How to buy records from Japanese shops when you live abroad

Most of the records you want from Japan never leave Japan. They sit in shop bins and in the shops' own online catalogues. If you live abroad you have three ways to get at them: buy from a shop that ships overseas, buy from a Japanese shop or seller on Discogs, or ask someone in Japan. This guide goes through each one, then shipping and duty, which is where the surprises usually are.

1. Buy from a Japanese shop that ships abroad

The simplest case: the shop sells to you and posts the record. Some shops do this themselves. Tobira Records in Hyogo, for example, sells new vinyl, tapes and CDs online and ships internationally (its used stock is in the physical shop only).

Tobira RecordsWatched by HoriKasai (Hyogo) · Ambient & drone · Experimental · Jazz & improv Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Watched by Hori Hours aren’t fixed: check their website before you go.Shop page →

Larger chains often use an intermediary instead. diskunion's international page explains that overseas orders go through WorldShopping, a service that buys on your behalf and sends the parcel abroad. Three details from that page matter:

• Used records are not available to overseas buyers online, only new ones.
• WorldShopping charges a 10% service fee on the product total, including domestic shipping; international shipping and handling come as a second payment request.
• No cancellations or returns once ordered, and the shop answers questions in Japanese only.

diskunion's own FAQ also says membership needs a Japanese address and phone number, and that cards issued outside Japan aren't accepted. So for diskunion's used stock, the realistic options from abroad are a friend in Japan or a trip.

diskunionWatched by HoriTokyo, Yokohama, Osaka & Nagoya · New and used · Hip hop & R&B · House & technoWatched by HoriShop page →

Before you order from any shop, look for an English or "international" page, or a line about 海外発送 (overseas shipping) in its FAQ. If there isn't one, write and ask before you give up on the shop.

2. Buy from Japanese sellers on Discogs

Japanese shops and private sellers use Discogs to reach buyers abroad (Metropolis talked to some of them back in 2017), and buying there works the same as anywhere: you pay the seller, the seller ships to you. Check the seller's shipping policy and their country before you add things to your cart, and combine records from the same seller to share one shipping charge. Japanese sellers often grade with their own scale; our guide to Japanese grading terms explains what EX, 美品 and the rest mean.

3. Ask someone in Japan

A friend, a relative, or a forwarding address you trust. It's the cheapest way when it's possible, and the only way for shops that don't sell online at all. The shipping rules below still apply.

Shipping from Japan

Whoever posts your records will most likely use Japan Post. Its options for goods, with the rough transit times from its comparison page:

Two more things from Japan Post: handwritten labels can no longer be used for goods, so senders make labels online; and International Parcel Post has optional insurance whose cover depends on the destination. For a box of LPs, EMS or tracked airmail is what most sellers offer.

If you're in the United States

This changed in 2025 and again in 2026. Japan Post's notice says that after the US ended duty-free de minimis treatment for mailed goods (from 29 August 2025), it suspended most US-bound goods from 27 August 2025. Since 14 April 2026 it accepts US-bound items again, but only if the sender prepays US duty through an approved provider; Japan Post recommends Zonos, which charges its own fee. In practice: the Japanese seller has to set that up, so ask before you pay whether they ship to the US and how they handle duty.

Duty and tax at home

Japan Post's guidance is plain: your parcel may be charged customs duty and consumption tax by your country, paying them is the recipient's responsibility, and your local postal operator may add a clearance fee. Check your own country's rules on imported goods before a big order.

Which route for which record

• New releases and reissues from a big chain: the shop's own international option (diskunion via WorldShopping) or a Japanese seller on Discogs.
• A used record at a specific shop: Discogs if the shop lists there, otherwise email the shop and ask whether it ships abroad, or wait for a trip. Our record shop directory has each shop's website and address.
• A wantlist you've been chasing for years: let Hori watch the shops for it, then ask the shop that has it how it can get to you.