Japan Proxy Shopping for Beginners: Start Here
Your first purchase from Japan — simplified.
What Is Proxy Shopping?
Proxy shopping lets you buy from Japanese stores that don't ship overseas. A service acts as your middleman: they buy the item in Japan, receive it, and forward it to your international address.
When Do You Need a Proxy?
- The store doesn't ship internationally (Rakuten, Mercari, Yahoo Shopping)
- The specific item isn't eligible for AmazonGlobal shipping
- You want to buy from auction sites (Yahoo Auctions)
Getting Started (3 Steps)
Step 1: Choose a Proxy
For beginners, we recommend ZenMarket — lowest fees (¥300/item), clean English interface, responsive support.
Step 2: Find What You Want
Browse Japanese stores directly (use Google Translate) or search within the proxy's built-in search tool.
Step 3: Submit, Pay, Receive
Paste the product URL into the proxy site. They purchase it, notify you when it arrives at their warehouse, and you choose your shipping method.
Expected Costs
Product price + ¥300-500 proxy fee + ¥2,000-8,000 international shipping. Total adds roughly ¥3,000-9,000 to your order. Worth it for items you can't find elsewhere.
Looking for more? Browse our curated product picks — all available to ship from Japan.