New Brand Finance’s research shows that the combined value of Japan’s top 300 brands stands at JPY108.0 trillion
TOKYO, 28 August 2025 – Toyota maintains its iron grip as Japan’s most valuable brand for a decade, as the nation’s top 300 brands experienced a 6% year-on-year growth to JPY108.0 trillion in 2025, according to the latest Japan 300 2025 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
This year’s rankings are dominated by brands from the automotive, telecoms, and insurance sectors, reflecting their strong market performance and brand investment. In contrast, food and tobacco brands experienced a significant decline, signalling shifting consumer preferences and regulatory pressures.
Toyota saw its brand value rise 20% to JPY9.3 trillion in 2025. The rise reflects the brand’s strong financial performance, including revenue and profit exceeding expectations and an upward revision of its annual profit forecast following a robust Q3 2024 results. Brand Finance’s research data indicates Toyota continues to enjoy high brand equity across Asia, where it is recognised for quality, innovation, and reliability in key markets such as India, Malaysia, Singapore, China, and Vietnam.
Coming in second is Mitsubishi Group, with a 10% brand value increase to JPY5.8 trillion, driven by Mitsubishi Electric’s recovery and strong demand across automation and infrastructure segments. Telecoms giant NTT Group overtook Honda (brand value up 6% to JPY4.1 trillion) to come in third, with a 16% increase in brand value to JPY5.3 trillion, driven by its digital consolidation, global data centre expansions, and strong momentum in AI and cloud services.
SECOM (brand value up 13% to JPY415.8 billion) is Japan’s strongest brand ranked in 2025, earning a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 95.6/100 and a AAA+ brand strength rating. As the nation’s first security services provider, SECOM commands deep trust and familiarity, with a dominant local presence and operations in over 15 countries.
Ranking as the second and third strongest Japanese brands of 2025 are soft drinks brand Iyemon (brand value down 6% to JPY41.6 billion) and security services provider ALSOK (brand value up 45% to JPY99.1 billion) with BSI scores of 95.1/100 and 93.9/100 respectively. Both brands earned an AAA+ brand strength rating.
Meanwhile, NRI saw its brand value double to JPY307.0 billion, making it the fastest growing brand ranked in Japan this year. Its surge reflects the brand’s leadership in AI, digital transformation, and sustainability. By combining digital expertise with forward-looking social responsibility, NRI is positioning itself as a global leader in AI-driven transformation.
Alex Haigh, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Brand Finance, commented:
“Japan’s leading brands are showing how deep-rooted sectors like automotive, telecoms, and security can thrive through innovation. Toyota and Mitsubishi Group continue to deliver scale with agility, while NTT and NRI demonstrate how digital transformation is reshaping Japan’s tech and consulting landscape. At the same time, brands like SECOM and ALSOK prove that trust and technology are not mutually exclusive. Together, these brands reflect a broader shift in Japan’s economy; one that balances heritage with bold reinvention.”
In addition to being Japan’s most valuable brand, Toyota also recorded the highest Sustainability Perceptions Value (SPV) among Japanese brands ranked. According to the recently released Sustainability Perceptions Index 2025, the brand’s Sustainability Perceptions Value stands at JPY1.2 trillion, which represents the amount of brand value attributable to being seen as committed to sustainability.
In the Brand Guardianship Index (BGI) 2025, Japanese CEOs are driving global brand influence through strategic, ethical leadership. Leading the pack is Hiroshi Shimizu, CEO (at the time of survey, currently Chairman) of Nissay/Nippon Life Insurance, with a BGI score of 75.6/100, recognised for strategic vision, positive change, and sustainability. He led Nippon Life’s global expansion through key 2024 acquisitions and strengthened sustainability and digital initiatives in a tough domestic market.
Katsuya Nakanishi, CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation, ranks second with a BGI score of 74.7/100 for transforming Mitsubishi and enhancing its global competitiveness. He has deepened energy partnerships and committed JPY2tn to renewables and hydrogen, reinforcing Mitsubishi’s future-focused strategy.
Akira Shimada, CEO of NTT Group, places third with a BGI score of 74.2/100, recognised for driving NTT’s sustainability and innovation agenda. He launched a JPY8 trillion growth plan, fast-tracked net-zero goals, and introduced an Industry AI Cloud with Toyota.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
