Buying overseas for delivery to Japan
We check stock, quantity, shipping, import conditions, timing and return or warranty terms with the overseas seller. We discuss quantity and other terms as needed, then arrange direct delivery to Japan.
Purchase support operated by Matrain, Japan
We handle supplier enquiries and purchase arrangements.
Send the product URL, any necessary specifications and the quantity you want. We email the seller, discuss buying terms and prepare an estimate including shipping and taxes. You can decide whether to buy after reviewing the quote.
Initial enquiry, basic checks and the estimate are free. Purchase arrangements begin after your email agreement and our confirmation of payment.
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What we do
We email the seller in Japanese or English about stock, shipping, lead times and payment, then bring the answers and costs into one proposal for you to review.
Buying from Japan for delivery overseas
We handle email enquiries, terms negotiation and purchase arrangements with Japanese sellers. We check import conditions at your destination and accept requests the seller can deliver directly. You can enquire in Japanese or English.
One contact for seller correspondence
Matrain coordinates buying enquiries and dispatch updates, and makes the first contact about problems on arrival. We explain the seller’s answers and any points that still need checking.
Requests we can handle
We work with ready-made products and a seller you have chosen, with direct delivery from the seller. Our representative checks the request and available capacity before confirming whether we can help. Product sourcing, phone calls, professional translation, on-site inspection, warehousing, repairs, technical suitability guarantees and complex regulatory work are outside our scope. We must be able to establish import eligibility and the importer’s identity and responsibilities. Seller replies, discounts, a completed purchase and arrival by a preferred date cannot be guaranteed.
Fees and payment
Our fee is a tax-inclusive 5% of all actual external costs, including goods, shipping, taxes, insurance and transfer charges. Our own fee is excluded from the calculation base. Costs you pay directly to the seller, carrier or another provider are included in that base, but deducted from the amount you pay to Matrain.
5%
of actual external costs / tax included / no minimum fee
Cost example: JPY 100,000 in external costs
- Goods
- JPY 80,000
- Shipping
- JPY 10,000
- Taxes, insurance & transfer costs
- JPY 10,000
- Total external costs
- JPY 100,000
- Service fee (5%, tax included)
- JPY 5,000
- Total payable
- JPY 105,000
These figures illustrate the fee calculation. Actual shipping and taxes depend on the product and delivery terms. We calculate 5% on the transaction’s total actual costs and round the fee down to the nearest yen.
What your quote includes
The example below uses the figures above to show what we put in a quote. We research your product and provide its costs and conditions afterwards.
- Product and destination
- The product page, colour, model or other specifications, quantity, destination, importer and importer responsibilities.
- Cost breakdown
- Goods JPY 80,000 + shipping JPY 10,000 + taxes, insurance and transfer charges JPY 10,000 = external costs of JPY 100,000. The tax-inclusive 5% fee is JPY 5,000, giving a total of JPY 105,000.
- Pending costs and budget
- We list confirmed amounts, provisional estimates and items still being checked separately. We also explain possible extra costs and the agreed spending limit.
- Quote validity and payment deadline
- Normally within 7 days of issue. The deadlines stated in your quote take priority. After expiry, we recheck price, stock, exchange rates and other conditions.
- Agreement, payment and ordering
- Explicitly agree to the quote and transaction terms by email, then pay within the deadline. Our purchase agency contract forms when we confirm receipt of payment within that deadline, and we begin ordering. This is separate from the seller’s sale contract.
You can enquire before shipping and taxes are known
We check the destination and delivery terms, and show provisional amounts separately from costs still awaiting confirmation. Where shipping is included, we check the delivery leg, taxes and clearance charges covered so that the same cost is counted once.
Send prices listed in JPY, USD or EUR
Send the currency and price as shown on the product page. Our quote is in JPY and states the reference exchange rate, its check time and how the actual transfer rate and charges apply. The amount actually remitted may differ from the reference conversion.
Pay the estimate upfront; settle against actual costs
You prepay estimated external costs and our fee. We reconcile the difference after the transaction. Any contingency deposit is listed separately from costs, and its unused balance is returned.
Extra spending needs your approval and funds first
Exchange rates, final taxes, inspections and storage can substantially change the final amount. Before ordering above the agreed budget, we obtain your consent and additional funds. Extra costs are paid directly by you where possible, or funded in advance. Matrain does not advance product costs or extra expenses.
Cost example if expenses increase
If total external costs hypothetically increase by 10%, from JPY 100,000 to JPY 110,000, the tax-inclusive 5% fee becomes JPY 5,500 and the total JPY 115,500. The 10% is an assumption for this calculation, not a forecast or a limit on changes.
How it works
We update you by email with the current stage, whose reply we are waiting for, and anything you need to do and by when.
Send a free enquiry
Next action by: You
Send the product link, any necessary specifications, quantity and reply email. You can leave out the product name if the URL identifies it.
Research and discuss terms
Next action by: Matrain / seller
We email the seller about buying terms and research import requirements and costs. We email you if we need more information for the checks.
Review the quote and terms
Next action by: You
Check the cost breakdown, pending items, importer, delivery and warranty terms, and spending limit. Quote validity and payment deadlines are normally within 7 days of issue; the deadlines written in your quote take priority. We recheck conditions after expiry.
Agree by email and pay
Next action by: You
Reply by email explicitly agreeing to the numbered quote and transaction terms. Then make payment within the deadline stated in the quote.
Payment confirmed: contract and ordering
Next action by: Matrain
Our purchase agency contract forms when we confirm payment received within the deadline. We then order on the agreed terms. This is separate from the seller’s sale contract.
Direct delivery from the seller
Next action by: Seller / carrier
We share dispatch updates by email. You provide the information required for customs and check the item’s condition and quantity promptly on arrival.
Settle actual costs
Next action by: Matrain / you
We share the actual cost breakdown and invoice or refund the difference. Unused deposits are returned; payments already made to sellers or other providers are refunded to the extent recovered. The transaction closes after settlement.
Before you proceed
Import conditions and taxes
We check the product type, quantity, intended use, materials and origin to establish the import conditions and taxes for your request. We ask for more information where needed and identify the importer, responsibilities and required procedures in the quote. Basic checks of import eligibility, taxes, timing, returns and warranty terms are included in our free pre-quote research.
Delivery delays and customs-related costs
Inspection, storage, return or disposal may be required during clearance. Before ordering, we explain known triggers and cost indications. We list confirmed costs separately from possible expenses and reconcile them according to what actually occurs. If extra action or a payment deadline arises, we contact you promptly to agree the next steps.
First contact about problems on arrival
Report initial defects, missing quantities or damage within 7 days of delivery, and non-arrival promptly after the advised delivery window. Shorter seller, carrier or insurance reporting deadlines take priority and are explained with your quote. Our fee includes organizing the first report and evidence, one initial contact with the seller or carrier, and sharing the reply. We quote for continued negotiation or further work before proceeding.
Later faults, warranty and transit insurance
Help contacting the seller about later faults or manufacturer warranty claims is quoted by scope and prepaid. We can propose transit insurance at actual cost after checking coverage, exclusions and reporting deadlines. Returns, refunds and repairs depend on seller or insurance terms. Matrain provides no independent cover for the product price or repair costs.
Cancellation and refunds
Before ordering, we return unused deposits. After ordering, the seller’s cancellation terms apply; payments already made are refunded to the extent recovered from the recipient. We do not advance refunds before recovery. Unrecoverable external costs and fee reconciliation are explained in the quote. If Matrain is responsible for an ordering error or another problem, we address it under applicable law and the agreed terms.
When the contract forms and ordering begins
After you explicitly agree to the quote and transaction terms by email, your purchase agency contract with Matrain Co., Ltd. forms when we confirm receipt of payment within the deadline, and ordering begins. This is separate from the seller’s sale contract. If conditions change before payment, we provide a revised quote and obtain your agreement again.
Frequently asked questions
What purchases can you help with?
We email overseas or Japanese sellers you have chosen about stock, shipping, import conditions, timing, returns and warranty terms. We discuss terms as needed, prepare an estimate and arrange the purchase. The seller must be able to deliver directly to you.
What should I send for an initial enquiry?
Send the product or website URL, quantity and your reply email. Add any colour, model or other specifications needed. You can leave out the product name if an individual URL identifies it.
Can I enquire before shipping or customs costs are known?
Yes. We research shipping, taxes and import conditions. The first quote shows provisional amounts separately from costs awaiting confirmation. We ask afterwards for any details needed for those checks, such as intended use or materials.
Is tax included in the 5% fee?
Yes. Our fee is a tax-inclusive 5% of actual external costs, including goods, shipping, taxes, insurance and transfer charges, with no minimum fee. Our own fee is excluded from the calculation base. JPY 100,000 in external costs means a JPY 5,000 fee and a JPY 105,000 total.
Can I send prices listed in dollars or euros?
We accept prices in JPY, USD or EUR. Send the currency and price as shown on the product page. Our quote is in JPY and includes a reference exchange rate and check time. Actual transfer rates and charges may change the final amount.
Can I decide whether to buy after seeing the quote?
Yes. Initial enquiry, basic research and the estimate are free. If you wish to proceed, explicitly agree to the quote and transaction terms by email, then pay within the deadline. Our purchase agency contract forms when we confirm receipt of payment within the deadline, and ordering begins.
Guides for buying across borders
Buying from Japan or another country? Check delivery, costs and what to ask the shop before paying.
Buying from a Japanese shop while living overseas: where to start
Found a product in a Japanese store but unsure about ordering abroad? Check direct shipping, the exact variation and destination costs, with a short Japanese enquiry you can adapt.
The shipping cost is missing. What should you check before ordering?
Found a product but cannot see the delivery price? Check the destination, free-shipping conditions, a short supplier email and the costs included in the reply before committing.
Latest articles
Product news from Japan and overseas, with details to check before buying.
Matrain’s representative handles your request
PORTLETTER is a purchase support service operated by Matrain Co., Ltd., Japan. Its representative, Shosuke Kuroda, reviews your request and emails you with the scope we can handle and the next steps.
operated by マトレイン / Matrain Co., Ltd.
About Matrain (Japanese)Send the product link for a free enquiry
You can contact us before shipping or taxes are known. Start with the product URL and quantity. We check the request, then email you with buying terms and a cost estimate.
If your email bounces or cannot be sent, use our backup address: help@matrain.co.jphelp@matrain.co.jp. Use PORTLETTER as the subject and send the same reviewed message. For long messages, copy and paste the text.
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