Japan, e-commerce and logistics
Japan has increasing demand for e-commerce deliveries of international goods
Find out why shipping your goods there is a smart move and what is the best, cheapest and quickest way to go about it.
Why ship to Japan?
Boasting world-renowned culture and cuisine, Japan has the 3rd largest economy in the world. In densely-populated cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya, purchasing power is strong. As is the demand for premium and high quality products. Japanese consumers tend to value brand trust, attention to detail and craftmanship.
You’ll also be pleased to know that Japan is widely considered a stable and reliable business market, with efficient customs and logistics infrastructure and predictable and transparent import procedures.
- US$190.53bn
- Revenue (2025)
- 75.8%
- User penetration rate (2025)
[Stats taken from: https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/ecommerce/japan]
The e-commerce landscape
Thanks to its highly developed digital infrastructure and widely affordable internet connection, e-commerce is thriving in Japan. Secure online payment services, a highly efficient postal service sector, and a comparatively small geographical size also make order fulfilment and delivery a smooth and quick process.
Polaris Market Research reported in February 2022 that the size of the global cross-border B2C e-commerce market was valued at USD $764.73 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.2% until 2030, reaching a market value of USD $5.2 trillion.
Japan imports a wide range of goods, especially in sectors like: Food & beverages (especially organic, health- conscious, or gourmet), fashion and cosmetics, technology and electronics, automotive parts and luxury goods.
Opportunities
Gift giving is an important part of Japanese culture, and there are two key gift giving times of year, called Ochugen (July) and Oseibo (late November and December).
Leading reasons for online shopping in Japan - February 2022
Percentage
Logistics
With world-class ports and airports (Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya) and highly reliable domestic delivery networks, deliveries to Japan from the UK can be cheap and quicker than you think. None the less, it pays to use a regular shipping partner that can help you provide transparent times and costs to your customers to secure the brand loyalty that Japanese consumers regard highly.
You can familiarise yourself with the weights and prices of sending a package to Japan using our helpful shipping rates chart
The essentials
| Transit Times | 5-7 working days |
| Maximum Dimensions | Length: 100cm max Height: 43cm max Width: 43cm max |
| Maximum Weight | 20kg |
| Maximum Container Value | USD 150,000 |
| Low-Value Limit | JPY 10,00 |
| VAT | 8% - 10% ‐ varies based on the product |
| Duty | Variable based on product HS codes |
Good to know
Some key players already operating in the Japan cross-border e-commerce market include Amazon.com, Rakuten Group, Kakaku.com, Yahoo! Japan and Apple Inc
What our experts say:
“Japan is a key player in the Asia-Pacific e-commerce market. Being a part of this digital change is exciting right now”
Ben Bagnulo, CEO, SAMOS
For more information on cheap and fast parcel delivery to Japan, get in touch today