Posts
Doing furusato nozei on Amazon
Since December 2024 you can also do furusato nozei (ふるさと納税) on Amazon. Search for "ふるさと納税" to get in, and some regular product pages also show an extra return gift (返礼品) option. Foreigners who pay resident tax and income tax in Japan can use it just the same. You pay ¥2,000 yourself and the rest is …
The BALMUDA toaster
With BALMUDA The Toaster, you pour 5cc of water into the little opening on top before toasting, so steam moistens the surface of the bread before it toasts. Refrigerated sliced bread or a day-old croissant done this way comes out crisp on the outside and still soft inside.
Panasonic nanocare hair dryer model numbers
Amazon lists a whole pile of Panasonic hair dryers, but the model numbers tell you what's what. Models starting with EH-NA are the core nanocare line. A 0 after NA means the top model, with high-penetration nanoe (高浸透ナノイー); 9 is the standard model, and 2 and 7 are the compact, lightweight ones. Mode…
Electric shavers and replacement blades
The best-selling electric shavers on Amazon are Panasonic's Lamdash (ラムダッシュ) and Braun. Panasonic splits its range by blade count into 3-blade, 5-blade and 6-blade models; Braun splits by series, like 9, 7 and 5.
Japanese rice cookers
Rice cookers (炊飯器) in Japan basically come from three makers: Zojirushi, Tiger and Panasonic. On Amazon they range from a few thousand yen up to ¥100,000. The cheap ones mostly heat from the bottom of the pot, the next step up is IH, and the most expensive are pressure IH. If you want rice that tast…
Microwaves and combination ovens
Microwaves in Japan come in two kinds: single-function ones that only heat (単機能レンジ), and combination ovens that can also bake and steam (オーブンレンジ). The pricier steam combination ovens mainly come from four lines: Panasonic Bistro (ビストロ), Sharp Healsio (ヘルシオ), Toshiba Ishigama Dome (石窯ドーム) and Hitachi…
Returns on Amazon
Most things on Amazon can be returned within 30 days of delivery. In Your Orders (注文履歴), click "Return or replace items" (返品・交換), pick a reason, print the return label, stick it on the box, and send it back.
A countertop dishwasher in a rental
Countertop dishwashers on Amazon come in two kinds. One connects to your faucet, which means installing a faucet splitter (分岐水栓) to divert water from the tap. The other is the tank type (タンク式): you pour water into the tank yourself each time, plug it in and it's ready to go, no plumbing involved.
A year of buying SwitchBot on Amazon
Over the past year I've bought quite a few SwitchBot things on Amazon, on and off. First came the CO2 sensor in July 2025, then an LED ceiling light in October, and from May to July 2026 I added a light strip, a floor lamp, smart plugs, LED bulbs, and a height adjustment plate, an accessory for the …
A Seki Magoroku petty knife and cutting board from Amazon
I put together a kitchen order on Amazon: a Kai Seki Magoroku (関孫六) petty knife, a lightweight Kai frying pan, plus an Asahi rubber cutting board.
Buying household basics with Subscribe & Save
For things you need to rebuy every so often, like laundry detergent, toilet paper, and diapers, Amazon has Subscribe & Save (定期おトク便). Pick Subscribe & Save on the product page, set the quantity and how often you want it, and from then on it orders automatically on schedule.
Bought a Dyson V12 Detect Slim Fluffy on Amazon
I bought the V12 Detect Slim Fluffy on Amazon this July.
Bought two Laifen hair dryers and a toothbrush on Amazon
This July I ordered three Laifen products on Amazon on the same day: two hair dryers, the SWIFT and the SWIFT SPECIAL, plus a Wave electric toothbrush.
A water filter pitcher for Japanese tap water
Tap water in Japan meets the standard for drinking straight from the tap, but for disinfection the water coming out of the faucet is required to keep a little residual chlorine, and in some areas it has a noticeable bleach taste. A filter pitcher is mainly there to get rid of that taste, and tea, co…
Robot vacuums for Japanese homes
The robot vacuums that sell most on Amazon are Roborock, iRobot's Roomba and Eufy. Most Japanese homes have wood floors, which suit robot vacuums quite well, but measure a few things before you buy.
Amazon Prime membership
Prime is currently ¥600 a month or ¥5,900 a year, so paying yearly saves you ¥1,300. Students at a university, graduate school, junior college, or vocational school can get Prime Student for ¥300 a month or ¥2,950 a year, with the first 6 months free.
De'Longhi fully automatic coffee machines
Amazon carries lots of De'Longhi fully automatic models, and the most common entry-level one is the Magnifica S (マグニフィカS). Pour beans into the hopper, fill the water tank, press a button, and it does everything from grinding to brewing, with the used grounds dropping into the grounds container autom…
Dehumidifiers for indoor laundry in the rainy season
The rainy season runs from June to around mid-July. Laundry hung indoors still isn't dry after a day or two, and it starts to smell. Many dehumidifiers sold in Japan are labeled "clothes-drying dehumidifier" (衣類乾燥除湿機), and you can point the vent straight at your clothes.
A new shower head from Amazon
I bought a shower head from 日丸屋製作所 on Amazon.
Buying Anker chargers and power banks in Japan
Anker has its own company in Japan, Anker Japan, and the chargers and power banks on Amazon are basically models made for the Japanese market. The plugs are the standard Japanese two-prong type, so they work out of the box.
Buying electric toothbrush heads on Amazon
On Amazon, electric toothbrushes mostly come down to two brands: Philips Sonicare and Braun Oral-B. The toothbrushes themselves go on sale a few times a year; what keeps costing money is the brush heads. You generally swap one out about every three months, and once the color on the bristles fades, i…
Bought a Fissler pressure cooker set on Amazon
In February 2025 I bought a Fissler Vitaquick (ビタクイック) set on Amazon: a 4.5L pressure cooker plus a 2.5L skillet.
Buying sunscreen and drugstore beauty on Amazon
You can get sunscreen and drugstore beauty products on Amazon. Staples like the gold Anessa and Bioré UV go on sale often, and some Bioré UV products even work with Subscribe & Save (定期おトク便).
Buying an iPad on Amazon
Amazon is an authorized Apple reseller. iPads whose product page says sold and shipped by Amazon.co.jp (Amazon.co.jpが販売、発送) are the same official Japanese units Apple sells on its own site, and the warranty goes through Apple too. The same page can also have third-party sellers mixed in, so with the…
I got the second-gen AirTag on Amazon
I bought the first AirTag on Amazon right when it came out in April 2021, and this March I bought the second-gen 4-pack.
Sony noise cancelling: which generation to buy
Sony's noise-cancelling headphones come in two lines: WH-1000X is over-ear, and WF-1000X is true wireless earbuds. The "M" number at the end of the model name is the generation.
Buying a Switch 2 and games on Amazon
The Switch 2 came out in June 2025. At first Amazon only sold it by invitation, but since February 2026 it's been on normal sale, so you can order it directly whenever it's in stock.
Japanese versions of Logitech MX keyboards and mice
Logitech goes by Logicool in Japan, and products named ロジクール are the official Japanese versions, with a warranty here in Japan. Search for the English name Logitech and a lot of what comes up is parallel imports (並行輸入).
Buying medicine on Amazon
Amazon sells over-the-counter medicine from Class 1 (第1類) through Class 3 (第3類). Medicine-cabinet staples like cold medicine, fever and pain relievers, stomach medicine, and eye drops are mostly Class 2 or 3, and ordering them is pretty much like ordering anything else.
Amazon gift card top-ups and points
Amazon's top-up gift card (ギフトカード チャージタイプ) is basically storing money in your own account. It starts at ¥150, you can enter any amount, and the balance can go up to ¥300,000. You can pay by card, or in cash at a convenience store, an ATM, or through online banking, so you can still shop on Amazon wi…
Humidifying air purifiers
Most air purifiers sold in Japan come with a humidifier built in. The ones you see most on Amazon are Daikin's MCK series, Sharp's KI series and Panasonic. Their ion technologies are called Streamer (ストリーマ), Plasmacluster (プラズマクラスター) and nanoe (ナノイー) respectively, and in everyday use you can't reall…
A THERMOS mug and a Tiger hot water pot from Amazon
I once bought a THERMOS JOY-1000 on Amazon, and in December 2024 I also got a Tiger electric hot water pot, the PDR-G221.
Small heaters for winter at home
Japanese homes tend to be cold in winter, and the air conditioner alone sometimes isn't enough, so a lot of people add a small heater or two. It's worth working out the electricity cost before you buy. Below I use ¥31 per kWh, the rate the appliance industry uses for its estimates; your actual rate …
Three ways to buy from Amazon Japan in China
Friends in China often ask me how to buy things from Amazon Japan. There are roughly three ways.
Genelec G2: why I bought it, how it sounds, and why you shouldn't
Outside of work and study, my only hobby is listening to music. I've been moving around a lot these past few years without a fixed home, but I've still spent a fair amount on this hobby. Besides going to music festivals, concerts and small live venues for the fun of it, I've never stopped buying spe…
Scoring a Fujifilm 70-300 lens on Amazon Outlet
I'd had my eye on the 70-300 and had only been hesitating for two days... when a used one in "Like New" condition showed up on Amazon, over ¥10,000 cheaper than the going price... and sold by Amazon itself, so I grabbed it right away. It arrived today and, sure enough, it's no different from new. Sa…
A wage slave's golden hoe: Realforce R3 keyboard
I remember buying my first keyboard years ago. I wanted to get it right in one go, so without much comparing I went straight for the top name in mechanical keyboards at the time, a Filco with red switches