No.3664
Women’s and Men’s Underwear Retail Market in Japan: Key Research Findings 2024
Women’s Underwear Retail Market in 2023 Declined to 99.8% of Prior Year to 552,500 Million Yen, Men’s Underwear Retail Market Fell to 99.6% Likewise to 228,000 Million Yen
Yano Research Institute (the President, Takashi Mizukoshi) has carried out a survey on the domestic retail market of women’s and men’s underwear, and found out the trends by product category, the trends by market players, and future outlook.


Market Overview
The women’s underwear retail market in 2023 decreased to 552,500 million yen (based on the retail value), or 99.8% of the previous year's size, marking the second consecutive year of decline. Non-wire (wire-free) bras and camisoles/tops with built-in bras continued to sell well. This reflects a larger trend in women’s intimate apparel, with an increasing variety of “liberating” or “comfortable” products and seamless underwear.
Meanwhile, as opportunities to go out have increased since the end of the pandemic, the variety of bras that provide slightly more support and lift than non-wire bras has increased, indicating that women’s awareness of appearance is returning to pre-pandemic levels each year.
The men’s underwear retail market in 2023 also decreased to 99.6% of the prior year to 228,000 million yen (based on the retail value), the second consecutive year of decline. Since men’s underwear has fewer product variations than women’s, the market rarely sees trendy items. However, as each company has developed men's lace underwear, or underwear with a sheer feel or a deodorant function, men’s underwear options are increasing.
The legwear retail market in 2023 decreased to 502,000 million yen (based on the retail value), 99.0% of the previous year. The rate of decline eased from the preceding year, but the negative growth of the market continued. The stagnation of the market owes to the decline in sales of pantyhose, which used to be a necessity for working women. Reduced opportunities to wear pantyhose during the pandemic led to sluggish sales, which have not recovered even after the pandemic.
Noteworthy Topics
Trend of Other Underwear Products
The domestic intimate apparel market faces the structural problem of a declining population with fewer children and an aging population.
Each underwear manufacturer is adopting a strategy to ensure profitability by launching high value-added products with improved materials or wearer comfort, thereby offsetting the decline in sales volume with increased spending per customer.
Future Outlook
The women’s underwear market size based on the retail value for 2024 is forecast to level off at 552,000 million yen, 99.9% of the previous year. As it is expected to be difficult to restore the market size to back to what it was after COVID, due to waning population and changing lifestyles, offering new women’s underwear suitable for new lifestyles is the key for every underwear manufacturer to survive and grow.
The men’s underwear market size in terms of retail value is forecast to remain unchanged or slightly decrease to 227,000 yen in 2024, 99.6% of the previous year. Compared with women’s underwear, men’s underwear has less functional or design appeal, which makes it difficult for manufacturers to promote value-added products. The key is to change the conventional consumer behavior of buying low-priced, affordable products to motivate them to buy more comfortable or more functional products.
The recent rise in material prices and the weaker yen have prompted every manufacturer to raise prices for both women’s and men’s intimate apparel. As further price increases are expected, it is important for each manufacturer to consider how to make consumers willingly accept the added value and further price increase.
Research Outline
2.Research Object: Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and other businesses in the underwear and legwear market
3.Research Methogology: Face-to-face interviews (including online) by specialized researchers, survey via telephone/FAX, mailed questionnaire, and literature research
What are the Women’s & Men’s Underwear Market and Legwear Market?
In this research, the women’s underwear market includes shapewear such as bras and girdles, lingerie (the term refers to seductive undergarments), panties, and other innerwear (garments worn on or near the skin). The men’s underwear market includes undershirts (sleeveless undershirts [vests]) and underwear such as boxers and briefs. The legwear market includes socks, tights, and pantyhose (nylons). The size of each market is calculated based on the retail price.
<Products and Services in the Market>
Women’s underwear, men’s underwear, legwear
Published Report
Contact Us
The copyright and all other rights pertaining to this report belong to Yano Research Institute.
Please contact our PR team when quoting the report contents for the purpose other than media coverage.
Depending on the purpose of using our report, we may ask you to present your sentences for confirmation beforehand.