In Japan, doujinshi are self-published writings. These unprofessional works may be light novels, manga, periodicals, or even music. Customers from other countries can buy doujinshi, either through global shipping businesses or with the aid of proxy services. Let’s take a look to see exactly how to order such attractive items and you have to say “Wow! It is easier than I can think”.
Best place to buy doujinshi
“Where can I buy doujinshi?” This may be the most concerning question. Let’s check it out to see the best place to purchase Japanese doujin.
Melonbooks
The bookstore Melonbooks is quite famous for selling Japanese doujin. Anything you wish can be found here: dakimakura, manga, light novels, and more!
Pixiv Booth
Booth pm is a unique website owned by the art site Pixiv. Many designers build their own stores there. Its idea is similar to the Western ones like Tictail or Etsy.
However, it is only used by Japanese circles to sell doujin! On this website, you may buy doujinshi quickly or even preorder upcoming doujin directly from the authors.
Toranoana
It is said that Toranoana is one of the biggest doujinshi stores in Japan. Manga, video games, figures, and other doujin are all sold there in a variety of forms. When people want to buy doujinshi, Toranoana always comes into their minds quickly.
Where to buy secondhand Japanese doujin?
These are some of the top locations for both Japanese residents and purchasers from other countries to buy used doujinshi. The following list will show you where to buy doujinshi.
Mercari Japan
Many Japanese users consider Mercari Japan as an online flea market when they wish to sell their goods. Unlike a second-hand reseller, many of the rare doujinshi available for purchase on this website are from the seller's collection. That's why you can find many rare Japanese doujin here.
If you want to buy doujinshi from Mercari, you need to communicate with a Japanese seller in their mother language as well as have your Japanese address. Otherwise, you should contact a proxy buying service such as Japan Flow to buy anything from Mercari merchants.
Suruga-ya
A wonderful place to purchase used Japanese doujinshi online is Suruga-ya. They are among the best online and physical retailers of Japanese pop culture goods in Japan. The Suruga-ya online store has a vast selection of doujinshi, however they do not ship internationally. We can assist you if you would want to buy doujinshi from them.
Yahoo Japan Auctions
The biggest online auction site in Japan to buy doujinshi is Yahoo Japan Auctions, which is comparable to eBay there. Doujins are among the numerous uncommon used items that are auctioned off here.
The best way to place a real-time bid on an auction is to use a shopping service. Japan Flow offers a guide on purchasing and bidding on Yahoo Auctions Japan if you need further details.
Mandarake
Mandarake is a well-known chain of secondhand stores in Japan that focuses on selling old items with an anime, video game, or manga theme. They have several physical locations across Japan and buy back products from people who no longer want them.
Many of the Mandarake stores have online listings for some of their products. Do you want to buy doujinshi online? Mandarake is your place.
Why use a proxy purchase service to get doujinshi online from Japan?
Many Japanese individuals and online retailers sell their goods only in Japan. Many cool, popular, unusual, and trendy Japanese things are unfortunately unavailable for purchase in the USA or any other country because the majority of Japanese businesses do not ship overseas.
Dealing with foreign nations is not of interest to many Japanese locals because they do not understand English. If you come across a store that offers international shipping, it's probably going to be too expensive for you.
The majority of Japanese businesspeople don't try to expand to other countries; they exclusively concentrate on their home market. We developed our service named Japan Flow to address all of these issues and help our clients buy doujinshi from Japan. You can access Japan Flow by clicking here.
Buying and shipping with Japan Flow
Japan Flow is a convenient service that makes it easy for you to purchase doujinshi online.
Step 1: Go to the website you want to buy Japanese doujin
Visit the website where you want to buy doujinshi. Highly recommend you use Google Chrome instead of other web browser. It can help you to access the website in English with the "Translate" function if the site does not have an English version.
Step 2: Search for doujinshi
Now, you are on the website with a variety of Japanese doujin. All that you need to do is searching your favorite doujinshi on the search box. Then, click on the image to be directed to the product page URL which will show detailed information of the Japanese doujin you would love to buy.
Step 3: Copy and paste your items link on Japan Flow
Japan Flow serves as a middleman between you and Japanese retailers that don't offer worldwide shipping.
To purchase items on Japan Flow, you must copy and paste the product link of the Japanese doujin you wish to buy into the buy request form. You can also fill out all the requirements below so that Japan Flow can find your items more exactly.
Step 4: Finalizing your order with Japan Flow
- After creating your buy request, please wait for our approval, which could take up to two working days.
- The first payment made by users covers the cost of the goods and the service charge. As soon as you notify us that the first charge has been successfully paid, we will buy doujinshi for you. The item will typically arrive at our warehouse in two to three days.
- Our customers can then create a packing request once we notify them when the item arrives at our warehouse. Within the next two days, we will package and add the shipping cost. You will then be required to pay that amount.
- When we receive notification from consumers that their second charge has been successfully processed, we will begin shipping out your order.
Remember, the delivery time will vary depending on the prior shipping option that the buyer selected. Using Japan Flow to buy doujinshi is easier than you can think!
FAQs
Are doujinshi legal?
Although Japanese doujin officially falls inside a murky area of copyright law, it is widely allowed in Japan. Internationally, legality can differ and problems can occur based on local regulations and copyright law. Therefore, buyers and artists need to be clear about these distinctions when dealing with doujinshi outside of Japan.
Is the majority of doujinshi hentai?
Hentai doujinshi is quite enjoyed by fans and authors because it helps them delve further into the thoughts of their favorite characters. These circumstances will be seen as "Adult only" or "18+". If you don't like it, there are still other types of content for you.
How much does a doujinshi cost?
There is no fixed price for Japanese doujin. The content, popularity, rarity, and location of sale will affect the prices.
- Prices for new Japanese doujin should be anticipated to be between ¥500 and ¥1,500.
- You can buy doujinshi that are rare or collectible with the cost from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 or more.
- Depending on the quality and rarity, second-hand doujinshi is typically less expensive.
Where can I get the latest doujinshi news?
As you might expect, Reddit's r/doujinshi section is updated with the most recent Japanese doujin news. If you want to buy doujinshi as soon as it hits the market, r/doujinshi will be very helpful.
To sum up, purchasing doujinshi allows fans worldwide to explore a world of fandom, creativity, and passion. International fans can now more easily obtain both new and uncommon works thanks to the accessibility offered by online platforms, second-hand marketplaces, and proxy services. So, do you want to buy doujinshi? Let’s do it now!