investing in heavy advertising, Fas has swiftly won over locals by connecting organically with discerning tastemakers, such as editors, makeup artists and stylists, who have become fans and now spread the word through peer-to-peer advocacy. That trust has been enhanced by a strong presence in Japan’s top luxury department stores, such as Isetan and Hankyu, which are notoriously risk-averse, usually only stocking names that carry generational heritage.
Department Store Allotments and VIP Concierge Sales
Fas was welcomed at Isetan because of its Japanese roots, clear ingredient communication, and customer trust in its “still-small number of SKUs”, a buyer for the department store tells Vogue Business. Fas’s reasonable price point appeals to customers, particularly gaisho clients, high-net-worth VIPs who buy luxury goods through personal shoppers and concierge services, the buyer adds.
Unlike the typical, Western beauty origin story, where an entrepreneur launches a specialized startup and scales through venture capital, Fas does not have a single founder. Instead, it was birthed by Tokyo-based Sirok, a subsidiary of the Japanese entertainment conglomerate CyberAgent, better known for its video games and digital advertising business.
Having the backing of a company like Sirok means a certain level of credibility, financial security and operational infrastructure, significantly reducing the perceived risk for consumers and investors, says Minami Inoue, a prominent Japanese beauty executive, who currently serves as Fas’s founding brand manager and managing director at Sirok. But beauty is a highly emotional, high-trust consumer vertical, unlike tech and gaming, which have historically more utilitarian reputations.
“We are not trying to make instant sales,”
Why Tokyo Prefers Science Over Speed
For Fas, Inoue emphasizes the importance of building trust over time, rather than quick tricks. “We are not trying to make instant sales,” says Inoue, who herself hails from Kyoto. “We want to make this last as long as possible and for Fas to become a major beauty company.” Since launching in 2023, sales have tripled, growing 300% each year, she adds.
Encouraged by the early positive reception, Fas is now betting that Japanese traditions and meticulous craftsmanship will resonate with modern skincare consumers around the world. Can it succeed in convincing shoppers to return over the long term?
The J-beauty opportunity
Fas’s rise comes amid the Japanese government’s attempt to boost its cultural exports, creating favorable conditions for a brand like Fas.
Experts point to South Korea as the blueprint for treating culture as a primary strategic asset; rather than letting cultural trends grow organically, the Korean government has heavily funded and structurally supported the global distribution of Korean dramas, food, music, and beauty. Japan’s soft power, however, is historically fragmented. While iconic gaming and film franchises like Nintendo or Studio Ghibli are massive hits, they largely succeeded through private funding rather than a top-down government push.
In 2013, the Japanese government launched the Cool Japan Fund to promote Japanese culture abroad. However, a lack of industry expertise and poor investment decisions resulted in cumulative losses of JPY 54 billion ($340 million). In a revised strategy released in 2024, the government said it planned to refocus on specific industries like gaming, tourism, beauty and fashion, and grow the combined market size of these sectors from JPY 30 trillion to JPY 50 trillion ($189 billion to $316 billion) by 2033.
“It was more lifestyle and anime-focused before; J-beauty wasn’t really part of it. Some of the investments made were not really the right choice,” says Aasmi Iida, senior executive officer at Trenders Inc., a Tokyo-based marketing and investment firm. The success that South Korea has seen with its beauty exports helped to open the government’s eyes, she believes. “As you know, Japanese food and Japanese music are so common in the world, but not Japanese beauty.”
“Compared with K-beauty, many Japanese brands have been slower to build international visibility,” agrees Aya Suzuki, Euromonitor International’s senior analyst based in Tokyo. “That said, today’s beauty landscape may be more favorable for J-beauty. Its strengths in science-based efficacy, prevention, craftsmanship and long-term care align closely with growing consumer interest in longevity, wellness, and authenticity
Questions & Answers
Q.How is Fas structured differently from typical beauty startups?
How is Fas structured differently from typical beauty startups?
Unlike traditional Western startups funded by venture capital, Fas was incubated by Sirok, a subsidiary of the Japanese digital advertising and gaming conglomerate CyberAgent. This backing provides the brand with financial security, established operational infrastructure, and enhanced credibility among risk-averse consumers and department stores.
Q.How did the label build brand awareness without heavy advertising?
How did the label build brand awareness without heavy advertising?
Fas relied on peer-to-peer advocacy from creative tastemakers, including editors, stylists, and makeup artists. It also gained credibility by securing distribution in luxury department stores such as Isetan and Hankyu, attracting high-net-worth VIP clients who purchase goods through concierge and personal shopping services.
Q.What key ingredients and products make up the Fas skincare range?
What key ingredients and products make up the Fas skincare range?
The brand formulates its products using fermented black rice extract sourced from Kyotango in Kyoto Prefecture. Its concise range includes the flagship Black Essence toner priced at JPY 11,550, as well as an eye cream and a daytime SPF50+ cream.
Q.How does the Japanese government plan to support the domestic beauty industry abroad?
How does the Japanese government plan to support the domestic beauty industry abroad?
Under a revised export strategy launched in 2024, the government is refocusing on industries such as beauty, fashion, and gaming. It aims to grow the combined overseas market value of these sectors from JPY 30 trillion to JPY 50 trillion by 2033.
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