Given the fact that it seemed a ton of people were running around like chickens with their heads cut off over finding Jump Kai, I decided to move this to the forefront and bang out this handy import guide.
This one will center around ordering JUMP X specifically, though the process is similar for most things that you order. The difference here is that not all online shops carry magazines, thus making it much harder to find. Also, ones that DO carry magazines are also less likely to cater to potential customers outside Japan. This was also my initial dilemma when importing the Remix volumes. You need to know where to look, and you need to be fast.
Exchange Rates
First, let’s talk about something that makes or breaks any importing career: exchange rates. Ahhh, I remember the good old days back in early 2008. For every $1 I spent, I could buy 110yen worth of products. Buying KZB was so wonderful, buying the anime box set was so cheap. Then the recession happened. Now the American dollar struggles to maintain a 77yen/$1 ratio, making everything cost about 25% more than it did three years ago. Not cool. You used to be able to estimate how much it would cost by simply dividing the yen by 100, but no more. Before placing an order, I suggest going to a currency site such as XE or Oanda to double check what you’ll be paying. They have every other type of currency as well, so even if you don’t live in the US, you can check to see what your respective rate is. These rates change daily, even hourly, so it’s important to check often, especially when you’re about to make a purchase.
Importing From Merchant Sites
Fashion magazines are much easier to find. Even some American sites list them. Manga, however, and despite what people over here in America think, is still sort of a niche hobby; not all Japanese residents love and respect anime/manga. Clothes are inherently more popular (unless you cosplay, in which case you’re really a freak).
As such, usual stomping grounds won’t suffice here. There are only a couple places to buy JUMP X without a proxy service. First, let’s go into the stores that will ship internationally.
[Note: None of the links provided are affiliated links. Patch Cafe makes no commission from any purchases made through these links.]
Amazon Japan.
URL: http://www.amazon.co.jp
The Japanese counterpart of Amazon.com, Amazon Japan has just about every book and magazine published in Japan today. You can also find DVDs, CDs, and other goods.
Pros: Very large selection, decent prices, usually have whatever I’m looking for. They also sell the limited editions of various DVDs and CDs. They also had the listing for Jump X Vol 5 up before any other site that I saw.
Cons: Shipping is mandatory EMS, meaning that if you’re buying books and/or magazines, two of them will cost you $60 with shipping included. Some CDs, figures, and other items cannot be shipped outside of Japan. Because it’s a well-known site, some items tend to sell out quickly. Third party sellers won’t ship out of Japan.
HMV Japan
URL: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en
Originally owned by HMV Group, a British chain of entertainment stores, but since sold to DSM Investment Catorce, HMV sells entertainment items including books, CDs, DVDs, and some magazines. To the best of my knowledge they did not carry the Remix volumes. Here, Jump Kai is listed as “JUMP X” or “ヤングジャンプ”.
Pros: HMV’s site can be viewed in complete English, unlike Amazon JP which only translates some words into English. They ship worldwide, and their prices tend to be retail and thus not marked up. If you’re a frequent buyer, you can benefit from their points program, which they even changed for international customers so they could use it as well.
Cons: The shipping quote given to you when ordering is VERY misleading. It will usually tell you that shipping will cost you about 1200yen. This sounds great, right? Too bad there’s a bold line of text informing you that the actually shipping price may different greatly from the price noted there, and even gives you the option of being notified if the price is significantly increased. This is all very easy to miss, but since, like Amazon, it’s mandatory EMS, the low shipping should tip you off. EMS usually costs at least 3000yen by itself.
To the best of my knowledge, these are the only shops that will ship to the US. Many others will ship only within Japan, and for this you would need a proxy service. It’s kind of hard to use a proxy service with a magazine that has the potential to sell out fast. By the time the service receives your request, it could already be sold out.
Proxy Services
Here’s a tiny list of proxy services that could help you. Proxy services are usually based in Japan, and use their Japanese address to acquire items for a customer from a shop or auction that doesn’t usually cater to outside countries. You can get a lot of awesome things this way (like my 5 Ren plushies >:3 ). Most require membership (usually free) and a deposit, which dictates how much you are allowed to bid on/request for a special order. You also should give yourself about 3-5 days before the sale to make sure your membership is set up.
Keep in mind that I do not guarantee excellent service. Even if I have had good experiences, that doesn’t mean that it will be that way with everyone. Use at your own risk.
Shopping Mall Japan
URL: http://www.shoppingmalljapan.com
I’ve been using them for about three years now. While expensive compared to some others, they provide a decent service and I have only had one major incident with them (which they resolved, and was partially out of their hands in the first place). They require payment within two weeks, which is pretty generous. Heavier items (such as the 56 doujinshi I bought at one point hurrrr) will be kept in Japan, in which case you will need to pay Japanese postage rates. Otherwise, the items are shipped in bulk to and stored in the US, meaning if you live in the US, your shipping costs will be significantly lower. Items can be stored for up to 60 days in Japan and 90 days in the US.
JapaMart
URL: http://www.japamart.com
I no longer use this service, but it’s decent. Their feels are around the same as SMJs, but their payment and storage policies are much stricter. You only have 72 hours to pay, after which time you will be charged a late fee for each day you are late. You also only have 10 days to request an item be shipped to you or you will be charged a storage fee. This is an okay service if you are punctual, but if you’re a forgetful procrastinator such as myself…eh…
These are the only ones I’ve done a special order with, so I can’t recommend any others. At some point I’ll do a full guide about deputy/middlemen/shopping services so you can import almost anything available on the web. Hopefully we’ll be seeing some new products soon~!
That’s about it for this guide. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
