Where's the BEST place to buy Japanese games FROM Japan?

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Josh7289

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Hey all,

I'm actually thinking about importing Pocket Monsters Platinum, if only to try to put to use what I've been learning in Japanese classes...

Anyway, since I've never imported anything quite so big/expensive before, which online store(s) is/are the absolute best to import Japanese games from? And which ones should I avoid?

I'd prefer to use a store that is actually located in and ships from Japan, if possible.

And, finally, it wouldn't be a problem if the site was only in Japanese.
 
[quote name='LilPaintballer']any console spefically[/quote]
No, but right now I want to buy Pocket Monsters Platinum, which is for DS. That shouldn't matter, though.

[quote name='62t']play-asia.com[/quote]
I might use them if I can't find a good store that's actually located in Japan, but again, I'd prefer a store that is actually located in and ships from Japan.
 
Officially they cannot ship games out of Japan - Amazon.co.jp has this limitation (on games only, not books/cds/dvds), and apparently even our own Amazon.com won't ship games internationally either. With this in mind, I don't know if you can find any stores that are actually based in Japan. I'd think Play-asia is generally good enough, especially since you can always find the $5 off $50 coupons.
 
The games in Hong Kong are exactly like the ones sold in Japan (as long as you get JPN version and not the Asian Version, and yes I used to live in Hong Kong). It is going to be alot more difficult and expensive to get a game directly from a Japanese retailer unless you have a personal friend willing to buy and ship to you who lives in japan. play-asia is a good choice (located in HK) I also like NCSX because your stuff won't get held up in customs since they are located in NYC.

My question is, if the item you get is exactly the same why your preference to have it actually ship from Japan directly to you rather than from Japan to some other company who specializes in shipping to the USA then to you?
 
I can't speak for anyone on here but you could get some of the members from here that are located in Japan to buy and ship to you. Though it still may be cheaper to go play-asia. You may want to try dv8mad on here. He trades/sells in the trading forum.
 
Thanks for all the input, everyone. Comments below...

[quote name='AkariK']Officially they cannot ship games out of Japan - Amazon.co.jp has this limitation (on games only, not books/cds/dvds), and apparently even our own Amazon.com won't ship games internationally either. With this in mind, I don't know if you can find any stores that are actually based in Japan. I'd think Play-asia is generally good enough, especially since you can always find the $5 off $50 coupons.[/quote]
Wow, I didn't know that. I was wondering why I was having a hard time finding any online import stores located in Japan. And about our US-based Amazon.com, you're saying that they also cannot officially sell US games to customers in countries outside the US?

What's the reason behind all of this? Why can't games be sold internationally, but other media, like books, CDs, and DVDs, can?

[quote name='cdrober']The games in Hong Kong are exactly like the ones sold in Japan (as long as you get JPN version and not the Asian Version, and yes I used to live in Hong Kong). It is going to be alot more difficult and expensive to get a game directly from a Japanese retailer unless you have a personal friend willing to buy and ship to you who lives in japan. play-asia is a good choice (located in HK) I also like NCSX because your stuff won't get held up in customs since they are located in NYC.

My question is, if the item you get is exactly the same why your preference to have it actually ship from Japan directly to you rather than from Japan to some other company who specializes in shipping to the USA then to you?[/quote]
I just prefer to have a kind of direct connection to the item I'm buying, but from what I've learned in this thread, it doesn't seem like that's going to be possible/plausible.

[quote name='machoman_93']Why not just find a local import shop? What state do you live in? BookOff sells imported games( in addition to books), however they only have stores in California, Hawaii, and New York. (http://www.bookoff.co.jp/en/)[/quote]
I'd rather order online, since it's more convenient, but I'll look around for somewhat local import shops. I live in NJ, by the way.



OK, so it seems like I'm not going to find an online import store for games located in Japan, so I guess that opens up a lot of possibilities. Play-Asia and NCSX were both mentioned in this thread, as far as online stores go. So, for both or either of those stores, or for any other online game import store(s) at all:


How have your experiences been with them?

What shipping service(s) do they use?

How fast is their shipping, from order date to arrival?

Have you ever had to pay customs fees with an order/shipment from them, or anything else like that?

Are there any other benefits to using that particular store?



Please feel free to answer any questions you choose. I need and appreciate any bit of help I get.

And thank you again for all of your help so far. :)
 
[quote name='cdrober']The games in Hong Kong are exactly like the ones sold in Japan (as long as you get JPN version and not the Asian Version, and yes I used to live in Hong Kong). It is going to be alot more difficult and expensive to get a game directly from a Japanese retailer unless you have a personal friend willing to buy and ship to you who lives in japan. play-asia is a good choice (located in HK) I also like NCSX because your stuff won't get held up in customs since they are located in NYC.

My question is, if the item you get is exactly the same why your preference to have it actually ship from Japan directly to you rather than from Japan to some other company who specializes in shipping to the USA then to you?[/QUOTE]

Actually Nintendo doesnt make Asian version. The game they sell in Hong Kong is same as Japan
 
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