About this site & disclaimer
Who writes this site
I'm in Osaka and I've spent years on the sending side of these parcels — first packing orders for a small online shop, then doing it for friends abroad who couldn't buy from Japanese sites directly. I've filled in the customs forms, argued with a courier about a lost box, and paid the fee twice for not reading a size limit. This site is the reference I wish those friends had. I write under a pen name because of my day job.
Most guides to buying from Japan are written by people who have never actually paid the second invoice — the one that shows up after your parcel reaches the warehouse. This site starts from the total cost, not the sticker price.
How I research and rate things
- Service fees, commission rates and shipping bands are taken from the operator's own fee page or from an order I placed myself. The date I checked is written next to the figure.
- When I've used a service, I say what actually happened, including the parts that went wrong. When I haven't, I say so and stick to documented terms.
- Import duty, VAT and de minimis thresholds depend entirely on your own country. I explain how the mechanism works and then send you to your own customs authority rather than guessing your bill.
- Prohibited and restricted items — food, cosmetics, medicines, batteries, knives, secondhand goods — are flagged wherever they come up, because a seized parcel is not refundable.
- Services I earn nothing from, including Japan Post's own international mail, are compared on the same terms.
Affiliate disclosure
This site takes part in affiliate programs. Some links are tracked, and if you book or buy through them the site may earn a commission. This never costs you anything extra, and it does not change the price you pay.
Commissions pay for the domain, hosting and the test orders placed to check fees. Nothing here is a paid placement, and no operator sees a page before it is published.
Commissions do not decide the order of the rankings or what gets recommended. Options
that pay nothing are included on the same terms, and sometimes come out on top. Affiliate
links are marked with rel="sponsored" and every page carries a disclosure
notice at the top.
Disclaimer
Everything here reflects what could be verified at the time of writing. Prices, routes, opening hours and terms in Japan change often, and some services differ depending on your nationality or visa status. Always confirm the current details on the official site before you book or buy. No responsibility is accepted for losses arising from use of this information.
Operator and contact
Independently run by one person (pen name used)
Please use the contact page to get in touch. See the privacy policy for how personal data is handled.