Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post go to Solaris Japan, and I get a small commission if you buy through them. It doesn’t cost you anything extra. Links to CDJapan, HobbyLink Japan and other stores are normal links. More details on my Affiliate Disclosure page.
You Know What You Want. You Just Haven’t Clicked “Order” Yet.
If you’re about to order anime figures from Japan for the first time, maybe this sounds familiar. You’ve had a figure sitting in your cart for a week. You’ve looked at it a few times. You’ve read the reviews. And you still haven’t pressed the button.
I get it. It’s a lot of money for a little plastic person, it’s coming from the other side of the world, and the checkout page is full of choices you’ve never had to make before. Shipping methods you’ve never heard of. Payment rules that are different for preorders. Something about duties.
Most people who hesitate aren’t worried that ordering from Japan is hard. They’re worried about getting one small thing wrong. Picking the wrong shipping. Getting charged months before they expected. Having a package stuck somewhere with a bill attached.
I’ve lived in Japan for 24 years (a bit more about me on my About page), and I’ll be honest: even here, figures aren’t cheap for me, and I think twice before I buy. So I understand wanting to get it right the first time.
The good news is that the process itself is simple. There are only a few spots where people actually get tripped up, and once you know where they are, you’re fine. That’s what this guide is about.
If you haven’t picked a store yet, read my comparison of where to buy anime figures from Japan first. This article assumes you’ve already landed on one.
Who This Article Is NOT For
If you’ve ordered from Japan a few times already, you probably know most of this. The parts on payment timing and cancellation rules might still be worth a skim, because a couple of stores changed their rules recently.
If you’re buying through a proxy service to get something from a Japan-only shop or auction, that’s a different process with its own fees and steps. I’m not covering it here.
If you’re buying from a reseller in your own country, none of the Japan-side stuff applies. Just check that the seller is legit.
Still with me? Then let’s get your first order done properly.
Three Things to Check Before You Pay
Everything below comes down to these three questions. If you can answer all three before you hit “confirm,” your first order will almost certainly go fine.
1. What’s the real total?
Not the price on the product page. The price plus shipping plus any import fees for your country.
This matters more than it used to. If you’re in the US, the duty-free allowance for small parcels ended on August 29, 2025. Now almost every parcel from Japan to the US is charged duty, however cheap it is. Some stores let you pay those duties at checkout. Others leave them for you to pay when the box arrives.
Other countries have their own rules. In the UK, there’s no customs duty on goods under £135, but 20% VAT applies. In Canada, GST/HST kicks in above C$20. In Australia, goods under A$1,000 usually clear the border without extra charges, though some stores add GST at checkout.
2. When will you actually be charged?
This is the one that surprises people. Each store does it differently, and it can even depend on how you pay.
3. Can you cancel if you need to?
Figures are often announced a year or more before they ship. A lot can change in a year. Know the cancellation rules before you preorder, not after.
Payment and Cancellation at a Glance
Here’s how the three stores I usually point people to handle payment and cancellation. Policies change, so treat this as a starting point and check the store’s own help pages before ordering.
| CDJapan | HobbyLink Japan | Solaris Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When you’re charged (credit card) | Card is authorized at order, charged when it ships (or after 25 days if shipping takes longer) | In-stock: within 24 hours. Preorders: not charged until the item is available | Check the checkout page and order confirmation |
| Debit card / PayPal | Charged right when you order | Check at checkout | Check at checkout |
| Preorder cancellation | Check each item’s page | Only before the preorder cut-off date (usually about a month) | Check each item’s page |
| Paying duties up front (US) | Possible with FedEx at checkout | DHL, duties and fees charged at checkout | Duties go to your country’s customs |
That CDJapan debit card detail is easy to miss. If you preorder something for next autumn with a debit card or PayPal, the money leaves your account today.
How to Order Anime Figures from Japan, Step by Step
Step 1: Make an Account
Almost every Japan-based store wants you to make an account, even for a single order. It takes a few minutes.
You don’t need any Japanese. These stores are built for overseas customers. Your address goes in normal English letters, the way you’d write it on any package.
Where people slip up: the address. Some forms want the postal code before the city, some after. Some split the address into more lines than you’re used to. Take thirty seconds and read your address back once it’s saved. A wrong or messy address is one of the most common reasons a package gets delayed, and fixing it after the box has left Japan is a pain.
Step 2: Make Sure It’s the Right Figure
This sounds obvious. It isn’t.
Popular figures get re-released. Some come in different versions: a normal edition, a deluxe edition with extra parts, a store-exclusive version with a bonus item. The names on the product pages can look almost the same.
Where people slip up: grabbing the first listing that matches the character name. Look at the maker, the scale or line (Nendoroid, figma, 1/7 scale and so on), the release date, and the photos of what’s in the box. If it says “re-release” or “reissue,” that’s fine, it’s the same figure made again. If the price looks way lower than everywhere else, look again.
Step 3: In Stock or Preorder?
This decides almost everything that comes next.
In stock means the figure exists, it’s sitting in the store’s warehouse, and it can ship within a few days. Simple.
Preorder means the figure hasn’t been made yet. You’re reserving one, and it will ship when it’s released, which might be six months or a year away.
Here’s something people outside Japan don’t always realize. Preorders aren’t just a nice option for popular figures. They’re often the only option. When a well-loved character gets a good figure, the preorders fill up, and after release it can be gone. Living in Japan doesn’t change that. Shops here sell out too. If you miss the preorder, you’re usually looking at resale prices later.
Where people slip up: mixing a preorder and an in-stock item in the same order. Many stores ship everything in one order together. That means the figure that’s ready today can sit in a warehouse until the preorder comes out months later. If you want the in-stock one now, order it separately.
Step 4: Check the Payment Timing
Look at the table above again, then check your store’s checkout page.
Where people slip up: assuming every store charges at shipping. At HLJ, preorders aren’t charged until the item is available. At CDJapan, a credit card is only authorized at first and charged when the order ships, but a debit card or PayPal is charged the moment you order. Other stores may charge in full upfront.
None of these is wrong. You just want to know which one you’re signing up for, especially if you’re preordering several figures that might all land in the same month.
Step 5: Pick Your Shipping
This is the part that confuses most first-timers, because you’ll see options you’ve never used.
In general, it breaks down like this:
- Courier (DHL, FedEx and similar): faster, tracked door to door, usually more expensive. For US buyers, these are currently the main routes where duties can be paid at checkout.
- Postal services (like Japan Post’s EMS): often a bit cheaper and still tracked, but the options to some countries have changed a lot since 2025. Japan Post stopped accepting parcels to the US in August 2025 and only started again in April 2026, with duties prepaid.
- Economy options: cheaper and slower, with less tracking. Fine for a small, cheap item. I wouldn’t use them for an expensive scale figure.
Where people slip up: choosing the cheapest option for a big, expensive figure. If something goes wrong, good tracking and insurance matter a lot more than the few dollars you saved.
In my experience, the best habit is to put the figure in your cart and look at the shipping estimate before you get attached to the price on the product page. That number is part of the price.
Step 6: Pay and Save Your Confirmation
Pay, then keep the confirmation email. Don’t delete it, and don’t let it get buried.
If anything goes wrong later, like a missing item, a wrong figure, or a damaged box, that email is the first thing customer service will want.
Step 7: Wait (Preorders Will Test Your Patience)
For in-stock items, you’ll usually get a shipping notice within a few days.
For preorders, you wait. And here’s something worth knowing: release dates move. A lot. I see delay notices on Japanese shop sites constantly. A month’s delay is normal. Longer delays happen too, usually because of manufacturing, not because the store did anything wrong.
Where people slip up: panicking when the date changes. A delay is not a scam. A legit store will update the estimated date on your order. If the date slips and the store goes completely silent for a long time, that’s when it’s worth sending a message.
Step 8: When the Box Arrives
Before you tear it open, look at the outside of the shipping box. If it’s crushed, wet or torn, take a photo before you open it.
Then check the figure’s own box and the figure itself. Make sure all the parts and accessories listed on the box are there.
Where people slip up: throwing away the shipping box and packing material right away. If there’s damage and you need to make a claim, you might need them. Keep them for a few days.
A Few Things First-Timers Usually Ask
Do I need to speak Japanese? No. CDJapan, HobbyLink Japan and Solaris Japan all have English sites, English checkout and English support. You won’t need to type a single word of Japanese.
The figure box is covered in Japanese. Is that normal? Yes. Figures made for the Japanese market come in Japanese boxes, and that’s exactly what you want. A Japanese box isn’t a sign of anything wrong. If anything, collectors often prefer it. What you should look out for is a box with blurry printing, a missing or odd-looking maker logo, or a price far below everywhere else. Those are the warning signs of a bootleg, not the language.
Can I change my address after ordering? Usually, yes, as long as the order hasn’t shipped. Contact the store as soon as you notice. Once the box has left Japan, it gets much harder, which is why checking your address in Step 1 matters so much.
What if my preorder is delayed for a long time? It happens. Some figures slip by several months. If your plans or budget change during a long delay, check whether the store still lets you cancel. At some stores, like HLJ, the cancellation window closes at the preorder cut-off, so a delay later on doesn’t reopen it.
What if the figure arrives damaged? Take photos right away: the shipping box, the figure box, and the damage itself. Then contact the store with your order number. This is where that confirmation email and the packing material you kept will help. Small factory flaws, like a bit of paint on the wrong spot, are a different thing from shipping damage, and stores handle them differently, so explain clearly which one it is.
Is it cheaper to buy in Japan directly? Less than you’d think. When I compare shop prices here with what the export stores list, the gap on the figure itself is usually smaller than people expect. The real difference is shipping and, depending on where you live, import fees. That’s why the total matters more than the sticker price.
What I’d Do for Your Very First Order
“I just want to try it once without much risk.” Start with something small and in stock. A prize figure or a Nendoroid that’s already released is perfect. You learn how the store works, how shipping goes, and what the total really looks like, without having money tied up for months.
“There’s one figure I really want, and it’s a preorder.” Preorder it. Don’t wait to “try the store first” if it’s something that will sell out. Just check the payment timing and the cancellation rules before you confirm.
“I’m in the US and the duty thing worries me.” Choose a checkout where duties are paid up front. CDJapan’s FedEx option and HLJ’s DHL option both let you see and pay the full amount before the box ships.
“I’ll probably preorder a few figures this year.” Look at HLJ’s Private Warehouse. Items are stored free for 180 days, and you can ship several together in one box, which usually costs less than shipping each one alone. Just remember that preorders there can only be cancelled before the cut-off date.
“I’m not sure which series or figure to start with.” Browse the series pages at Solaris Japan. It’s the easiest way to see what’s out there for a show you love.
The Part That Actually Matters
Ordering from Japan isn’t hard. People think it is because there are a lot of choices on the checkout page, and they’re afraid of getting one wrong.
But really, there are only three questions. What’s the full total? When will I be charged? Can I cancel? If you know those three answers before you click, you’ve already avoided almost every mistake first-time buyers make.
And if it’s a figure you really want, don’t overthink it until it sells out. That’s the mistake I’d hate to see you make.
When you’re ready, go back to my guide on where to buy anime figures from Japan to pick your store, or start browsing your favorite series at Solaris Japan.
