TikTok readying to enter Japan’s e-commerce market

Chinese social media platform TikTok will enter the online shopping industry in Japan within the next few months, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday.

The company is preparing to recruit sellers soon for its e-commerce arm TikTok Shop in Japan, Nikkei said, citing a source involved in the operations.

TikTok Shop, where users can run livestreams selling everything from sneakers to eyeshadow and earn a commission on sales, is known for discounted products.

TikTok is looking to expand its business outside of the US, where it awaits a deal that will secure its presence in the country. In March, TikTok Shop launched to users in France, Germany, and Italy on Monday, expanding its reach further into Europe.

Last week, US president Donald Trump said a deal over the fate of the social media platform may have to wait, as he signaled a potential end to the tit-for-tat tariff hikes between the US and China that shocked markets.

Earlier, Trump had extended the deadline to spin off the US assets of TikTok for the second time in April and reassured a potential deal is still “on the table”.

The future of TikTok in the US, used by nearly half of all Americans, has been up in the air since a 2024 law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, required China-based parent, ByteDance, to divest the app by January 19.