Introduction
Doujinshi, or self-published books, are an essential and ever-growing area of Japanese otaku culture. Because these books and fan content are self-published, it can be very difficult to find—or even purchase—these exclusive items.
Doujinshi are often made to coincide with specific events, so there is always an influx of new doujinshis when the largest conventions are held—typically in August and December.
In this article, we will share a number of sites where you can purchase Doujinshi content, whether new or secondhand. Each store has its own pros and cons, so you’ll be sure to find the perfect place to browse for your favourite ships or character fan content.
What Is Doujinshi?
Before we begin listing the stores, we need to explain what we mean by “doujinshi.” Although books are the most common form of media, doujinshi can refer to any and all self-published merchandise. This can include CDs, games, figures, acrylic standees/keychains, and much more. Also, not all doujinshi is fan content. Some creators make and publish original stories, as well.
In order to keep things consistent, we will use the term “doujinshi” to cover every form of media.
Quick Comparison
| Store | Used/New? | Domestic Shipping | Free Shipping Threshold | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melonbooks (Fromagee) | NEW | 363 JPY – 702 JPY | 10,000 JPY (for Doujinshi only) | Melonbooks is targeted to male audiences, Fromagee is targeted to female audiences. Shipping for these items can be combined. |
| Toranoana | NEW | 380 JPY – 800 JPY | 11,000 JPY | Bonus items need to be added manually. Please be sure to leave a comment if interested. |
| BOOTH | NEW | VARIES | N/A | Sellers have their own storefront, so shipping fees depend on where the item is being shipped from. Digital items are also available. |
| Mandarake | USED | 150 JPY – 600 JPY | With Special Campaign only | Shipping fees may vary depending on which storefront the item is purchased from. |
| Suruga-ya | USED | 385 JPY – 440 JPY | 1,500 JPY | Suruga-ya charges an online processing fee of 240 JPY for orders under 5,000 JPY. Can purchase directly from DEJAPAN without using our Request Form. |
| Lashinbang | USED | 605 JPY | 5,000 JPY*(from same storefront) | Multiple storefronts on one site. Free shipping is only counted if the storefront is the same. |
| Animate | NEW | 280 JPY – 594 JPY | N/A | Doujinshi are not the main product, so there is less variety. |
Melonbooks
Melonbooks is one of the most well-known doujinshi stores in Japan! They even have booths set up at cons to invite creators to use Melonbooks as a distribution partner—to ship their leftover stock to the Melonbooks warehouse and sell online directly through their site! One thing to note is that although Melonbooks is big, they definitely target a male audience.
They have a sister store called Fromagee, which focuses on doujinshi targeted towards a female audience. The great thing is that you are able to combine items from both Melonbooks and Fromagee and have them shipped together!
Pros: Purchase new copies from creators. Can combine shipping if they are purchased together and from the same ‘release month’.
Cons: Delays with shipment during busy seasons (such as right after a convention).
Comic Toranoana
Toranoana is a comic store which specializes in doujinshi items. Many doujinshi artists give Toranoana exclusive rights to their works, so you may find manga which can only be found here. They are very similar to Melonbooks, but they do feature more items for a female audience as well.
One key thing to know when purchasing through Toranoana is that bonus items must be selected during the payment process to be included in an order. If there is a bonus item you want with your order, please leave a comment so our Purchase Team knows to include it!
Pros: Purchase new copies from creators. More variety of content targeting a female audience.
Cons: Shipping can take some time. Cannot choose which items are bundled together.
BOOTH
Items from Booth can be put into 4 different categories.
1. Item ships directly from seller 物販商品(自宅から発送)
2. Item ships from Booth’s warehouse 物販商品(倉庫から発送)
3. Digital file (ダウンロード商品)
4. Item is made to order from manufacturer (オンデマンド)
Booth also allows downloadable digital items, so unlike the other sites listed here, DEJAPAN can help purchase these digital items for you! **Please note that there is a fee equal to 10% of the item price (min. 100 JPY) for all digital items.
Pros: Purchase directly from creators. Digital copies are also available.
Cons: Each creator has their own store, so shipping cannot be combined.
Mandarake
If you cannot find a specific doujinshi from the other stores, there is a good chance you can find it on Mandarake. Mandarake is a large secondhand store for various otaku culture merchandise—not just doujinshi. They do have a site targeted to overseas customers, but they do not have the same stock as the Japanese online store.
**We can only purchase from the Japanese site, so be sure to double-check to make sure the link is correct when ordering.
Pros: Since they sell used copies, you can find older doujinshi that are no longer sold on Melonbooks or Toranoana.
Cons: Items on online stores can sell out quickly. Multiple storefronts are available on the site, so additional shipping fees may be charged.
Suruga-ya
Suruga-ya not only has secondhand anime merchandise, but also secondhand doujinshi.
You can purchase Suruga-ya items (outside of some R18 doujinshi) using our DEJAPAN portal, making the purchasing process easier than the other sites in this list.
One thing to be careful about when shopping through Suruga-ya is their Used Item Policy. Images are not reflective of the actual product; tags may be missing, and games may not have the original outer box. If any of these elements are missing, we are unable to return the items, so be sure to check their policy before purchasing.
Pros: Since they sell used copies, you can find older doujin which are no longer sold on Melonbooks or Toranoana.
Cons: Online Processing Fee of 240 JPY for orders under 5,000 JPY. Shipping time is delayed.
Lashinbang
Lashinbang is another secondhand anime store like Suruga-ya. However, the biggest difference is that Lashinbang is more focused on anime, games, and doujinshi compared to Suruga-ya, which sells non-otaku secondhand items, as well.
Lashinbang does not accept items which are “JUNK” quality, so you can generally expect that the item will be in a better condition than Suruga-ya. Lashinbang’s domestic shipping fee is quite expensive, but their stock will have more variety available than Suruga-ya.
Pros: More focused, larger selection of doujinshi. Can combine shipping with other non-doujinshi items if from the same storefront.
Cons: Domestic shipping fee starting at 605 JPY. Multiple storefronts make it difficult to meet the 5,000 JPY free shipping threshold.
Animate
Animate is known for their anime merchandise, but they also have a small stock of doujinshi items. All items that are self-published have【同人誌】in their title so buyers will be informed if an item is official or fan-made. Because they are sold from the same storefront, you may combine doujinshi items with official merchandise without needing to purchase them separately.
Pros: Can purchase both official merchandise and doujinshi together.
Cons: Doujinshi are not their main product, so there is less variety on sale.
Conclusion
Now you know where you can purchase doujinshi online! Each store has their own pros and cons, so there is sure to be one with the items you are looking for.
If you have an artist you love and want to support, be sure to follow their socials, as they will most likely share where they sell their doujinshi.
Also note that doujinshi are self-published and “release dates” tend to function more as placeholders than hard deadlines. Usually, it’s the date of the event they’re made for. Because of this, items may take longer to be shipped. But don’t worry! DEJAPAN will be happy to look into your orders if some time has passed since the estimated shipping date.
Feel free to submit an order for any of the products featured here (or anything else) via our Request Form.
Have any questions regarding an item you are interested in? Feel free to contact us at contact@dejapan.com or leave a comment below. We’d love to help you!
