How influencer casting works in Japan
Influencer casting means finding creators who fit a campaign, contacting them, agreeing terms and booking them. In Japan it usually runs search → contact and outreach → negotiation and contract → execution, and the slow part is finding candidates and getting replies.
1. Influencer search: what to check
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Category and content | Fit with the product; what sponsored posts they have done |
| Audience | Age, gender and region overlap with your target |
| Engagement | Views, likes, saves and comment quality — not follower count alone |
| Platform | Where they are strongest: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or X |
| Typical rate | Within budget and in line with reach and track record |
| Risk | Competitor deals, past controversies, how they handle PR labels |
2. Finding contact details and reaching out
- A business email or contact form in the profile
- The agency contact if they are signed to an MCN
- Social DMs (low reply rates, easy to miss)
- A casting company or influencer marketing platform
In the first message, state the brand, product, deliverables, dates, fee range and the need for a PR label. Japanese creators reply and decide faster when terms are clear and in Japanese.
3. Negotiation and contract
- Fee, payment timing and method
- Number of posts, platforms and go-live dates
- Review rounds for scripts and posts
- Usage rights for ads, scope and term
- Competitor exclusivity, scope and term
4. Execution and measurement
- Share a brief (key messages, claims to avoid)
- Review scripts and posts (PR labels, cosmetics and advertising law)
- Track views, engagement and clicks after launch
- Pay creators and feed results into the next casting
On Tonakai, AI searches data on 80,000+ Japanese creators by category, audience, engagement and typical rate. For the 7,000+ creators we work with directly you send offers inside Tonakai, so there is no hunting for contact details. Contracts, post review, payments and reports run on the same screen.