Those who are now heading towards their fourth decade have undoubtedly grown up with a large number of Japanese brands at home: Panasonic, Hitachi, Sharp, and Fujitsu just to name the most well-known. Yet, without us noticing, those once-familiar brands have silently slipped away from our homes in recent years, replaced by South Korean appliances (Samsung and LG above all) and Chinese ones (from Hisense to Xiaomi). The Japanese Sony, which recently decided to focus on home entertainment and, therefore, also on the TV division to avoid the fate of its compatriots, has decided to ally with the Chinese leader: TCL.
IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM…
According to the latest global sales data released as usual by Counterpoint at the end of May, the Land of the Rising Sun still struggles to rise in the world of televisions. Samsung once again confirms itself as the undisputed leader, with an 8 percent growth, but Chinese TCL made a 20 percent leap in the quarter. This is also thanks to the unprecedented alliance with Sony, which allowed it to control the Bravia division at 51 percent (the remaining 49 is still in Japanese hands).
The operation, with an estimated total value of about 102.8 billion yen – approximately 640 million euros – seems to give TCL the right boost to challenge the South Korean giant. But above all, it says a lot about the inability of Japanese brands to still make their way alone and without external supports in a sector where, throughout the 1990s and the early part of the next millennium, they seemed to have no rivals: technology.
PANASONIC YIELDS TO CHINESE SKYWORTH
Further proof of what has just been written comes from another Sino-Japanese alliance. Earlier this year, one of Sony’s most well-known compatriots, which had long established itself with its televisions in living rooms worldwide, namely Panasonic, actually handed over the TV division to the Chinese Skyworth, which claims to be “among the top three global suppliers of the Android TV platform.” Not a true divestment, but a partnership in which the Japanese will play a marginal role.
“Under the agreement, the new partner will lead sales, marketing, and logistics across the region, while Panasonic will provide its expertise and quality assurance to support its renowned audiovisual standards with full joint development on high-end OLED models,” announced the Japanese company according to the specialized outlet FlatpanelsHD.
A significant downsizing for a company that at the beginning of the 2010s controlled over 40% of the global plasma TV market, as recalled by TechSpot. However, the Japanese multinational was no longer able to maintain the same market shares with the rise of other technologies used in the creation of widescreen TVs, to the point of withdrawing from the US market in 2016, only to return in 2024, but remaining on the sidelines.
WHO THREW IN THE TOWEL
Not all Japanese brands fought until their strength was exhausted, like true samurai. Other protagonists of our movie-and-popcorn evenings such as Sharp, Toshiba, Hitachi, and Pioneer have long since abandoned the sector, leaving the market to rivals. A significant problem for the economy of the entire Japanese archipelago, already burdened by debt at 240 percent of GDP and grappling with the now unavoidable aging of the population, which is not offset by birth rates: in 2025, approximately 705,800 newborns were registered across Japan, yet another historic low since the beginning of statistical surveys in 1899.
SETTING SUN ON JAPANESE HI-TECH?
Also because the entire industry risks yielding ground to rivals from the area, from South Korea to China. In the automotive field, Toyota is the best-selling car in the world, but the decision not to focus on electric vehicles could benefit Chinese brands, which also have a lot of technology onboard, a winning factor today at dealerships. The only Japanese partnership that could have made a difference in this regard, between Sony and Honda for hi-tech electric cars under the Afeela brand, miserably sank this year, given the need for the car manufacturer to get its finances back on track. Where Japan currently has no rivals is in the production of gaming consoles: PlayStation and Nintendo have so far dominated all rivals, from the American Xbox to Steam platforms and even responses from Chinese Lenovo, but for how much longer?
