Osaka-based solo developer of Inkdrop and the Dev as Life YouTube channel
Inkdrop$10K+ MRR
🇯🇵 3 makers · 9 products
Top 3 indie makers in Japan (2026)
Japan is home to 3 indie makers listed on IndieMakerList — #19 of 50 countries — led by Takuya Matsuyama, Jesse Hanley and Lucas Pope. Together they have shipped 9 products. Most build in saas founders, and the most listed tool is JavaScript. Makers are ranked by profile depth, audience and self-reported revenue.
3
makers
9
products
$10K/mo
combined revenue*
0
exits
Top indie makers from Japan
3 makers, ranked.
Australian founder of the Bento email platform, building from Fukuoka, Japan
Bento, PostShiba, Tatami +1
Solo designer of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn
Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn, Mars After Midnight +1
Cities in Japan
Where makers in this country say they are based.
📍 Fukuoka · 1📍 Osaka · 1📍 Saitama · 1
Revenue leaders in Japan
*Self-reported by the makers, at different dates, covering their whole business. Combined: about $10K/mo.
- 01
Takuya MatsuyamaOsaka-based solo developer of Inkdrop and the Dev as Life YouTube channel
$10K+ MRRas of 2022
Tech stack of indie makers in Japan
Most listed tools, by number of makers.
Products built in Japan
Inkdrop
inkdrop.app
Markdown note-taking app for developers with cloud sync and a plugin ecosystem.
by Takuya Matsuyama
B
Bento
bentonow.com
All-in-one email platform covering marketing, automation, CRM, transactional email and chat.
by Jesse Hanley
PostShiba
postshiba.com
Email infrastructure for platforms, with a free SPF, DKIM and DMARC audit.
by Jesse Hanley
Tatami
tatamimonitor.com
Email deliverability monitoring tool.
by Jesse Hanley
Can I Send This
canisendthis.com
Checks emails against Google, Yahoo and Outlook sender requirements.
by Jesse Hanley
Papers, Please
papersplea.se
Dystopian document thriller in which you play a border inspector in the fictional country of Arstotzka.
by Lucas Pope
R
Return of the Obra Dinn
obradinn.com
1-bit mystery game where an insurance investigator deduces the fate of every crew member of a lost merchant ship.
by Lucas Pope
Mars After Midnight
play.date
Playdate-exclusive game about running a support group for Martians.
by Lucas Pope
T
The Republia Times
dukope.com
Short free browser game about editing a newspaper under a censoring regime, a precursor to Papers, Please.
by Lucas Pope
Popular niches in Japan
Indie makers in nearby countries
East Asia first, then the largest communities.
Indie makers in Japan FAQ
Who are the best-known indie makers in Japan?
The best-known indie makers from Japan on IndieMakerList are Takuya Matsuyama, Jesse Hanley and Lucas Pope.
How many indie makers are from Japan?
3 indie makers from Japan are listed, ranking #19 of 50 countries in the directory.
What do indie makers in Japan build?
The most common niches are SaaS Founders (2), Productivity Tools (1) and Creators & Writers (1). Together they have shipped 9 listed products.
Which cities in Japan do indie makers live in?
Cities mentioned in maker profiles include Fukuoka, Osaka and Saitama.
How much do indie makers in Japan earn?
1 maker from Japan share revenue publicly, adding up to roughly $10K per month combined across 1 maker with a monthly figure. Reported figures include Takuya Matsuyama ($10K+ MRR). Revenue is self-reported and from different dates.
What tech stack do indie makers in Japan use?
The most listed tools among makers from Japan are JavaScript (1), Node.js (1), React Native (1) and Electron (1).
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