Localized/Store & growth

Localizing Your App Name and Subtitle for the Japanese App Store

How to choose a Japanese app name and subtitle: when to keep romaji, when to add katakana, and how to write a subtitle that ranks and reads naturally.

8 min read·1,700 words·Updated May 2026

The app name and subtitle are the two strings Apple weights most heavily for ranking, and they're also what users read first. Getting them right for Japan involves decisions that don't exist in English. This article walks through them.

For broader listing strategy, see the Japanese ASO complete guide.

What You're Optimizing For

Three things, in order:

  1. Recognition — the user sees the name and recognizes the brand or category.
  2. Search ranking — the name and subtitle drive ranking on target keywords.
  3. Trust — the name and subtitle look like they belong in the JP store.

If you optimize only for ranking (keyword-stuffed name) you lose trust. If you optimize only for trust (clean brand name only) you lose ranking. The right answer balances both.

App Name: Three Options

Option 1: Keep the brand name in romaji

Works for most apps. Japanese App Store users are fluent at reading Latin alphabet brand names, especially short ones.

Notion Spotify Duolingo Headspace

You add a category descriptor in Japanese to fill out characters and capture some search volume:

Notion - メモ・タスク管理 Spotify - 音楽配信 Duolingo - 言語学習 Headspace: 瞑想・睡眠

The descriptor uses 「-」 or 「：」 as a separator, then a Japanese category-defining phrase.

Option 2: Add a katakana reading after the brand

Useful when:

  • Your brand is hard to pronounce or transliterate.
  • Your brand is a real word in English that Japanese users won't recognize.
  • You want the brand in voice search results.

Notion ノーション Whoop ウープ

The downside: it consumes characters that could go to keywords.

Option 3: Translate or rename for Japan

Rare. Only when:

  • The English name is descriptive ("Voice Notes," "Photo Editor"), and translating it produces a name users would actually search.
  • The English brand has cultural baggage in Japan (rare but real).

If your brand is "Voice Notes," renaming to 「ボイスメモ」 may be right. If your brand is "Notion," do not rename.

The 30-Character Limit

The Japanese app name limit is 30 characters. Each Japanese character counts as 1 (not 2). This is the same limit as English in character count, but Japanese characters carry more meaning per character, so 30 chars is more useful in Japanese than in English.

A workable structure:

  • Brand name (2–10 chars)
  • Separator (1 char: 「-」 or 「：」)
  • Category descriptor (10–18 chars)

Example budget for 30 chars:

  • 「Notion - メモ・タスク管理」 = 16 chars
  • 「Spotify - 音楽・ポッドキャスト」 = 19 chars
  • 「Duolingo - 英語・語学学習」 = 19 chars

What the Category Descriptor Should Be

Best practice: the most-searched, highest-intent keyword phrase that describes your app's primary function.

For a habit tracker:

  • ❌ 「最高の習慣化アプリ」 — keyword stuffing with hyperbole
  • ❌ 「あなたの目標を達成」 — vague, no keyword
  • ✅ 「習慣化・目標管理」 — clear, keyword-dense

The descriptor should:

  • Name your category clearly.
  • Use the highest-volume keyword for that category.
  • Read as natural Japanese.
  • Stay under 18 characters to leave headroom for the brand.

The Subtitle (30 Characters)

The subtitle is the highest-leverage 30 characters in the listing. Three patterns work:

Pattern A: Promise + qualifier

写真編集を、ワンタップで。 (Photo editing, in one tap.)

Pattern B: Number + outcome

1日3分で、続く健康習慣 (Healthy habits that stick, 3 minutes a day.)

Pattern C: Object + verb-noun

日々の支出を、自動で管理 (Daily spending, managed automatically.)

All three pack a keyword-rich claim into under 30 chars.

What not to put in the subtitle

  • Brand name (already in the app name) — wastes characters.
  • Hyperbolic phrases — 「世界一の」「最高の」 — read as marketing rather than utility.
  • Words you've already used in the app name — the index gives you no extra credit for repetition.
  • 「！」 in the middle of the line — feels desperate.

Worked Examples by Category

Productivity / Note app

  • App name: TaskFlow - タスク・メモ管理 (18 chars)
  • Subtitle: シンプルで続けやすい、タスク管理 (15 chars)

Photo editor

  • App name: PhotoCraft - 写真編集 (15 chars)
  • Subtitle: ワンタップで、プロ品質の写真加工 (16 chars)

Habit tracker

  • App name: Habitly - 習慣化トラッカー (17 chars)
  • Subtitle: 1日3分で、続けられる習慣づくり (15 chars)

Finance / Budget

  • App name: BudgetMate - 家計簿アプリ (17 chars)
  • Subtitle: 自動連携で、家計を楽に管理 (12 chars)

Language learning

  • App name: SpeakUp - 英会話・スピーキング (18 chars)
  • Subtitle: 1日5分のシャドーイングで上達 (14 chars)

Meditation / Wellness

  • App name: CalmDay - 瞑想・睡眠アプリ (15 chars)
  • Subtitle: 1日3分の瞑想で、心を整える (13 chars)

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Translating the English subtitle word-for-word

US subtitle: "The world's best habit tracker." Direct translation: 「世界一の習慣トラッカー」 JP-natural: 「続けたい習慣を、毎日サポート」

The direct translation is grammatically fine and absolutely useless. It uses superlatives the JP store doesn't reward and contains no high-volume keywords. The native rewrite captures the value prop using terms users actually search.

Mistake 2: Stuffing the subtitle with keywords

The subtitle has to read naturally. Apple has been demoting subtitles that look like keyword lists since around 2018.

❌ 「習慣化・目標達成・トラッカー・記録・管理」 ✅ 「目標達成のための、習慣管理アプリ」

The keyword field exists for keyword stuffing. The subtitle is for keyword-aware natural language.

Mistake 3: Using English in the subtitle

Some teams keep the subtitle in English to "look international." Japanese users read this as "this app wasn't made for me." Use Japanese.

Mistake 4: Generic descriptor

「使いやすいアプリ」 「便利なツール」 「あなたを助けます」

These are space-fillers with no information value. Replace with the specific value proposition.

Subtitle vs. App Name Keyword Allocation

You have two 30-character slots that influence ranking. Don't repeat keywords across them — Apple gives no extra credit for repetition.

Strategy:

  • App name: brand + primary category keyword.
  • Subtitle: secondary keyword + value qualifier.

Example for a meditation app:

  • App name: CalmDay - 瞑想アプリ (primary: 瞑想)
  • Subtitle: 睡眠と心の安定を、1日3分から (secondary: 睡眠, 心)

Now you're indexed for 瞑想, 睡眠, 心, plus the compounds the tokenizer derives.

When to Update the Name or Subtitle

Reasonable triggers:

  • Your category's high-volume keyword has shifted (e.g., new dominant loanword).
  • Your competitive set has converged on a phrasing you're not using.
  • Your conversion rate is below category benchmark.
  • A major feature launch changes your value proposition.

Don't update for the sake of updating. Each update resets some of your search-rank momentum.

Localizing the Promotional Text

Promotional text is the 170-character field that Apple lets you edit without resubmitting the build. It appears at the top of the description.

A pattern that works in JP:

[trust signal] [time-bound feature or campaign] [CTA]

Example:

累計100万ダウンロード突破！ 3月限定キャンペーン中、今なら3か月間無料でお試しいただけます。 ぜひこの機会に。

This text doesn't get indexed for search. Use it for time-sensitive messaging, campaign callouts, or fresh trust signals.

A Self-Check

  • App name has brand + JP category descriptor.
  • App name uses 「-」 or 「：」 as separator.
  • App name is under 30 characters.
  • Subtitle has a different keyword set than the app name.
  • Subtitle reads as natural Japanese, not keyword list.
  • No 「最高の」「世界一の」 hyperbole in subtitle.
  • No exclamation marks mid-subtitle.
  • No English text in subtitle (except brand names).
  • Promotional text has been localized to JP.

Where to Go Next

We write Japanese app names, subtitles, and promotional text aligned to your category's actual search behavior. Contact us for a name+subtitle audit.