Meta Begins Testing Ads on Threads in Japan

Meta

Last week, Meta announced the launch of a limited test of ads on Threads, targeting users in Japan and the U.S. This marks a key step in the platform’s monetization, allowing businesses to seamlessly extend their existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads without additional creative work.

As of early 2025, Threads has surpassed 300 million global monthly active users, with Japan emerging as a key market. Notably, 75% of Threads users follow at least one business, presenting strong potential for both organic engagement and paid advertising opportunities.

With Japan’s strong engagement in text-based social media, Threads ads could serve as a powerful top-of-funnel tool, complementing Instagram and Facebook by expanding Meta’s brand awareness inventory and gradually competing with X Advertising.

Other News

  • Micro News

Survey: 52.3% of Japanese respondents search with generative AI
52.3% of 9,278 respondents aged 15–69 use generative AI, including Google AI Mode, for search (AdverTimes, September 9; fielded August 7–10). The figure was 21.3% in May 2025. 58.7% say an AI recommendation led to a purchase. One survey, one vendor, but the direction is consistent with earlier waves.

For foreign brands in Japan, the AI answer is becoming a purchase touchpoint. Check how ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI Mode describe your products in Japanese before Q4.

▶ AdverTimes (September 9, 2026)

Japanese Consumers Search on Generative Engines
  • Micro News

OpenAI added product carousels to ChatGPT ads, showing several items in a single ad slot.
The format arrived three months after OpenAI let retailers bulk-create product-feed campaigns.

OpenAI’s system decides whether a query returns a single-product ad or a carousel — the advertiser does not choose. For brands in Japan, that moves the work upstream to the product feed. Japanese product names, prices, and stock status decide what appears. Audit the feed before year-end trading.

▶ DIGIDAY Japan, August 17, 2026.

ChatGPT Carousel mock-up
  • Blog

LINE for Luxury & Fashion Brands in Japan: The 2026 CRM Playbook — first-party data, clienteling, and segmentation over reach.

Line icon on smartphone
  • Micro News

OpenAI job listings show six ad formats in development: text, image, video, native, conversational, and interactive (DIGIDAY Japan, July 9, 2026). Three ad-format engineering roles cover infrastructure, iOS, and Android. The company spent its first four months building the ad business foundation. For foreign brands in Japan, ChatGPT is becoming a paid channel with formats beyond search-style text. Budget owners should reserve test spend before Japanese inventory opens. Early advertisers set the benchmarks.

ChatGPT Ads revenue logo