Preorders are super popular in Japan, especially for anime goods and other collectibles. But if you’ve ever tried ordering a preorder item from a Japanese shop, there’s a chance you’ve felt a little confused at some point in the process.
“The release date said mid-August, but it’s already September and it hasn’t shipped yet! What’s up with that?”
・・・
“Can I ship my other items separately from the preorder item?”
・・・
“Why can’t I get the bonus item for the limited edition item I ordered?”
The fact is, Japanese shops and websites have a different way of preparing and processing preorders than what we’re used to overseas. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! You can still order and receive Japanese preorder items successfully! You just need to be aware of a few differences before you get started.
In this article, we’ll teach you the ins-and-outs of what to expect when preordering items in Japan, and how DEJAPAN can help you do it!
Must-Knows About Preorder Goods in Japan
Let’s go ahead and break down some of the biggest differences about preorders in Japan.
Release Dates
The most important thing to understand about preorders in Japan is that the release dates are approximate dates, not hard deadlines. This is probably the biggest difference when comparing to preorders overseas. Scheduled release dates are not guaranteed. In fact, it’s pretty common for item releases to be delayed, especially with figures, games, and limited goods.
These delays can happen for a few reasons. First, shops will typically only ship items after the official release date. You’ll almost never get items early. The store isn’t going back on their word; it’s simply understood in Japan that release dates are when items will begin to be prepared for shipping—not necessarily that they will be shipped on that day.
Second, it’s common for release dates to suddenly be extended or postponed at the discretion of the seller (particularly with individual creators). In fact, it’s normal for items to be postponed for a month. We even have a few ongoing cases where the preorder has been extended for over a year! (We’re looking at you, crowdfunding sites..😒) While this can feel frustrating at times, sellers are within their legal rights in Japan to do this. So long as they still intend to ship the item once its ready, sellers can postpone release as many times as needed.
Upfront Payments
Another major difference is the timing of payment. Overseas, many preorders aren’t charged until the item is ready to ship. However, in Japan, many specialty shops (especially smaller hobby shops, CD/DVD/figure specialty stores, and Yahoo Shopping/Rakuten sellers) may require upfront payment or a deposit.
Every store is different regarding payments, so be sure to check carefully! Once you pay for a preorder, many stores don’t allow cancellation.
No Cancellations!
Speaking of cancellations, that is something that is nearly impossible to do with preorder items. In Japan, canceling preorders is often discouraged or outright prohibited, especially with specialty shops after payment has been completed. It breaks trust between the customer and the seller, and it especially has a negative effect on individual creators who cannot keep up with large-scale manufacturers and often have to push back their release dates.
Take careful note that if you do cancel any preorder, you may be blacklisted from future preorders with that shop or seller.
Of course, all that being said, if the seller determines that the production situation is not looking too good, they will often give you the option to cancel the order to receive a refund. So there’s no need need to worry too much about your item or your money. Items can be pushed back sometimes, and you may need to be more patient than usual. But most of the time, you won’t have to worry about waiting too long past your item’s release date.
Combined Orders & Split Shipments
Now, what if you order several items from a shop, but one or two of them are preorders. What happens to the non-preorder items? Are they shipped separately? Or are they shipped together with the preorders later?
Well, it honestly depends on the shop. But generally, many stores don’t split shipments, even if you have preorder items. If you preorder multiple items with different release dates in the same order, the store will wait until all items are released before shipping. This can cause long delays, especially if one item is postponed. (Sometimes for as long as several months!)
To avoid this, we recommend that you order your items separately if the release dates are different.
(Unless, of course, you’re happy with waiting until they ship together. In which case, feel free to order them together!)
Limited Quantity & Lottery Items
Some highly sought-after preorder items—like concert merch, figures, and collab goods—are often extremely limited in quantity. And what does Japan do when there’s a limited quantity of things? A lottery, of course!
Instead of a first-come, first-serve basis, sellers and shops will use a lottery system called 抽選販売 (chūsen hanbai) to select who will get these coveted items. Generally, you don’t need to pay for the item unless you win the lottery. But if you do win, know that you may need to wait some time before the item ships. Just because the lottery is finished doesn’t mean the item is ready.
**Important Note**
When ordering a preorder lottery item through DEJAPAN, you will need to pay for the item upfront. This ensures that if you win the lottery, we will be able to pay for the item without any delays. But don’t worry! If you don’t win, we’ll refund you as soon as we hear the news. 👍
Limited Editions vs. Regular Editions
While some limited items are sold as a lottery item, other preorder items may be sold as a limited or first-print editions of items called 初回限定版 (shokai genteiban) or 先着特典付き (senchaku tokuten-tsuki). Sometimes, these limited edition items also come with bonus items, such as posters, can badges, acrylic stands, photobooks, and more. They’re truly a special chance to get your hands on some unique, limited-edition merch.
However, it’s important to note that these bonuses often run out quickly. They’re given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. So, even if you preordered it with the bonus item, if the bonus items are out-of-stock by the time your main item is shipped, you’ll likely not receive the bonus item. It’s definitely a bummer when that happens. But this is something that preorder listings will also specify on the listing if they offer a limited-quantity bonus item, so it’s important to check the listing carefully before ordering.
Common Japanese Phrases with Preorders:
There are a several commonly used words and phrases on preorder item listings in Japan. Sometimes knowing the lingo can help a lot with better understanding what kind of preorder item you’re looking at, ultimately giving you a little peace of mind with your order.
Below are some of the most common Japanese phrases regarding preorders…
| Original Japanese | Romaji | English Translation |
| 予約注文 予約販売 | yoyaku chūmon yoyaku hanbai | “Preorder” |
| 発売予定日 | hatsubai yotei-bi | “Scheduled release date” |
| 抽選販売 | chūsen hanbai | “Lottery sales” |
| 初回限定版 | shokai genteiban | “First-run limited edition” |
| 先着特典付き | senchaku tokuten-tsuki | “First-come, first-serve basis” |
| 特典はなくなり次第終了 | tokuten ha nakunari-shidai shūryō | “[Offer] will end when the bonus items are out-of-stock” |
In Summary…
These standards are generally true for the majority of shops in Japan, but every store is different. Be sure to check each store’s preorder policy in their terms and conditions for the most accurate information before ordering.
How to Order Preorders with DEJAPAN
Ordering preorder items with DEJAPAN is easy! Since the majority of preorder items are from 3rd party websites, you can place an order using our Request Form.
Find our Request Form here → https://www.dejapan.com/en/request
How do I know if it’s a preorder item?
There are a few phrases you should look for to determine if the item is available for preorder. First, look for 予約/yoyaku (“preorder”) anywhere on the page. Finding that is a pretty good bet that it’s a preorder item. Second, see if you can find a release date. It will be written with the year/month of the release with the word 発売予定/hatsubai yotei (“release date”).
If both of those pieces of information are there, then it’s most likely a preorder item. 👍
Step 1: Enter the URL into the Request Form
Once you’ve determined that the item you want is a preorder item, go ahead and enter that URL into our Request Form.
Step 2: Make sure all the information is added to the request!
As always, make sure to add the Item Image and Item Name to the request form if it didn’t automatically fill in with the URL. This helps our Purchase Team to know exactly which item you’re hoping to preorder.
While it’s not strictly necessary, it never hurts to write the preorder date and any other special information in the comment section.
Once you’ve confirmed that all the information is correct, go ahead and add that request to your DEJAPAN cart!
Step 3: Pay for the order upfront
Once you’ve added all your preorder item(s) to your cart, open up your cart, select the store you’re ordering from, and click “Make Payment” to submit your preorder to our Purchase Team! The money for the preorder will be paid upfront so we can secure your items at the time of purchase.
**DEJAPAN Pro Tip**
Don’t submit your preorder request TOO early.
We recommend submitting it no more than a 1-2 days before the preorder start date. If you submit it too early, it may be canceled prematurely.
Popular Shops with Preorder Items
There are plenty of online shops in Japan that offer preorder items. We’ve listed up a few of the most popular sites that DEJAPAN customers love to shop from!
Hobby Shops:
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned all the insider tips about Japanese preorders, plus how to order them on DEJAPAN, you’re ready to order a few things yourself!
Feel free to submit an order for any preorders from the sites featured here, or any other sites via our Request Form. Even if it’s a new site we’ve never tried to order from, we’re more than happy to give it a try!
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us at contact@dejapan.com! We’d love to hear from you. 😊
