Guide · Tokyo · English
How Tokyo Businesses Get Found in English on Google Maps and in AI Answers
International customers in Tokyo find businesses on Google Maps and, more and more, by asking AI assistants. If your facts are missing, wrong or only in Japanese, an English-speaking customer may never see you.
The Short Answer
AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Mode build their answers from what they can read: your Google Business Profile, your website, listings on other sites and reviews.
To be found in English, a Tokyo business needs the same correct facts, in English, in the places AI and Google Maps read:
- A complete Google Business Profile
- English pages on its own website that answer customers' questions in plain text
- Consistent listings beyond Google
- Honest reviews with replies
- Genuine mentions on other sites
Nobody can promise that an AI will name you.
What you can control is whether the facts it needs are there.
Not sure where you stand? Get a free snapshot or see a sample snapshot.
Why This Matters Now
- 52.3% of people in Japan aged 15 to 69 use generative AI to search. Source: CyberAgent GEO Lab, Japan survey, August 2026 (n=9,278).
- In Japanese-language local searches in Google's AI Mode, about 70% of answers referenced Google business cards (the Google Business Profile). Source: GMO TECH, Japan study of about 109,500 Japanese-language queries, August 2026; a vendor study by a Maps-marketing company. English searches were not measured.
- In one study outside Japan, the Google Business Profile was the source of 28.6% of local AI citations, and business websites the source of 42%. Source: BrightLocal, local AI visibility study (September 2026; 1,967,762 citations from ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews) and directory sources article (August 2026; same data; Google Business Profile 28.6%; locations in the US, UK and Australia, not Japan).
Key Takeaway
The pattern is the same in each study: AI answers about local businesses lean on the business's own website and the Google profile.
What AI Assistants Read About a Local Business
| Source | What it gives the AI | Why it matters in English |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Name, category, hours, services, photos, reviews, booking link | Google's AI features and Gemini draw on Google Maps data directly |
| Your Own Website | Prices or ranges, languages, how to book, first-visit details | Detail questions often go to the business's own site |
| Listings Beyond Google | Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp, sector directories | Other assistants use other data sources; matching facts reduce wrong answers |
| Reviews and Replies | Recent experience, in the reviewer's language | Recent, answered reviews show the business is active |
| Mentions on Other Sites | Guides, community resources, partner pages | "Who can help me" questions often cite lists and guides |
Key Takeaway
Each place AI reads adds facts, and matching facts reduce wrong answers.
Six Things That Help, in Order of Evidence
- A complete, accurate Google profile.
- Use one business name. Google does not allow the same name repeated in two scripts.
- Add the right categories, hours, services and photos.
- See our English Google Business Profile guide, or start with the free English Google profile checklist.
- English website text that answers what customers ask before they book.
- Languages spoken, payment or insurance, prices or ranges, how to book.
- In text, not only in images.
- Listings beyond Google with the same name, address, phone and hours.
- Honest reviews and replies.
- Ask every customer the same way, with no rewards.
- Reply in the reviewer's language.
- Clinics: see the clinic guide first.
- Genuine mentions on English-language guides, community resources and partner pages, never paid or disguised.
- Access for AI search crawlers, so assistants that read the web can read your site.
- Structured data (schema) is tidy-up work: one controlled study found no lift in AI citations from it alone. Source: Ahrefs, global study of 1,885 pages, May 2026.
New features change what matters.
Google's Ask Maps (マップに相談) has answered questions in the Maps app in Japan since 2026-08-07. See Ask Maps readiness.
Key Takeaway
Start at the top of the list: a complete Google profile and clear English website text.
What Nobody Can Promise
Google and the AI companies decide their own answers. Answers change from one run to the next.
One study found the same list of brands in under 1% of repeated runs. Source: SparkToro, study outside Japan, January 2026.
That is why we report a mention rate: how often you are named, out of a stated number of answers, on stated dates. We never report a "rank". See how we measure.
- Google Maps changes can start to show in about 2-6 weeks.
- AI answers can take 2-4 months or longer to shift, and some businesses see little change.
- These are estimates, not promises.
Key Takeaway
We report how often AI names you, never a rank. Timings are estimates, not promises.
Guides for Your Sector
- International clinics and dentists: the facts AI needs, within Japan's medical advertising rules.
- Visa specialists and tax accountants: clear English facts, with your licensed professional in charge of the wording.
- All sectors we work with: Who We Help.
- Coming soon: the Tokyo AI Visibility Index, sector-level data on what AI says when people ask in English.
Common Questions
Do I Need to "Optimize for AI" Separately From Google Maps?
Mostly no. Google says its AI features use the same crawling and indexing as normal search.
AI assistants read the same profiles, websites and listings. The work is making those facts complete, correct and in English.
Does an llms.txt File Help?
There is no good evidence that it does. One study of 137,210 sites found that 97% of llms.txt files received no requests. Source: Ahrefs, May 2026.
Google says it does not use it. We don't sell it.
Can I Just Translate My Japanese Website?
Translation helps, but customers' English questions are often different: what language staff speak, how payment works for visitors, how to book without a Japanese phone number.
Pages that answer those questions directly are more useful to people and to AI.
How Do I Know What AI Says About My Business Today?
Ask it the questions your customers ask, on more than one assistant, more than once, and note the dates. Or start with our free snapshot.
See What AI Says About Your Business
We ask ChatGPT and Google's AI two questions your customers would ask, check your Google Maps listing, and send you a short note on what we found. Free, no obligation. See also Services, Who We Help and the FAQ.
