Global e-commerce corporations eBay Japan said on the 27th that it selected "CORE" as the key keyword for the cross-border reverse shopping market linking Korea and Japan in 2026. The decision is based on an analysis of big data on K products within Qoo10.jp, the online open market run by eBay Japan.
CORE is a word made from the first letters of four elements: ▲Care ▲Omnipresent ▲Room & Time Performance ▲Experience. It carries the meaning that Korean culture and K products will move beyond a temporary fad to take root as the core of everyday consumption among Japanese consumers.
Recently in Japan, a "kuro cancel" (苦労キャンセル) culture of trying to cut unnecessary time and effort has been spreading. This is a consumer attitude of avoiding cumbersome processes and managing daily life in simple ways, and demand is expected to grow for products and services that prioritize efficiency and convenience.
In the beauty market, home beauty devices that let people easily manage care at home on a daily basis instead of visiting beauty and hair shops are representative. Demand is also expected to increase for high-functionality care items such as scalp, body, and aging care.
In particular, home beauty devices, which combine the technological strength and user convenience seen as K-beauty's advantages, are drawing attention in Japan as next-generation growth items. According to Qoo10.jp, as of December last year, sales volume in the beauty devices category rose 308% from a year earlier. During the same period, hair care and body care product groups also increased by 13% and 9%, respectively.
eBay Japan said that as the psychological distance from Korean culture decreases and its influence grows, K products will naturally take root across everyday life in Japan. In fact, beyond leading cross-border categories such as K-beauty, food, and fashion, demand for K products is gradually increasing in areas such as inner beauty, K-pop goods, athleisure products, and men's cosmetics.
eBay Japan also plans to increase use of its "Sample Market" (Qoo10.jp's signature service that offers free trial opportunities through a drawing when customers apply to try products) so K products and brands can quickly expand their influence in the Japanese market.
Kim Tae-eun, Deputy Minister at eBay Japan's Growth Support Division, said, "2026 will be a year when K culture and K products take root as the core of everyday life in Japan's cross-border reverse shopping market," adding, "Starting with beauty, we plan to build a differentiated cross-border ecosystem that connects Korean sellers and Japanese consumers so that K products become core consumer areas in the Japanese market across everyday life, including fashion, inner beauty, food, and living."