“Tools Built to Last” and “Experiences That Make You Want More”—How Has Keyboard Sales in Japan Changed?

This is a column.

On April 22, 2026, Diatec Corporation, a long-established keyboard brand, suddenly announced its closure.

The news trended on X and was met with shock and sadness by many keyboard enthusiasts.

Various reactions were seen on social media.

Among them, many responses like the following were observed:

Of course, we cannot definitively determine the reasons for an individual company’s closure from the outside, and it would be quite a stretch to jump to simplistic conclusions like “sales declined because replacement purchases didn’t occur.”

I believe that creating products that last a long time and building a keyboard brand that continues to sell are not the same thing.

Recently, the brands enlivening the Japanese market are not limited to “domestic companies” alone.

Taking these circumstances into account, I will share my personal observations as a market observer regarding the differences in “sales approaches” between domestic and overseas brands.

The Value of Creating “Tools Built to Last” Remains Unchanged

First and foremost, creating keyboards that last a long time should never be criticized.

Rather, it is an extremely important value for keyboards as tools.

Keyboards are input devices used every day.

For those who use them for work, they are in contact with their hands for long periods and affect both work efficiency and concentration.

That’s why not breaking easily, being stable for long-term use, and being able to type with the same familiar feel all have significant meaning.

This is a common concept at the core of Japanese manufacturing and can be said to be one of the most important values for Japanese people.

Long-established domestic brands like FILCO, HHKB, and REALFORCE, while differing in their approaches, have all emphasized the value of “tools built to last.”

They prioritize reliability over flashiness and continuity over short-term trends.

Rather than novelty, they continue to provide the “stability as a tool” that supports daily input.

I believe such values have supported Japanese keyboard culture, and I hope they will continue to do so.

“Continuing to Make Good Tools” and “Sustaining as a Business” Require Different Designs

On the other hand, from a market perspective, a slightly different issue emerges.

Products that last a long time are ideal for users.

For users, being able to use something they’re attached to for a long time has tremendous value, and even if it’s an expensive product, the fact that “it won’t break and can be used for a long time” leads to the conviction that “it’s worth spending money on.”

However, when viewing this fact from a “corporate” perspective, the problem arises that the longer a product lasts, the less “replacement demand” is generated.

In other words, without repeat purchases, many units cannot be sold.

One keyboard can be used for 10 years.

This is wonderful for users.

However, for manufacturers to continue delivering products, developing new ones, and maintaining support afterward, they need to create reasons for the next purchase somewhere along the line.

What’s important here is not that tools built to last should be made short-lived.

Rather, even with tools built to last, companies need to design reasons for “buying the next one” in order to survive.

From my perspective observing the Japanese keyboard market, domestic legacy brands and overseas emerging brands appear to have quite different sales approaches.

Overseas Emerging Brands Create “Reasons to Buy Even When Nothing Is Broken”

Currently, the Japanese keyboard market gives the impression that overseas brands are gaining significant momentum.

Brands that previously focused exclusively on English layouts are now actively developing Japanese layouts and launching them into the Japanese market one after another.

The leading example of this is Keychron.

Keychron describes itself in official statements as “a brand with over 40 keyboard models.”

Looking at their lineup, they offer many entry points organized by price range, materials, connection methods, use cases, and layouts, including the Q series, V series, K series, Max series, and HE series.

This sales approach is quite different in nature from domestic legacy brands.

Overseas emerging brands like Keychron don’t simply wait for “buy when it breaks” demand.

New layouts.
New materials.
New connection methods.
New colors.
New switches.
New keycaps.
New typing feel and sound.
New firmware and configuration experiences.
New compatibility with desk setups.

By combining these elements, they continuously present users with “reasons to buy next.”

Even if the keyboard you’re currently using isn’t broken,

“I want another one for the office.”
“I want an aluminum case for home use.”
“I want to try magnetic switches for gaming.”
“I want a slim model for portability.”
“I want to change the color to match my desk.”
“I now need a Japanese layout or full-size keyboard.”

These reasons lead to the next purchase.

In other words, they present keyboards not as something you replace when it breaks, but as something you add to based on use cases and preferences.

It seems their philosophy is fundamentally different from domestic legacy brands in that they define keyboards not from the perspective of “you don’t need to replace them unless they break,” but as “something you can collect as many of as you want if you desire them.”

This represents a major shift in the current keyboard market.

Domestic Brands Accumulate “Refinement,” While Overseas Emerging Brands Accumulate “Reasons to Purchase”

Of course, this is not about which approach is right or wrong.

The value of “tools built to last” that domestic brands have cherished remains important today.

On the other hand, from the perspective of expanding the market, I personally feel there is much to learn from the sales approaches of overseas emerging brands.

GreenEchoes Studio, which operates Greenkeys, sometimes receives consultations regarding the introduction and market launch of keyboard products.

From that perspective, I feel that not only the quality of the product itself, but also how to communicate “why choose this product now” is a very important point.

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Domestic legacy brands have accumulated refinement and trust.

Meanwhile, overseas emerging brands have accumulated reasons to purchase and frequency of user contact.

This difference cannot be explained by product quality alone.

For example, the sales approach of domestic brands tends to focus on nurturing a single product or philosophy over time.

This is a very strong method for building brand trust.

However, this also tends to limit entry points for new customers and reasons for existing users to buy another unit.

On the other hand, overseas emerging brands increase touchpoints with users through series expansions, material variations, size variations, connection method variations, color variations, and switch variations.

Within the same brand, they prepare “affordable entry models with milder features and specs” that are easy to buy, using these as gateways to attract “keyboard fans.”

With this business model, users can think “I want to try this next” within the same brand.

This is not simply about offering many product variations.

It means carefully preparing reasons to purchase that align with changes in users’ living environments and use cases.

Keyboards Are Shifting from “One Per Person” to “You Can Own as Many as You Want”

In today’s keyboard market, it’s not unusual for a single user to own multiple keyboards.

For home use.
For the office.
For portability.
For gaming.
For writing.
For quiet environments.
For desk setups.
For reviews or collections.

Keyboards are no longer just “one peripheral device per person.”

Keyboards are becoming “tools you choose from multiple options” depending on the day’s mood or environment.

This shift is important for domestic brands as well.

Because being a tool built to last and being owned in multiples do not necessarily contradict each other.

Rather, precisely because it’s a trustworthy tool, you want to have it at the office too, you want to match home and office units for the same typing feel, and because you like the brand’s philosophy, you want to use it for other purposes as well.

Such add-on demand can certainly be created by domestic brands too.

What’s important is not ending with “This one unit will last you a long time,” but

“This one unit for this environment.”
“This one unit for this use case.”
“This one unit for this work style.”

I believe it’s about creating these kinds of proposals.

Expanding the Market Isn’t Only About Increasing Hardware

However, expanding the market doesn’t only mean releasing new hardware one after another.

This is an important point that shouldn’t be misunderstood.

The approach of expanding many models like Keychron and creating add-on demand certainly has a structure that makes it easier to grow the market.

However, not all brands need to follow the same approach.

Domestic brands have their own strengths.

Long-lasting durability.
Stability.
Reliability as work tools.
Having philosophy and history.
Understanding of Japanese input and work environments.

If leveraging these strengths, there are also ways to cultivate value outside of hardware.

Examples include keycaps, wrist rests and decorative accessories for keyboard bodies, corporate deployment support, layout design, and presenting new input experiences.

While these are not keyboard bodies themselves, couldn’t they become reasons for users to choose that brand, continue using it, and want another unit?

JLA’s Activities Are Also an Attempt to Expand the Market from Outside Hardware

In this context, I believe the activities of the JLA (Japan Layout Alliance), which we are involved in, also hold significance.

JLA is a non-profit industry collaboration project launched by GreenEchoes Studio to expand the keycap replacement culture for Japanese layout mechanical keyboards.

It’s a non-profit activity aimed at allowing users to enjoy keycap replacement on Japanese layouts just as they do on English layouts by adding badges to spacebar specifications.

In other words, I believe it holds the potential to activate the “aftermarket” after purchasing a keyboard.

One reason the keyboard market has grown so large worldwide is the extremely wide range of customization options available.

In particular, keycaps for English layouts are constantly being produced by various brands with elaborate designs, creating demand for keycap replacement.

However, you cannot enjoy multiple favorite keycaps with only one keyboard.

Therefore, it can also be seen as creating the need for “another keyboard for collection purposes.”

Summary | Connecting Tools Built to Last to “The Next One”

Keyboards are no longer just PC peripherals.

They are work tools, objects of hobby, parts of desk environments, and entities that influence the input experience itself.

This way of thinking is already becoming standard worldwide, and signs are beginning to emerge that Japan is steadily approaching this as well.

That’s why what’s required of brands is also changing.

Long-lasting durability.
Making you want to keep using them.
And making you want another one.

How to balance these three will be a major challenge going forward.

I believe this is the theme required of keyboard brands from now on.

Overseas emerging brands have presented one answer to this through model expansions by use case and experience updates.

Domestic brands don’t need to limit themselves to domestic sales only.

From the perspective of making good products, I think this is a spirit Japan should be proud of.

In the keyboard market going forward, designing not just good tools but reasons for those tools to continue being chosen will become increasingly important.

The value of creating tools built to last will not change.

That’s precisely why I believe sales approaches that connect that value to “the next one” are necessary.

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