You are using an old browser. Update your browser to the latest version for an optimal experience.
Japan shipping Article hero - Background texture
News Overview > Shipping to Japan: Our Guide

Shipping to Japan: Our Guide

22 July 2024 | 5 minutes read

Share this article

The UK is the fourth most popular country for cross-border sales made in Japan, beaten only by China, the US, and South Korea. This makes shipping parcels to Japan a prominent way to expand your e-commerce business. Yet, for that, you need a deep understanding of the market and a good strategy. This article will provide you with both—we invite you to read on!

Parcel Delivery in Japan: Market Insights

Before we proceed with planning your strategy, let’s take a look at the key information about the Japanese market—these facts will define how you enter this country with your products, so it’s crucial to know them.

Delivery

What are the most important elements of parcel delivery for online consumers in Japan? These include:

  • clear information about delivery pre-purchase (68%),

  • trust in the delivery company (52%),

  • free delivery over a certain value (48%),

  • simple and reliable return process (39%),

  • fast customs clearance (36%).

Landmark Global works with local customs clearance agents in Japan. We will ensure that your parcels go through customs quickly and arrive at your customer’s doorstep on time, every time. Learn more about our customs clearance services for e-commerce stores.

General Trends

Apart from logistics, several other trends affect parcel shipping to Japan and running an e-commerce store there. What are they?

  • Computers still have a slight advantage over mobile devices, though, given previous trends, this is bound to change in the upcoming years.

  • Credit cards are a major payment method used by Japanese online consumers (75%). Other popular methods include:
    • digital wallets (12%),

    • debit cards (4%).

  • Japanese customers are mostly neutral when it comes to sustainability—while some underline its importance, and only a small group does not care about it, the majority of online consumers are somewhere in the middle of the scale, without a strong opinion either way.

Shipping parcels to japan

Planning Your Shipping Strategy to Japan

How to ship to Japan? You need a clear-cut strategy that will enable you to estimate the delivery costs and meet the consumers' expectations. What should you focus on in this case?

  • Size, number, volume and the dimensions of the parcels sent to Japan.

  • The particular airport (and associated last-mile delivery costs) to which you will be shipping your products.

  • Returns management (along with the expected return rates).

Naturally, most of these will require some estimations, at least until you start sending your packages to Japan. However, with more data becoming solid, you can calculate your costs better. But even that isn’t the end—on the contrary, it’s just the beginning.

Preparing Your Supply Chain

Knowing how many parcels you want to send to Japan, you need to start thinking about your supply chain. Are you planning self-fulfilment, or will you work with a logistics company? Do you want to ship your products directly to customers, or perhaps you consider setting up a local warehouse? You need to answer all these questions when planning your strategy.

For example, using a local warehouse might be a good idea if you’re expecting high product return rates—you will avoid the extra costs of shipping your products back (and the extra customs duties associated with that). Working with an experienced logistics company will also have its benefits, as you will gain access to better deals with local final-mile carriers. This is critical since Japanese online consumers underline that trust in the delivery company matters to them a lot.

You should also consider where exactly your products will be shipped to. Since Japan isn’t a large country in terms of land, it might be good to select a central airport that is close to any final destination. However, if you expect your buyers to come mostly from a particular region of the country, it might be better to pick an airport in that area.

At Landmark Global, we will ship your products from the UK to the Japanese Haneda Airport, ensuring that they won’t have to travel a long distance to reach consumers. Moreover, we work with the number one commercial partner for last-mile delivery, so you can evoke trust in your customers and build a reputation as a dependable online store. Discover our international parcel delivery services.

Finally, you have to consider customs clearance: both for the products you ship into Japan and for those returned by your clients. Handling customs clearance improperly not only poses a risk of additional costs but also of delays that might discourage the consumers from returning to your store; hence, you need to pay a lot of attention to it.

Preparing Your Store

Apart from the shipping strategy, you need to prepare your store for selling in Japan. What do we mean by that?

  • Make your store available and responsive both on computers and mobile devices.

  • Translate your store to Japanese.

  • Build a Japanese customer service team.

  • Pay attention to the fonts used—they are the make or break of marketing in Japan.

The Takeaway

Knowing all about parcel delivery to Japan, you are ready to set up your store and conquer this market. Remember—it may take some time, but it’s a great way to gain access to new markets and make the first step towards expanding your business into Asia!

You might also read: Accelerate Your Delivery Process to China and South-East Asia with Multiple Gateway Access

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Japan a good market for expanding my e-commerce business?

Japan is the fourth most popular country for cross-border sales made in the UK, only behind China, the US, and South Korea. With a strong consumer base that values trust in delivery services, clear pre-purchase information, and efficient customs clearance, Japan presents a significant opportunity for expanding your e-commerce business.

What are the key factors to consider when planning a shipping strategy to Japan?

When planning your shipping strategy to Japan, you should focus on several crucial factors:

  • The size, number, and dimensions of parcels.
  • The choice of airport for product entry, as it affects last-mile delivery costs.
  • Efficient returns management to handle potential product returns effectively. These considerations will help you estimate delivery costs and meet customer expectations.

How important is it to customize my online store for Japanese consumers?

Customizing your online store for Japanese consumers is essential for success in this market. Key steps include:

  • Ensuring your store is accessible and responsive on both computers and mobile devices.
  • Translating your website into Japanese.
  • Building a Japanese customer service team.
  • Paying attention to culturally appropriate fonts and design elements, which can greatly influence consumer trust and engagement.

Open your world

Landmark Global is the trusted international logistics partner that powers your e-commerce growth. Reaching up to 220 destinations, our services include international parcel delivery, customs clearance solutions and returns management. It’s our business to deliver your promise, wherever, whenever

Get Ahead of the Curve with Our Newsletter

Stay informed about the latest logistics and ecommerce news, trends, and insights with our newsletter.