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AI Search Optimization SaaS comparison (Japan market, May 2026)
An AI search optimization SaaS (also called a GEO or AEO tool) measures and improves how often your brand is cited by generative AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot. This guide compares the major options for the Japanese market and explains how to choose.
Why Japan needs a dedicated GEO/AEO tool
Through 2025-2026, ChatGPT search, Perplexity ($50M+ ARR), Gemini and Claude (with web) reached daily-use volumes among Japanese users. In a generative search world, ranking #1 on Google matters less than being cited by the AI. Without GEO/AEO work, Japanese sites are effectively invisible inside the AI answer.
Comparison table (May 2026)
| Tool | HQ | Japanese UI | Japanese prompt measurement | Mid-tier price | Japanese consulting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lookupai | Hachioji, Japan | Yes (native) | Yes (normalised) | 29,800 JPY | Yes (Pro tier) |
| Profound | NYC, USA | No | Translated | $2,000-5,000 | No |
| AthenaHQ | SF, USA | No | Translated | $95-295 | No |
| Otterly | Vienna, Austria | No | Limited | $189 | No |
| Peec AI | Berlin, Germany | No | Limited | €200 eq. | No |
lookupai's four tiers
- Lite 9,800 JPY/mo: local stores; 10 keywords; 3 main AIs; weekly report.
- Standard 29,800 JPY/mo (flagship): SMEs; 50 keywords; all 5 AIs; daily measurement; Slack alerts.
- Pro 98,000 JPY/mo: 200 keywords; all AIs; 1-2h monthly Japanese marketing consulting.
- Enterprise: custom keywords, SAML/SSO, dedicated CSM, OEM available.
Self-validation status
lookupai ran its Phase 1 MVP measurement batch on launch day (May 3, 2026) using a k3s CronJob on Hetzner VPS, costing approximately 1.67 JPY/month. The full stack (Python 3.12 / aiohttp / SQLite / OpenRouter / Brevo SMTP / k3s) is shared across all Jimolab products. See the jimolab case study for details.