Question about buying music from Japanese stores.

[Cupcakes 55]

Is it possible to, as a foreigner, buy music online from sites as Mu-mo, HMV Japan and amazon.co.jp?

With this I don't mean mp3s, but actual physical copies.

[stylelover 1086]

both amazon and hmv ship overseas.

but amazon.co.jp is freakin expensive.

 

i dont know mu-mo

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

The trick with Amazon Japan is to look for a seller selling an used item and will do international shipping. The problem with Amazon Japan is the only shipping method is express International overnight and that shipping usually costs more than the stupid item itself. Usually third party sellers will ship an item using SAL, it is slower but the shipping price is far more reasonable. 

[Number Girl 48]

For Amazon.co.jp, it depends on the item. Most things in the store sell overseas but some marketplace sellers may only do domestic shipping. Sometimes you can find some really great gems there. Good luck! 

[johnesh 52]

Forget the Japanese stores and buy from YesAsia, based in Hong Kong. They'll stock almost anything you request and they conduct all transactions in US dollars. If you order more than $50 worth of stuff (basically, two albums at once), you'll get free shipping. I do this all the time and so I have never once paid for shipping, but their rates are quite reasonable. The best thing about them is that if your package gets opened at customs and you get charged import duty, they'll pay it! (This has never happened to me, though.) The only downside is that sometimes they fail to get limited edition items in, so if you're worried about disappointment, order from CD Japan instead, who are also extremely efficient and reliable but do charge quite a bit more for shipping – though nothing near the rip-off rates of HMV and Amazon.

[Cupcakes 55]

I know about Yesasia and CDJ, but this CD isn't for sale at any of these sites. Therefore I asked about the others.

 

 

Thanks everyone for their replies!