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.

The easiest is Amazon Global Store (亚马逊海外购). You order through its WeChat mini program or the Amazon China app, prices are in RMB with taxes included, and you don't need a card that can pay in foreign currency. The catch is that only some products are listed, so things on Amazon Japan won't necessarily show up in a search.

The second is to order directly with an amazon.co.jp account, enter your address in China, and have it shipped internationally. This has the widest selection, you pay Amazon Japan's own prices, and you get the big sale discounts too. International shipping and import duties are extra, and not everything can ship abroad; the product page will say. At checkout, Amazon converts the total to RMB by default, and the rate is usually bad, so you can switch to paying in yen.

The third is to use a daigou or a personal-shopper app. You don't have to research anything, but the price and how trustworthy it is come down to them.

For fragile things like ceramics and enamelware, whichever route you take, it's best to film an unboxing video when it arrives.