Some of you may believe that you can only buy manga in Japanese if you reside in Japan or are just visiting for a short period of time. Well, you’re not entirely mistaken there. If you reside in Japan, or you at least know someone who does live in Japan, it is much simpler for you to buy Japanese manga.
But this doesn’t mean that Japanese manga is out of reach for you if you don’t live in Japan. Unless you’re looking for a limited edition of your favorite manga, there’s a way for you to buy the manga in Japanese. Yeah, you can choose to buy Japanese manga in digital stores. Keep reading on when we share with you the places where to buy Japanese manga online regardless of where you live.
Before that, let’s go with the first thing first.
I. Why Buy Manga from Japan?
Why you should buy Japanese manga? One of the most recognizable media genres in the country of Japan is manga. Several well-known titles, like Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Sailor Moon, and many more, began as Manga before spreading to the West. Thousands of distinct manga, however, are only available in Japan and are never translated or distributed to English-speaking audiences. This means that if you’re learning to read Japanese, there are a virtually limitless number of Japanese Manga available to you from Japan’s domestic webshops!
When it comes to the answer for where to buy Japanese manga , Japan itself is exactly the first go-to option. Why? Follow our words to explore some reasons that buying manga from Japan is highly recommended:
- It’s extremely cheap to buy Japanese manga from Japan!
The price is the primary justification for buying Japanese manga from Japan. Used manga books can be bought in Japan for as cheap as 100 Yen, or $1. Whereas, a new volume of manga normally costs around 500 Yen ($5), depending on the series and the year it was released.
- Domestic Japanese Mangas are of high quality
Japan has a good reputation for making second-hand products appear brand new. And manga is no exception. Therefore, if you have the intention of buying used Japanese mangas, you will not disappoint with the quality. Unless you want to buy collector editions of the series, we strongly advise you to buy manga secondhand – the value for money is simply too good to pass up most of the time.
- You can get Japan-only editions!
Whether it’s re-releasing the series in full color or volumes containing previously unreleased art in the west, there’s much to get collectors excited about. But it’s worth noting that these series cannot be found outside Japan. So you have to buy Japanese manga.
- You can buy limited editions
In your own nations, such as the USA, Canada, Singapore, and others, you might be able to locate manga being sold domestically. However, despite their best efforts, such shops will always have a much smaller selection of manga than what you can buy directly from Japan. Purchasing manga directly from Japan is the only option if you’re seeking limited edition copies or just the newest series to hit the shelves of Japanese bookstores.
II. Top 10 Best Stores to buy Japanese Manga Online
Are the websites going to be in Japanese as well because we’re talking about where to buy Japanese manga online here? Since some websites are in fact in Japanese, it will depend on where you intend to make your purchase. But you shouldn’t worry about it because the majority of the websites we suggest are in English and ship internationally.
So now, it’s time to go through some of the places where you can buy Japanese manga online.
1. Booklive
Booklive is a website that sells Japanese E-books (“denshi shoseki”) in a range of genres such as periodicals, manga, business books, and pornographic material.
Aside from the enormous selection, what I like about this site is that many of the works allow you to browse through a portion of the book.
It’s also worth noting that the site’s design is a little cluttered. However, if you speak Japanese, it is rather simple to adjust to. Even if you are just beginning the language, we believe that browsing the site for a book that interests you is an excellent approach to acquiring some new vocabulary in context.
2. Amazon.co.jp
Given that you can pretty much acquire everything you need just like on Amazon US, how can we not include Amazon Japan in this list? Additionally, Amazon Japan offers both the Kindle version of manga as well as used manga, exactly like Amazon US.
Due to the website’s language barrier, some of you might find it challenging to navigate. However, you need not fear since, at the bottom of the page, you may switch the language to English.
The only drawback with Amazon Japan is that for many of us, shipping can be a bit pricy. Therefore, we highly advise you to only purchase items from Amazon Japan if you are unable to find them elsewhere.
3. CD Japan
You might have noticed that we talk about CDJapan quite a bit if you’ve been reading our site for a time. You can buy any Japanese-language book at CDJapan, not just comics and light novels, therefore the answer is obvious. Other products are also available, including Japanese CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and video game soundtracks.
Any anime and video game merchandise is also available for preorder. The fact that most of them are only available in Japan is undoubtedly already known to many of you.
Want to purchase the unique, limited-edition manga available only at Animate? You might use their shopping service to purchase items from retailers who don’t offer international shipping. Simply let them know which item you are interested in, and you may place your order just as you would for a typical CDJapan product listing.
4. Bookwalker.jp
An updated list of some of the most well-liked manga currently available in Japan may be found on Bookwalker’s Japanese website. Even though Bookwalker only offers digital manga, you can still right-click on any manga that grabs your attention, copy the Japanese title, and then proceed as described above.
5. J-List
You can also get your preferred Japanese manga at J-List. On their website, they only offer a small selection of Japanese manga, in contrast to CDJapan. Additionally, the prices of the books are higher than those in CDJapan.
Despite being situated in Gunma, the amazing thing about J-List is that all things are priced in USD. Additionally, they are offering the identical snacks that you can get in Dagashi Kashi and the Japanese convenience shop, which should be noted.
6. Kinokuniya
Despite having an online presence like any other company with a physical store, we must agree that Kinokuniya isn’t technically an online store.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note as it’s yet another store where you may get your preferred Japanese comics.
In other nations, we are unable to comment on Kinokuniya. In addition to Japanese books, Kinokuniya Malaysia also offers English, Chinese, Malay, and even German books for sale.
That Kinokuniya is only available in a few nations is unfortunate. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, or the United States, don’t miss the chance to stop at Kinokuniya.
7. Mercari
Mercari is an online marketplace where people buy and sell items. It has been around since 2009 and has become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. Therefore, it’s a good place to start when you want to look for rare stuff to add to your gorgeous collection of Japanese items. However, to buy straight on Mercari Japan while you reside outside of Japan is regrettably nearly impossible.
8. Manga Zenkan
Tracking down all the missing manga novels might be one of the more frustrating aspects of the hobby. It might be quite a challenge to locate them all if you find yourself immersed in a series only to discover there are 30 volumes left to read.
Manga Zenkan sells whole manga collections, which is a blessing. Better still, you can buy both print and digital editions there. Consequently, it is simple to carry all of your manga books in your pocket rather than leave them on your shelf at home. Even though the website is in Japanese, PayPal is accepted for payment, so even if you reside abroad, you might be able to use it.
9. Yahoo! Auctions Japan
Any list of the top websites for purchasing anime and manga items must mention Yahoo! Japan Auctions. The most popular auction website in Japan is Yahoo Auctions. This website sells millions of products every day. You can find some weird, fascinating, or interesting products, including anime merchandise since anyone in Japan is free to sell anything they want on Yahoo Auctions.
Prior to placing a bid on Yahoo Auctions, we always advise reading the item descriptions in their entirety. Because you typically buy from a private individual when bidding on auction items, it may be risky, but if you exercise caution, it may be well worth it. On the website, numerous collectors have found out-of-print and rare anime products.
10. Honto.jp
Finally, we advise looking to Honto.jp if the manga you desire isn’t offered by any of these other retailers. The webpage for Honto is not intended for people learning Japanese. Everything is in Japanese. Help in English is NOT offered.
What makes Honto so fantastic? First of all, as it is situated in Japan, new books will be available right away. Books are not overpriced compared to retail. Also available are electronic versions, though I’m not sure if they are also available outside of Japan.
For anyone who has visited Japan, those are indeed magical words. The main goal of point clubs is to reward customers. Honto has this. Take part. You earn points for purchases that you may later use to buy things.
And the thing we appreciate most about Honto is the delivery costs. Without a doubt, if you’re impatient, expediting anything from Japan to the United States can be expensive. But if you’re willing to delay that satisfaction, you’ll benefit. FedEx, EMS, SAL, and an unnamed sixth option for a courier-expedited service that is exclusively available inside Japan are the six shipping choices from Honto.
What will delivery cost, then? That’s a weak pot in our opinion. Honto DOES NOT estimate shipping costs for you and DOES NOT have a shipping calculator. You are just charged the real shipping cost, no handling costs. Therefore, visit the Japan Post website and look at their international shipping rates if you want to estimate your shipping charges.
III. Easy to buy Japanese manga from Japan with the Janbox shopping proxy service
We’re confident that some of us wish to buy Japanese manga that is only available in a limited quantity and exclusively at specific shops like Animate. The use of shopping services in this situation is beneficial. Everything from Japan, including limited edition Japanese manga, is available for purchase through this service.
As we have already indicated, you can buy Japanese manga (even the limited edition versions) through CDJapan’s online shopping platform. You can purchase the limited edition manga via another online shopping service, though. Furthermore, the fee is lower than CDJapan’s as well. It’s Janbox.
For your purchases in Japan, Janbox serves as a middleman. This implies that we make purchases for you from Japanese retailers. Your items can stay in storage while being shipped abroad using the shipping service of your choosing. It makes sense to treat yourself with Japanese goods. And if you’re wondering where can I buy Japanese manga, Janbox is your best bet. Continue reading to learn how to use our simple, step-by-step instructions to purchase manga from Japan on the Janbox website.
- Step 1: Translate the title of the manga
It is advisable to search for the manga using its Japanese title when looking for a certain manga series on a Japanese website. This may not come as a surprise to you, but Japanese merchants typically list manga under their Japanese names/titles.
Wikipedia is a FAR, FAR better choice than using Google Translate to try to guess the Japanese title of the comic you seek. Simply use Google to look up the desired manga’s title, then click on its Wikipedia page. The first paragraph usually has the original Japanese title; all you need to do is highlight and copy it to be ready.
- Step 2: Look for your favorite manga.
Now that you have the manga’s Japanese name, finding it should be simple. If you don’t care about other products, simply type the text into the search field after this Kanji (巻) and press enter. This Kanji approximately translates to “volume,” thus only manga should appear in the search results.
Make sure “Yahoo auctions” or “ZenPlus” are selected for the cheapest price if you’re searching for used manga volumes.
You may typically get brand-new copies of manga by choosing “Amazon” or “Rakuten,” but beware that you may be overpaying for them as used copies are frequently in excellent condition.
Remember that you may always contact us for assistance if you can’t find something. On our website, you can contact our customer care team by selecting “Can’t Find.”
- Step 3: Look through a variety of options
The manga you’re looking for is frequently available in a variety of formats. You can purchase volumes either singly or in full sets, depending on what works best for you.
We advise purchasing manga in entire sets to get the most for your money. In the long term, purchasing multiple manga volumes at once will cost more in shipping and processing fees.
Remember that you can always find and focus your search by using the choices listed to the left and at the top of the search results.
- Step 4: Examine the item’s specifications.
You may read more details about the manga you want to buy on the product page. You will be able to check the cost, additional photographs taken from various perspectives, and more.
When placing a pre-order, keep in mind that the item will only be sent to us on the specified delivery date; after it gets to our warehouse, you can then prepare a package for international shipping.
Additionally, you can find a lot more details about the item by scrolling down to “Product Details,” which is usually where you can find it.
- Step 5: Order with Janbox!
Add the manga to your Janbox cart once you’re ready to place your order. Following a price and availability check by our staff, you will be notified when your item is prepared for the purchase.
Conclusion
Buying manga in Japanese online is a wonderful choice because it’s cheaper than buying locally. But you should aware that this comes with some drawbacks, including customs fees and delivery delays. You may purchase manga via Janbox or directly from Japanese websites where the prices are low. Do you buy Japanese manga? If you do, where do you get the manga? Feel free to share with us in the comment below.
- Website: https://janbox.com.
- Email: [email protected].
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janbox.com.en.
