Brand Finance’s Global 500 2026 report reveals 33 leading Japanese brands are collectively valued at $489.9 billion
TOKYO, 21 January 2026 – Japan ranks fourth globally in total brand value, just behind the US, China, and Germany, with its leading 33 brands featured in the Global 500 2026 ranking now worth $489.9 billion, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy.
The Japanese automobile sector in the global ranking now stands at USD118.2 billion, with Toyota (brand value down 3% to USD62.7 billion) leading the pack. While its brand value dipped slightly, the automotive titan climbs four places to become the world’s 15th strongest brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.5/100 and an AAA+ brand strength rating. Additionally, the brand is also the only Japanese representative in the top 20 league of the Global 500 2026.
Japan’s second-largest industry in the Global 500 rankings is the diversified sector, with a total brand value of USD111 billion. The sector is led by Mitsubishi Group (brand value down 10% to USD36.4 billion), Sumitomo Group (brand value up 25% to USD31.2 billion), and Mitsui Group (brand value up 20% to USD30.5 billion), highlighting a strong rebound among some conglomerates even as others face headwinds.
Japan’s next-largest contributor within the global ranking is the telecommunications sector, with a combined brand value of USD67.6 billion, led by NTT Group (brand value up 13% to USD41.9 billion). Notably, NTT Group also surged 96 ranks since 2025, becoming the 214th strongest brand globally with a BSI score of 79.1/100, underscoring its renewed momentum.
Alex Haigh, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Brand Finance, commented:
“Japan’s performance in the Global 500 2026 reflects a market that is becoming more selective, not weaker. While growth is uneven across sectors, the brands that are investing in long-term relevance through technology, operational resilience, and clear strategic focus, are pulling decisively ahead.Toyota’s continued strength and NTT Group’s sharp rise in brand strength show that Japanese brands can still compete at the very top when they balance heritage with adaptation. The challenge now is scale: translating domestic leadership into sustained global brand momentum.”
Other notable Japanese brand achievements include:
Global Insights: NVIDIA’s brand now more valuable than Facebook and Walmart; Microsoft closes in on Apple
Apple retains its position as the world’s most valuable brand with a 6% brand value growth to USD607.6 billion. Behind Apple, Microsoft, (Up 23% to USD565.2 billion) Google, (up 5% to USD433.1 billion) and Amazon (up 4% to USD369.9 billion) have retained second, third, and fourth positions in the Global 500 ranking, demonstrating the continued dominance of leading US technology brands.
NVIDIA has climbed four ranks from 2025 to become the world’s fifth-most valuable brand. NVIDIA’s brand value has more than doubled since 2025, rising 110% to USD184.3 billion, reflecting its central role in powering global AI infrastructure.
YouTube has become the world’s strongest brand, with a BSI score of 95.3 out of 100, rising from eighth place in 2025. WeChat has slipped to second place with a BSI score of 95.1 out of 100, while Microsoft climbs eight places to third with 94.7. All three brands, YouTube, WeChat and Microsoft, retain the AAA+ rating, highlighting their enduring strength and global influence.
Revolut has emerged as the fastest growing brand among the world’s 500 most valuable brands.
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, 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.
