[Japanese Online Shopping Tips] Pay attention to whether products are shipped overseas to Japan

Japan is a beloved tourist destination and a popular choice for overseas shopping. Apart from the advantage of lower prices due to the depreciation of the Japanese yen, Japanese online shopping websites offer a wide range of product choices, including fashionable clothing, accessories, electronics, and household items. Not only are the products of good quality, but you can also find exclusive Japanese items that are hard to come by locally!

In recent years, many brands from Europe, the United States, and even South Korea have started to establish their presence on Japanese online shopping platforms (such as Rakuten Japan at https://www.rakuten.co.jp) or directly open their official Japanese websites. However, when shopping on these platforms or brand websites, it is important to pay attention to the original shipping location to avoid customs clearance issues.

How to check if there might be customs clearance issues with a merchant

If the mentioned brands are shipped from overseas (rather than being domestically delivered in Japan) to Buyandship’s Japanese warehouse, import taxes will be incurred. More importantly, most brands in Japan operate under the “personal import model,” and their shipments must be addressed to residential addresses. In the case where the warehouse address is a commercial address, Japanese customs may deem the goods as not for personal importation and prohibit customs clearance. As a result, the merchant may choose to dispose of the goods and may refuse refunds. Therefore, when shopping online in Japan, please read the product pages or delivery guidelines on the website carefully and do not purchase products that are “shipped from overseas” to Japan.

Taking Rakuten, Japan’s largest online shopping platform, as an example, the overseas store established by Walmart from the United States indicates that the goods are shipped from the United States.

Another example is the merchant Olive Young on Rakuten Japan, where the store clearly states that the goods are shipped from South Korea to Japan.

When browsing Rakuten Japan, members can also check the “Delivery Information” section on the product page to confirm whether the delivery is done through domestic Japanese courier services or international shipping. If it indicates international shipping, please refrain from making the purchase.

One more example is the Japanese official website of the Korean contact lens brand O-lens, where the website clearly states that the goods are shipped from South Korea.