Apple is Japan's top consumer brand for the first time

The iPad, iPhone and other Apple products have become so popular in Japan that Apple is now Japan's top consumer brand.

Just three years ago, Apple was barely visible in the #64 spot in Nikkei's annual brand ranking. Last year, Apple had made it to 11th place, and this year the company skyrocketed to the top of the list. Apple bumped Google from the top spot, which should make Eric Schmidt's weekend an unhappy one.

The top ten list follows, with last year's ranking in parentheses:

1. (11) Apple
2. (1) Google
3. (2) Uniqlo
4. (7) YouTube
5. (6) Disney
6. (4) McDonalds
7. (3) Panasonic
8. (5) Nissan
9. (39) Dyson
10. (9) Rakute

Business respondents put Apple in second place, with Japan's Toyota in the numero uno position. Not only did Apple make the top brand list as a company, but the iPad and two other products are in the top 40 as individual brands.