The massage market is getting trendier and appealing increasingly to a younger market. In April 2011, according to Nikkei Trendy, sales of Atex’s Rurundo Massage Cushion have exceeded 2 million. The product, a stylish throw pillow that has a rotating nub inside to massage the back, wouldn’t look out of place in the apartment of a young professional.

Panasonic is also targeting a younger market with their massage products. Its Neck Refure device, for example, is aimed at young women. According to Panasonic, their market research revealed that women in their 20s are the demographic that most wants to own a massage chair. This overturns the conventional wisdom that massage products appeal primarily to a 50-plus market.

While in general younger buyers  suffer from fewer aches and pains than older consumers, they tend to want products that can ease stiffness in the neck and shoulders. They also seem to favor compact products with simple functionality. Panasonic's Neck Refure ticks all these boxes. Aimed at loosening stiffness in the neck, users simply wear the device wrapped around their neck. Resembling some kind of futuristic interface between man and machine, the device’s actual function is to emit low frequency waves that are purported to loosen stiffness. Though the product comes in a range of female-friendly shades (silver, lime green and pink), it’s proven to be just as popular with the men.