Japan's high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze; Indonesia among nations where new factories will be set up

This photo taken on April 9, 2025 a major drug chain store in the Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district displaying various sunscreen products on shelves. Kao's main sunscreen brand Biore UV is ranked 10th worldwide for sales, and second in Asia -- competing with the likes of L'Oreal and Beiersdorf, and Japanese rivals such as Shiseido. -- Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP

TOKYO (AFP): When YouTuber Hannah Price set out to compare Japanese and Australian sunscreen, she wasn't expecting her deep dive into the subject to rack up over two million views.

The huge number of people poring over Price's video shows the growing interest in skincare products from Japan, much like the K-beauty phenomenon from South Korea.