How to use a Japan proxy shopping service when you can’t read Japanese
Language barriers can be hilarious – sometimes.
Like when you’re on a train in a foreign country, and there’s a nice old lady sitting opposite you. She can’t speak a single word of English, but she’s gonna smile at you and hand you candy the whole way there. We love trips like that.
Other times, not knowing the language can be more of a problem. For example, when you’re trying to buy stuff online.
Oh no, Nihongo?!
Okay, let’s say you’ve found the… thing… of your dreams. From Japan. And you absolutely have to have it.
Maybe it’s an anime figure, or the final bit of that cosplay you’ve wanted to do for ages. Kawaii deco and plushie/squishy bits? Maybe some fake food accessories and other ‘weird Japan’ stuff. Gunpla. Nendos. Amiibos. It could be this season’s Japanese streetwear your mates would kill to be wearing. The label you can’t get anywhere else. Or it’s the only brand of makeup that doesn’t turn your skin bright red.
You want it. You need it. And you found it online, finally. But you can’t read Japanese.
Luckily for you, that’s what we’re here to help with.
Bid and buy from Japan whenever you want
So DEJAPAN’s a Japan proxy shopping service. Based in Osaka, Japan: the home of amazing food, vibrant nightlife, leopard-print everything, and friendly candy-carrying old ladies. We take a lot of trains.
We give you access to Yahoo! Auctions, Amazon Japan, and Rakuten Marketplace – that’s all of Rakuten, not the watered-down global version. All in one place, online, and (most importantly) in English.
Yes, we’re the nice Japanese grandmas of the Internet. Here, have a mint.
Shopping by Japan proxy is easy. Our search is really simple to use in English or Japanese. If there’s an ‘Add to Cart’ button on the product page, you can order it. For auctions, make a normal bid or arrange a sniper bid.
Payment’s in 2 stages: one just before the item’s delivered to us, and the other before it’s delivered to you. The 1st payment is for the item, and the 2nd is for options and delivery. All international delivery prices depend on which country you’re in and what you’ve ordered. Get a better idea before you order with our handy shipping cost estimation tool.
By having items shipped to our warehouse and then out to you, ‘delivery to Japan only’ restrictions made by some sellers may not apply. You can buy via us without a Japanese address or credit card. Double check whether we deliver to your country (spoiler alert: we probably do).
Find everything – with nothing lost in translation
Not knowing kanji is not a problem. Auto-translate every item page into English with a nudge from Google Translate, so you know exactly what you’re looking at. There’s a drop-down box next to the product name.
And if you’ve got questions, ask us using the contact form or on social media. We’re active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram during office hours (Japan time). On weekends and Japanese national holidays, give us a little bit longer to reply.
Understand the process from A to Z
Registration pages, checkout forms, and customer service emails are all in straightforward English. Rather than trying to translate awkwardly formal Japanese, we’ve rewritten these messages to sound more natural and friendly. Oh, and we don’t shove ‘desuuuuu’ on the end of every sentence, either.
We’ve kept our explanation pages just as simple. Like the FAQs, for example. After all, you need to know this stuff.
There are a few different delivery methods available to certain countries, and optional packing choices. Ask us to combine multiple orders into one shipment, and/or to repack items with added wrapping.
Shop from Japan on DEJAPAN now
See how simple using a Japan shopping proxy can be. Bid on auctions, buy items now, and arrange international delivery – without picking up a dictionary.
(We do have dictionaries, if you really need one.)
