I found out the other day that you can actually order items from Amazon.co.jp and have them shipped to you via a mail forwarding company called Tenso to your Aramex mail forwarding mailbox in New York. This opens a whole new door on gadgets we can buy and price wise it seems pretty reasonable.
Basically you need to open an account with tenso.com who are a company that specialize in forwarding products from Japan to other parts of the world. Their prices are ok, I checked how much it would cost for 1KG and it turned out to be approximately KD10 including their service fee and shipping fee. Once you have an account with them (free to setup) you can order items from Amazon Japan and pay with your Kuwaiti card or order from other Japanese websites or even the Japanese eBay Yahoo auctions. When you place your order you give them your Tenso address in the same way you give US sites your Aramex address. Once the package arrives to your Japanese mailbox they will ship the item to your US mailbox. They sadly don’t ship directly to Kuwait. They also don’t ship batteries so if you order say a camera, they will remove the battery before they ship it to you. You also might have to pay US customs depending on the items you order.
I know there are quite a few negatives but it’s still good to have this option. Check out tenso.com by clicking [Here]
Update: I was just told another option for buying from Japan is using the site From Japan. From what I understood they ship to Kuwait directly as well. Check them [Here]
13 replies on “How to order from Amazon… Japan”
Does Amazon Japan have an EMS option? I get my hobby stuff shipped in via EMS and they’re very fast although if you have a heavier package,ie more than 2 KG, SAL would be cheaper(and slower)
Strangely enough, Japan is a very bad place to buy electronics from simply because they are invariably very expensive.
I know it’s pretty weird. You would expect since they’re made in japan that they’re cheaper than the US but the X100 in Japan is like KD425 and in the US it’s like KD325.
OK this post is freaking me out. At 1 PM today I was trying to locate something online that is sold out everywhere and the only outlet in the middle east is in Dubai and they wouldn’t pick up their phone. I found out that they had a store in Japan and I thought to my self ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to order it from Japan? I am sure it won’t be sold out there, but I don’t know how?’
Fast forward 5 hours later and there you are, posting this! I believe this is nothing short of a sign to go on and check out the Japanese market. Its time to shop and google translate won’t disappoint…
Thanks Mark!
Lol I’m curious to see what I can find and get in the Japanese market. They get a lot of cool limited edition sneakers and there are some pretty cool Japanese clothing brands.
Thank u for posting this,the Japanese market is ahead specially in technology.
Yes you’ll have to pay customs and that will make it pointless to order anything from Japan.
you dont order from japan because its cheaper, you order from japan because thats the only place its available.
says who?
i order from japan and i use EMS mail.
THERE IS NO CUSTOMS WHAT SO EVER!.
unless your ordering Large Quantities.
I order from japan directly from amazon and other japanese site (which they have an english version).
Never faced a single problem at all.
also , ordering from Yahoo Auction is cool too. you will find things that never before thuoght of.
and finally , I always ship Use EMS mail service. which it ships directly to kuwait WITH INSURANCE!
the shipping take a bout 1 week or 2 at most. then , central Kaifan will call you to pick up your package and examine it in front of them, which I’m cool with that, nothing to be afraid of.
you lie.. in amazon all items must be entered with a japanese address or u won’t be able to order, tenso is the only option
Been using Tenso for a little while now! Get me my needed items from Japan! And they are pretty good and consistent!
lol i buy from amazon and hmv address without this, although depending on your country you can be charged for custom fees. In the UK, if anything costs above £15, they can charge you an extra £20.