Why do the Japanese use LINE instead of WhatsApp?

Anyone who has visited or lives in Japan has noticed that the Japanese use a different app from WhatsApp. They use LINE instead of WhatsApp to communicate. But why do they use this app?

Just like the Xbox is not popular in Japan, WhatsApp is also not. Furthermore, LINE is an app developed by Japanese. Just like the consoles from Sony and Nintendo are also developed by Japanese. The same goes for automobiles.

You won’t see Japanese people driving Chevrolet, Audi, Volkswagen, or Ford. You will only see cars from Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Honda, and Toyota. Why? Because they are Japanese brands. (don’t look at it in a generalized way…)

In short, the Japanese tend to use only what is Japanese. It could be a fear of using a foreign brand (even though the Japanese also consume foreign products). It may be that the Japanese consume national brands because the products meet their requirements and preferences. It’s unknown.

But, to stay on topic, let’s talk about LINE:

The South Korean giant Naver was responsible for creating the LINE app in 2011 to serve as a quick communication solution among employees after the devastating Japanese tsunami. Shortly after, it was released to the public and within 2 years reached 200 million users.

Why is LINE so popular in Japan?

The main feature of LINE is the ability to create groups. The Japanese primarily use the app to communicate with their internal groups. Only secondarily do they get used to connecting with an individual. This is the main attraction for the Japanese.

It’s true that WhatsApp also has this capability to create groups, but foreigners in general prefer to communicate privately with the person.

Another super important factor is that you do not need to provide your phone number to add someone. You can do this through an ID or QR code. You also need to accept a friend request, avoiding receiving messages from strangers.

The interface is unadaptable. This may seem counterintuitive, but in fact, the Japanese were using smartphones, or at least network-connected mobile phones, long before similar phones became popular elsewhere.

The interface of these early devices was navigable by thumb pressure on a keyboard. While LINE operates on a screen, the app is less responsive to the thumb compared to other apps.

For some reason, the Japanese seem to find a sense of comfort in clumsy interfaces on their portable devices.

How did LINE become more popular than WhatsApp?

The app started off very weak. Until they began to include numerous “stickers” for purchase. Again, for inexplicable reasons, young Japanese people spend money on these stickers to “customize” their messages.

With probably the highest number of graphic designers per capita in the history of the universe, this ensures a constant flow of new designs, at a native cultural level.

Not to mention that the same capabilities of WhatsApp already existed in LINE even before they existed in WhatsApp.

It is believed that currently more than 70 million people use this app in Japan. This popularity existed in Japan even before WhatsApp became popular. In 2013, LINE and WhatsApp had a relatively equal user base.