TikTok has launched its e-commerce platform in Japan, enabling users to directly buy products featured in videos, as the app continues to face an uncertain future in the US.
TikTok Shop’s launch in Japan on Monday confirms the Post’s earlier report that the popular short-video app is seeking to diversify its global footprint while reducing its reliance on the US market, as President Donald Trump has demanded the app’s US operations be sold to American investors.
Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Monday that he had found a buyer for TikTok, but the completion of the deal required Beijing’s approval.
TikTok’s future in the US remains in limbo, with the deadline for ByteDance to secure a local buyer having been postponed twice by Trump, with the latest extension ending in October.
Japan is TikTok Shop’s 17th market, following launches in the US, the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, among others.
The launch of TikTok Shop in Japan introduces another Chinese player to the country’s e-commerce market, which already includes platforms like Temu and Shein. Last year, Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the Post, also launched a special cross-border e-commerce service, Tao, for Japanese consumers.
