How to buy from Rakuten Ichiba from overseas
Rakuten Ichiba is a mall of tens of thousands of independent shops rather than one retailer. Shipping, packaging, dispatch speed and returns policy are all set by the individual shop, which is the single most important thing to understand about ordering there.
Either service works
If you can complete the order yourself, use your free Japanese address and we will forward it. If the shop rejects your card or address, send us the link instead and we will buy it for you.
How our shopping service works · How parcel forwarding works · Fees
What to know before you order from Rakuten Ichiba
- Each shop charges its own domestic shipping. Three items from three shops means three domestic shipping fees before we consolidate — buying more from one shop is materially cheaper.
- Many shops offer 送料無料 (free shipping) above a spend threshold. If you are close to one, tell us and we can reach it.
- Some shops refuse orders addressed to forwarding services. When that happens we simply buy on your behalf instead, which sidesteps the restriction.
Worth knowing
Rakuten points earned on a purchase accrue to the account that placed the order and cannot be transferred to you.
How it works
- Send the link or place the order. Paste the product URL into your account and we quote the total, including our commission, before anything is bought.
- We receive and check it. Your item arrives at our Osaka warehouse, where we photograph it and record its weight and dimensions. Storage is free for the first 30 days.
- Combine with anything else. Keep shopping at other stores. Everything waiting in your warehouse can go into a single parcel, so you pay international shipping once rather than once per shop.
- We pack and ship. Choose your carrier and we repack to remove wasted space, quote the exact rate, and send it with tracking.
What shipping will cost
Shipping is charged on the packed parcel, not per item, so the cost depends on where it is going and what it weighs. Real rates by weight for each destination:
Buying guides for other Japanese shops
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