If the San Fransisco gold rush brought about the invention of jeans, just image what the Tokyo e-commerce gold rush is going to bring!
The Japanese e-commerce market is a goldmine, but only if you know how to dig (and if you're generally incapable of digging, you'll just have to think of the Japanese e-commerce market as a "silvermine", or maybe even a "coppermine". Sorry, we don't write the rules.)
Anyway, here are some things to keep in mind when you start an e-commerce store in Japan, whether you’re targeting locals with an obsession for fast delivery and neatly wrapped packages, or shipping worldwide to people who just think "Made in Japan" equals cooler stuff!
1. Setting Up Shop Isn’t All Anime and Cherry Blossoms
"I was lead to believe Japan was a land operating solely on anime logic. How could I have been so wrong?"
When you're setting up a shop in Japan, a sole proprietorship might do --at least to start. It’s simple. It’s easy. And it's in Japan so you better believe there's still paperwork involved. There are some downsides though:
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Your Income Skyrockets? Let's pretend you’re rolling in yen, like a slightly racist version of Scrooge McDuck. Now you've got to think about progressive tax rates. Sole proprietors in Japan deal with progressive tax rates, which can go up to a nosebleed-inducing 45%! Incorporating is a good way to avoid this. Corporate tax rates are friendlier.
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Personal Assets at Risk? Oh, you thought your business debts and personal savings were separate? Maybe read a goddamn blogpost on the internet sometime. If someone sues your business, be prepared to say "sayonara" to your house, your car, your grandma’s antique tea set, and maybe even grandma herself. They're all fair game!
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Need Investors? Investors don’t want to hear about your sole proprietorship. They want something solid, something serious. Incorporated businesses are serious.
For foreigners: brace yourself. A sole proprietorship won’t magically get you a business visa (it WILL get you some unenthusiastic praise from your friends and family though, so that's a plus!). To qualify for a Business Manager Visa, you’ll likely need to:
- Incorporate your business --usually as a Kabushiki Kaisha or Godo Gaisha/Godo Kaisha).
- Show you have ¥5 million in capital or equivalent assets.
- Rent a proper office space (your 2 room Tokyo apartment doesn’t count).
2. Japan Loves Convenience... and Not Just the STORE Kind)
"You think your shipping is fast?! I get everything delivered exclusively by bullet train. *scoffs* I bet you don't even get to the cloud district very often, do you?"
A Japanese customer is like a celebrity's yappy, inbred chihuahua... which is to say: Japanese customers are spoiled.
Japanese customers expect same-day delivery, beautiful packaging, and enough tracking updates to feel like they’re monitoring a space mission. JAPANESE PEOPLE LOVE SPACE EXPLORATION! THIS IS KNOWN.
- For local (Japan-based) customers: use carriers like Yamato or Japan Post for reliable, fast shipping.
- For global customers: focus on reliability, not speed. People usually don't care if the package takes five days to show up, as long as that's communicated in advance, and the package doesn't show up looking like it had an eventful encounter with
3. Payment Options: Cash Isn’t Dead Here
The only reason cash isn't dead here is because the Bank of Japan exclusively hires necromancers.
While credit cards and mobile payments are growing in Japan, many customers still crave the strength and certainty of steel... they aspire to the purity of the blessed machine... no wait we're thinking of something else. What many Japanese customers still want is 'cash-on-delivery' as a payment option!
- For Japanese customers: offer konbini (convenience store) payment options, credit card options, mobile wallet options like PayPay... and of course, cash-on-delivery.
- For international customers: PayPal and Stripe are safe bets for accepting credit card payments.
4. Packaging: Presentation Is Half the Battle
"This one sparks joy. This one does not spark joy... it sparks THE HATRED OF TEN. THOUSAND. YEARS. AAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHH!!!"
In Japan, the unboxing experience is everything. EVERYTHING. If your package doesn’t look like good enough to give as a souvenir, expect customers to be disappointed.
For international customers, keep things sturdy and functional --but a little extra flair never hurts.
People like posting their shiny new stuff on social media. Give them an excuse to do that with interesting packaging design.
5. Marketing: Get Seen Locally and Globally
Yeah social media marketing is great, but have you ever tried just pumping loads of money into advertising instead?
Japanese platforms like LINE, Twitter, and Instagram are your go-to for local visibility.
For international buyers, lean on Facebook ads, email marketing, and influencer collabs.
Also, SEO matters. If your store doesn’t rank in both English and Japanese, it’s basically invisible.
In Conclusion
From Japan to the world --or Japan to Japan. Or even the world to Japan. You've got OPTIONS.
Starting an e-commerce store in Japan isn’t rocket science, but it's also not as simple as just listing products online and waiting for the yen to roll in. From legal setups to fast shipping there’s a lot to get right... but you've got this! We believe in you! :D
With Mix-Mix Mail as your fulfillment partner, you don’t have to sweat the logistics. From storage to shipping, we’ve got it covered, so you can focus on starting your e-commerce business empire in the land of the rising sun!