Hakuhodo DY Holdings Conducts Metaverse Lifestyle Fixed-Point Survey 2025

Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasuo Nishiyama) conducted the "Metaverse Lifestyle Fixed-Point Survey 2025" to understand the current awareness and trends of consumers regarding the metaverse, targeting individuals aged 15 to 69 nationwide. As a new initiative, they also created the "Metaverse 6 Persona Map" by conducting cluster analysis based on the behavioral and preference characteristics of metaverse users. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Information and Communications White Paper 2025," the domestic metaverse market is projected to expand rapidly from an estimated 275 billion yen in 2024 to 1.87 trillion yen in 2028. As the market steadily broadens its reach, the awareness of individuals active in virtual spaces continues to evolve with the maturation of communities. Against this backdrop, Hakuhodo DY Holdings has been conducting the "Metaverse Lifestyle Fixed-Point Survey" since 2022 to explore avenues for conquering metaverse-related businesses by understanding the trends of metaverse users. The results of the "Metaverse Lifestyle Fixed-Point Survey 2025," the fourth survey in the series, are as follows:

"Metaverse Lifestyle Fixed-Point Survey 2025" Survey Results

● "Awareness Rate Remains at 37-38%, While Usage Rate Enters 'Steady Phase' at Around 8%" The survey found that 37.3% of people in Japan are aware of metaverse-related services, an estimated 30.39 million people. This represents a decrease of 1.1 percentage points from the previous year's awareness rate of 38.4%. The segment interested in the metaverse but not using it remained at 5.8%, the same as the previous year. Those who have used metaverse-related services accounted for 8.0% of the total (an estimated 6.7 million people), which is nearly the same as the 8.7% from the previous year. Given that there has been almost no change in the awareness-to-usage funnel of the metaverse over the year, it is possible that the metaverse is in a "steady phase." (*) Approximately 60 metaverse-related services were presented, and awareness, usage experience, and frequency were surveyed. Metaverse users were defined as those who use at least one metaverse-related service once every 2-3 months or more. (*) Approximately 60 metaverse-related services were presented, and awareness, usage experience, and frequency were surveyed. Metaverse users were defined as those who use at least one metaverse-related service once every 2-3 months or more.

● Metaverse as a "Place to Alleviate Loneliness" and a "Challenge Device" Comparing the impact of metaverse services on users over the years, the response "felt less lonely" was 15.3% among all users, an increase of 3.2 percentage points from the previous year (12.1%). Items such as "Real/physical world became more positive" (+1.9 percentage points) also showed a slight increase, indicating that the metaverse is not just a place for escapism but is beginning to function as a "place of mental infrastructure" that supports emotional stability in real life. Furthermore, the response "I wanted to restart pursuing things I want to do in the real/physical world" increased by 3.2 percentage points, suggesting that experiences in the metaverse are leading to proactive actions in the real world. <img src="https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/36543/188/36