Mercari Japan vs eBay: The Best Way to Buy Japanese Products

If you’ve ever hunted for Japanese figures, fashion, anime goods, or electronics online, chances are you’ve ended up on eBay. For many international buyers, it's the default destination for imported items.

Instead, most Japanese sellers list on platforms like Mercari Japan—a massive secondhand marketplace that offers lower prices and a much wider selection. The challenge? Mercari Japan doesn’t allow direct international purchases.

So how do you access Mercari Japan from overseas? That’s where proxy shopping services come in.

In this guide, we’ll explain how a proxy service gives you access to Japanese marketplaces that were previously out of reach—and why it might be a smarter choice than buying through eBay.

eBay is popular for good reason. It offers international shipping, an easy checkout process, and a familiar interface for buyers around the world. You’ll find thousands of Japanese goods listed—but what many don’t realize is that a large portion of these are simply resold items sourced from Japanese domestic marketplaces like Mercari or Yahoo Auctions.

This means you’re often paying a middleman markup, not to mention missing out on the full range of inventory available only in Japan.

For example: A secondhand anime figure might be listed for $25 on eBay, but if you check the same item on Mercari Japan, you may find it for under ¥1,000 (around $6). It’s the same item—but with fewer fees, and more availability.

In Japan, Mercari is the largest C2C marketplace for everyday goods, anime merchandise, Pokémon cards, vintage fashion, and more. It sees a huge volume of listings daily. Even secondhand items are often in excellent condition, because Japanese sellers typically take great care of their belongings—and are very transparent about item quality.

However, for international buyers, Mercari Japan creates significant barriers; Japanese-only interface, requires a Japanese phone number and domestic address, and only accepts Japanese payment methods. That's why most overseas buyers don’t even try—unless they know about proxy shopping.

[Nintendo Game Boy Micro – 20th Anniversary Edition]

・eBay: $327

・Mercari via J-subculture: $125.40

Even after adding proxy service fees and international shipping, you save over $200

It’s normal to feel cautious about using a new service. Fortunately, trusted proxy shopping providers like J-Subculture have been serving international buyers for years. At J-Subucluture, you'll get

・Secure online ordering

・Friendly customer support in English

・Optional item condition checks and photo verification (available with a small extra fee)

Ready to discover what Japan really has to offer? 

>> Start browsing Mercari Japan now with J-Subculture