InsideJapan News Network

The Japanese beauty industry is beginning to see lucrative opportunities in the market for male grooming, according to experts in the country.

Channel NewsAsia reports that consumers in Japan, who are spending increasing amounts on luxuries, can purchase a number of high-end products such as organic shampoos and skincare designed specifically for men.

However it points out that despite beauty-conscious male consumers becoming a more important part of the market very few of these products are made by Japanese cosmetic firms.

Currently only Shiseido offers male grooming products to men in Japan, which means there are plenty of opportunities for other Japanese manufacturers to exploit.

"Compared to the western nations, skincare awareness is low here so I think there's room to grow," a Shiseido spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.

Meanwhile demand for cosmetic surgery may also be growing among Japanese men. Yosuke Sakamoto, director of Sapporo Lions Dental Clinic, told Nikkei Net Interactive that men looking to straighten or whiten their teeth now account for 40 per cent of all patients.