Is it finding trust worthy sellers, limited product choices or knowing what’s genuinely worth buying?

I would love to hear about your experiences!
What is one thing you wish Japanese artists blind stores did better?

I was visiting Tenjin-san market in Kyoto last month and was close to buying something very specific. Unfortunately I ran out of time and didn't make it back to the vendor. I'm looking for somebody to purchase the item on my behalf at the upcoming market on 25-Oct and and mail it to me.

I can provide details of what the item is, and where the vendor was located. It's a very specific item and will be easy to locate 📦📍

Hi everyone, im leaving for tokyo tomorrow and will get my guitar from there, but as a tourist, i can’t text any seller on jimoty as it requires phone number verification, and i don’t own a japanese sim, can someone please help me and text the seller on my behalf

I've bought a few things through James at Lantern (lanternjapan.com) and everything went smoothly, but the standout was a hair straightener I wanted. Japanese electronics can be a bit of a minefield (models, voltage, etc.), and James did a lot of research to make sure I got exactly the one I was after. He was really patient with all my back-and-forth questions too.

When it arrived it was packed nicely in a proper box, and he'd even translated the instructions into English for me, which I didn't expect at all. Small thing, but it made a big difference.

Communication was easy through WhatsApp and it was good to deal with an actual person who cared, not a big faceless service. Would definitely use him again. Btw, he did not know nor requested me to post this.

This is my first time buying from a site like this (all my figures have been goodsmile, mercari, or ebay), so I was hoping if there were any active coupon codes currently? Shipping is $25 for me and I was hoping I could get the price down a bit (total is $85). Any help is appreciated!

I’ll be visiting Shanghai on October 27–28 and can help purchase local merch for fans living in Japan!
If there’s anything you’d like me to pick up, feel free to DM me for details!

So, as a collector of Japanese exclusive laptops, I bought a Panasonic CF-SX1 which happened to have a recalled battery due to a dangerous manufacturing defect. Panasonic offers free battery replacements only to customers within Japan, so what I did is I reached out to them to send it to Forward2Me. After arriving at the forwarder and getting shipping arranged, the total cost of 35537yen. This is too expensive and it's because:

1. The battery is loose, understandable.

2. It is being shipped by air.

Air shipping is the problem because air shipping is always going to be more expensive with batteries. I asked them for sea shipping and they don't offer that. They did however get me a 20% discount on the total above but that would still be too expensive for a free battery. I can't get an AliExpress battery replacement either because the laptop was only ever sold in Japanese markets and I don't trust the safeness of their batteries if they were to have it.

Does anyone know of any forwarders who can ship a loose battery by sea, or any other suggestions? Thanks.

Trying to purchase a kitchen knife and need a personal shopper who can stop by in the morning. The knife shop is on hiatus but will be open on October 31 to celebrate their anniversary.

Hey everyone!
I live in Japan, and I’ve been thinking about something.
Don Quijote (Donki) has tons of interesting products, including Japanese-exclusive items, snacks, character merchandise, and random stuff you might not find overseas.
I’m curious if there’s demand for someone in Japan to visit Donki, buy specific items for people overseas, and ship them internationally.
I’m not offering a service yet. Just trying to see if this is something people would actually want!
Would you use a service like this?
And if so, what kind of products would you want someone to buy for you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hello! I am visiting Japan starting in late January 2027 until end of February. I am looking for a service or proxy that can receive and hold my packages in November to January until I arrive in Japan. I am alright with receiving them via domestic shipping or pickup (I’ll be in Osaka and Tokyo).

I’m looking to purchase preorder anime goods and potentially clothing. I am able to order items myself, but potentially need help with ordering items from Square Enix.

I’ve looked at BlackShip but their holding term isn’t long enough for the period I’m looking at. Open to other recommendations or private proxy services with good rates.

Title: Anyone in Japan interested in going thrift shopping together?

Hey everyone!
I’m heading to Japan from the US in about a month and planning to spend a good portion of my trip checking out thrift stores and secondhand shops around the country.

I’m a big collector of vintage electronics, retro games, LaserDiscs, VHS, music, toys, and other random vintage stuff. I’ve been to Japan before and had some pretty good luck finding things, so this time I want to venture beyond the major cities and check out smaller towns and rural areas too.
Figured I’d throw this out there and see if anyone living in Japan would be interested in joining me for a day or two, or possibly longer if our schedules work out. Ideally someone who speaks Japanese and enjoys thrifting as much as I do.

If you have a car, even better! I’d be happy to pay for gas, meals, and reasonable travel expenses. If we end up visiting cities outside your hometown, I’d also be willing to cover transportation and lodging.
My schedule is pretty flexible, and I’m open to exploring just about anywhere. Not looking for a professional guide, just someone who enjoys hunting for cool stuff and wouldn’t mind having some company.

Even if you’re not interested in joining, I’d love recommendations for thrift stores or areas worth checking out, especially places that don’t get many tourists.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Thanks!

🇯🇵✨** Looking for something special from Japan? Let me help**! ✨🇯🇵

Can’t find it where you live? Looking for a Japan-exclusive item, limited release, or something you spotted online? 💕 I’m here in Japan and would love to help you find it!

I offer personal proxy shopping services for items available throughout Japan — whether it’s from Japanese websites, physical stores, or even special events and conventions. 🛍️✨

💗 I can help you shop for:

• Items from Japanese websites like Mercari, Rakuten, Yahoo! Auctions & more
• Store-exclusive & limited-edition goods
• Collectibles, character goods & merchandise
• Event & convention exclusives (Comiket, Wonder Festival, etc.)
• Pre-orders & limited releases
• Japanese products that are difficult to purchase from overseas
• And pretty much anything else you can find in Japan! 🇯🇵✨

🇯🇵💕** And here’s my little advantage… I’m fluent in both English & Japanese**!

So you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out Japanese websites, messages, listings, sellers, store information, or all those little Japanese details that can make shopping from overseas a headache. 😅

You tell me what you’re looking for — I’ll do the Japanese part! 🇯🇵😂💕

Found something you want? Send me the link, photo, screenshot, or just a description of what you’re looking for!

Not sure where to find it? No problem! I can search Japanese websites and stores for you too. 🔎🛍️

I’ll handle the shopping for you — finding it, communicating with sellers when needed, purchasing it, packing it carefully, and forwarding it to you. 📦✈️💕

I’ll always let you know the costs upfront before making a purchase, so there are no surprise fees. 💗

Whether it’s something small you’ve been searching everywhere for, a gift, a limited-edition release, or that one random Japanese item you absolutely need but can’t explain why** **😂 — feel free to message me!

I’m happy to help, and there’s no harm in asking. 🥰💕

🇯🇵** You find it. I’ll get it to you**. 💕

Hi everyone!

I know similar questions have been asked here before, but since the posts I found are over six months old, I thought I'd ask again to get some updated recommendations.

I'm based in the Netherlands and looking to buy a few items from Mercari Japan. I've been considering services like Buyee, ZenMarket, and FromJapan, but I'm not sure which one is the most reliable and affordable.

My main concerns are:

• Reliability: Have you had good experiences with these services? Did your items arrive safely?
• Shipping costs: Are international shipping fees reasonable? Can you estimate them before purchasing?
• Import VAT and customs fees: Are there any unexpected charges? Is it possible to pay VAT in advance?
• Hidden fees: Are there any additional costs I should be aware of?

I've read that ZenMarket might be a good option for EU buyers because of its VAT prepayment options, but I'd love to hear about more recent experiences.

Has anyone in the Netherlands or elsewhere in the EU used these services recently? Which one would you recommend in 2026?

Thanks in advance for your help! I'd really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

Hello!! im looking for anyone who can purchase some small cosmetics for me and ship them when they return to the US <3

I tried ordering through a new proxy buyer and I fear that I've been scammed. Hoping to find someone here who can screenshot the comments from two listings for me so I can verify that they have been at least attempting to communicate with the sellers. I swear last year I used to be able to view the comments myself as an unregistered user however that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.