LY Ads
Advertise on LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN with Boundless
Boundless gives global advertisers and their agencies native access to LY Ads (formerly LINE Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads) — backed by local market expertise and a trusted path to market.
— The platformS
What is LINE?
LINE: Japan’s Essential Super App
LINE is widely used as a daily communication and lifestyle platform in Japan, serving as essential digital infrastructure for consumers. It is a super app that integrates multiple services into a single platform, including messaging, voice calls, news, manga, music, gaming, and financial services. With 100 million monthly active users* in Japan—approximately 80% of the population—LINE offers brands unparalleled reach across the Japanese market.
*Source: LY Marketing Campus (as of December 2025)
LINE is Japan’s #1 Messenger Service
What WhatsApp is to the West, LINE is to Japan—but it is far more than a messaging app. While global platforms serve as simple communication utilities, LINE has grown into a comprehensive daily ecosystem. Embracing its full potential is the ultimate key for brands looking to truly connect with the Japanese audience.
—
What is Yahoo! JAPAN?
Yahoo! JAPAN: Japan’s Go-To Web Platform
Yahoo! JAPAN is one of Japan’s largest internet platforms, offering more than 100 services, including Yahoo! News, Weather, Transit, and Finance. As a daily destination for information and content discovery, it plays a central role in the online lives of Japanese consumers.
Yahoo! JAPAN reaches 107 million Daily Unique Browsers (DUB)*, providing advertisers with exceptional scale and visibility across Japan.
*Source: LY Marketing Campus (as of March 2025)
Japan’s Top Internet Service by Number of Users
As per Nielsen’s TOPS OF 2025: Digital in Japan, Yahoo! JAPAN is in the top 2 and LINE in the top 3, underscoring their enormous user base and influence in Japan’s digital landscape.
— BY THE DATA
Audience and Reach
The data below highlights the audience reach, demographics, and engagement of LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN, showing why LY Ads is a powerful platform for reaching Japanese consumers at scale.
— OUR EXPERTISE
Why run LY Ads through Boundless
Not a reseller between you and the platform.
Beyond platform access
Powered by our close partnership with LY Corporation, so every recommendation is grounded in platform expertise—not guesswork.
Platform-specific execution
Search Ads, Display Ads Auction, and Display
Ads Guaranteed each run on different logic. We
set up, target, and optimize each format on its
own terms.
Full-funnel synergy across CTV
We connect LY Ads with TVer and ABEMA CTV
inventory so awareness and conversion run as
one funnel, not two disconnected buys.
Support in your language, on your clock
A multilingual team that manages account
setup, delivery, and reporting without you
needing an in-house Japan specialist.
— AD PRODUCTS
Ad Types & Formats
To successfully advertise in Japan, understanding the local digital landscape is essential. LY Ads offers three primary ad types—Search Ads, Display Ads (Auction), and Display Ads (Guaranteed)—helping brands reach Japanese consumers at every stage of the customer journey.
From capturing high-intent users actively searching for solutions to building awareness across LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN, LY Ads enables brands to drive both performance and scale through Japan’s leading digital advertising ecosystem, unlocking touchpoints where standard Western platforms cannot reach.
LY Ads Search Ads
Formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Search Ads
Text ads that appear at the top of Yahoo! JAPAN search results, helping brands capture high-intent users actively searching for products, services, and information.
LY Ads Display Ads (Auction)
Formerly LINE Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads (Auction)
Image and video ads delivered across LINE, Yahoo! JAPAN, and partner sites. Designed for performance-driven campaigns, with advanced targeting options including demographics, interests, retargeting, location, and device targeting.
LY Ads Display Ads (Guaranteed)
Formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads (Guaranteed)
Premium image and video placements across Yahoo! JAPAN properties. Ideal for brand-building campaigns, offering reserved inventory and high-impact formats such as the Yahoo! JAPAN Top Page Brand Panel.
— STRATEGY
LY Ads x CTV: Full-Funnel Synergy
Connect CTV Awareness to Action with LY Data Ecosystem
To drive true success in Japan, your marketing strategy must connect every stage of the consumer journey. With LY Ads, you can execute seamless full-funnel campaigns—from initial awareness to action and retention—backed by LY’s massive proprietary data ecosystem.
Seamlessly extending your reach to premier local platforms like TVer and ABEMA unlocks a powerful cross-device marketing loop:
- High-Impact Awareness: Deliver premium video ads across mobile, desktop, and CTV (Connected TV) to capture undivided attention, maximize brand presence, and achieve TV-like reach and recognition.
- Strategic Retargeting & Full-Funnel Synergy: Leverage LY’s vast user IDs to build precise custom audiences from CTV viewers. Retarget these same users across mobile and desktop via LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN to drive mid-to-lower funnel actions and long-term retention.
Transform high-attention CTV viewing into direct consumer action—driving your growth from first impression to conversion and long-term loyalty.
— INSIGHTS
Related Articles
— RESOURCES
Video Overview
These videos reference former product names. LINE Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Ads were rebranded as LY Ads in April 2026.
FAQs
LINE
Why is LINE essential in Japan?
Because of its massive reach. LINE’s user base has grown steadily every year, reaching 100 million monthly active users in Japan (as of December 2025) and covering over 80% of the population*. According to a report by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), LINE ranks No. 1 in usage among social media services/apps across every age group from teens through people in their 60s. This gives you access to audiences that are difficult to reach through other channels.
*Source: LY Marketing Campus
How do Japanese users interact with LINE?
LINE functions as a “super app” for daily life in Japan, built around messaging and voice/video calls. Beyond communication, it offers a wide range of services—such as LINE NEWS, LINE Manga, LINE Music, LINE Games, and LINE Coupons—spanning entertainment and shopping. It also serves as essential everyday infrastructure in Japan: users receive official updates and notifications from businesses and local governments. From businesses, they can also receive coupons and special offers, stay updated through loyalty programs, and even access customer support—all within the app.
Who are LINE users?
LINE’s audience skews slightly female (53.3% women vs. 46.7% men)*, but it is used broadly across age groups—from teens through people aged 65 and above—resulting in a well-balanced generational mix. The age breakdown is as follows: 15–19 (7.9%), 20–24 (7.5%), 25–29 (7.5%), 30–34 (8.4%), 35–39 (8.9%), 40–44 (10.5%), 45–49 (12.1%), 50–54 (10.1%), 55–59 (9.4%), 60–64 (8.7%), and 65+ (9.0%)*.
*Source: LY Marketing Campus
Which ad formats are supported for delivery on LINE?
As of April 2026, LINE Ads and Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads have been integrated into a single platform, LY Ads Display Ads. Following this integration, ads created in LY Ads Display Ads (Auction) can be delivered across the LINE app and other LINE family apps.
The following ad formats are supported for delivery within the LINE app:
– Banner (Image) — aspect ratios: 1:1, 6:5, 16:9
– Banner (Video) — aspect ratios: 1:1, 16:9
– Responsive (Image) — aspect ratios: 1:1, 1.91:1, 3:2
– Responsive (Video) — aspect ratios: 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2
– Carousel
– Dynamic Display Ads
Source: LY Ads Help
Where can brands advertise on LINE?
With LY Ads Display Ads (Auction), brands can advertise across a wide range of placements within the LINE app, including high-visibility environments such as the Talk List (Chat List) and LINE NEWS, as well as partner websites and third-party media, enabling broader audience coverage across Japan.
What targeting options are available for ads delivered on LINE?
Ads delivered on LINE via LY Ads Display Ads (Auction) support a wide range of targeting options, including device, gender, age, audience lists, day and time, region, placement, and content keywords. For more details, please contact us.
Yahoo! JAPAN
Are Yahoo Inc. and Yahoo! JAPAN the same?
They are independently operated companies under different corporate structures. While they share the Yahoo brand, Yahoo! JAPAN is operated in Japan by LY Corporation and is built for Japan—deeply embedded in everyday life and designed around Japanese consumer behavior. Meanwhile, Yahoo Inc. is a U.S.-based company with a long history, operating media and advertising businesses globally. Boundless is part of U.S.-based Yahoo and works closely with LY Corporation to help global advertisers and agencies succeed in Japan.
Why is Yahoo! JAPAN essential in Japan?
Because it combines massive reach with everyday utility. Yahoo! JAPAN is one of Japan’s largest comprehensive online platforms and a key part of the country’s broader “life platform” ecosystem. Beyond a traditional portal, it functions as a multi-service digital hub—bringing together news, search, weather, finance, email, shopping, and more in one place. With reach reported at over 80% of Japan’s internet users*, it remains a central touchpoint in daily digital routines and continues to expand its offerings.
*Source: Yahoo! JAPAN Media Guide 2023
How do Japanese users interact with Yahoo! JAPAN?
Yahoo! JAPAN serves as essential “digital infrastructure” in Japan, fulfilling a distinct role in users’ daily lives. It is a premier information portal for reliable everyday content, and users primarily visit for search, news, email, weather, shopping and finance. It also functions as a highly efficient life utility for task-oriented needs—such as checking transit schedules and disaster alerts—making it an all-in-one hub for staying informed and getting things done.
Who are Yahoo! JAPAN users?
Yahoo! JAPAN’s user base is broadly balanced by gender, with 51% male and 49% female. By age, the audience is evenly distributed across generations: 19% are 13–29, 15% are 30–39, 20% are 40–49, 26% are 50–64, and 20% are 65+*—reflecting a well-rounded demographic mix.
*Source: LY Marketing Campus
What ad types are available on Yahoo! JAPAN?
As of April 2026, Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads and LINE Ads have been integrated into a single platform: “LY Ads Display Ads”. Yahoo! JAPAN Search Ads has also been renamed “LY Ads Search Ads”.
LY Ads (formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Ads and LINE Ads) offer the following ad types:
1. LY Ads Search Ads (formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Search Ads):
Text ads that appear at the top of search results based on user keywords. Effective for capturing high-intent users.
2. LY Ads Display Ads (Auction) (formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads (Auction) and LINE Ads):
Image or video ads delivered across Yahoo! JAPAN’s top page, news, weather, and partner sites. Performance-focused ads that use granular targeting—such as demographics, interests, retargeting, location, and device—to optimize efficiency.
3. LY Ads Display Ads (Guaranteed) (formerly Yahoo! JAPAN Display Ads (Guaranteed)):
Image or video ads delivered across Yahoo! JAPAN properties. Brand-focused ads that reserve high-impact placements (such as the Top Page Brand Panel) to maximize reach for product launches or major campaigns.
Where do LY Ads Display Ads appear?
LY Ads Display Ads can be delivered across major placements within LY Corporation’s services that users engage with daily, including the Yahoo! JAPAN homepage and the LINE Talk List (Chat List) etc.
What types of targeting are available on LY Ads Display Ads?
Targeting options vary by ad type. Available targeting settings include:
1. LY Ads Search Ads support targeting options such as device, region, day of week/time of day and site retargeting.
2. LY Ads Display Ads (Auction) support targeting by device, gender, age, audience lists, day of week/time of day, region, placement and content keywords.
3. LY Ads Display Ads (Guaranteed) support targeting by device, gender, age, audience lists, day of week/time of day and region.
Ready to advertise on LY Ads?
Talk to our team about reaching Japanese consumers across LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN.