Buying from Japan & collecting FAQ

TANA (棚 — 'shelf') tracks manga, TCG and figure releases from the Japanese side: announcements, pre-order windows and restocks, plus the reference guides to buying from Japan (proxy services, shipping, customs basics). Info first, store links second.

No. TANA doesn't sell or stock anything. Product pages link out to multiple established stores and proxy services; some links are affiliate links, disclosed right above every buy box. See How we review for the full policy.

Never. We don't give investment advice on collectibles — no 'this will go up'. When we cover the aftermarket, we explain structure (supply, reprints, demand cycles) so you can decide, not speculate.

A middleman with a Japanese address: it buys the item for you from a Japan-only store or auction, receives it at its warehouse, then ships it to your country. You pay the item price, domestic shipping, a service fee, international shipping and payment processing — see our fee-structure comparison.

It depends on the item, weight, destination and payment method — each service structures its fees differently (per item vs per order, plan tiers). Our /proxy page compares the structures and links to each official rate page, which is always the current source.

Possibly — import duty and tax follow your own country's rules and thresholds, and are charged separately from anything the store or proxy collects. Check your customs authority's site before a large order.

Most scale figures are produced roughly to order: makers gauge demand during the pre-order window, then manufacture. Missing the window can mean paying more on the aftermarket or waiting for a re-release — that's why our calendar tracks deadlines, not just release days.

The date announced by the maker or store at the time we last verified the page — sources are linked on each product page. Dates do shift; when they do, we update the page and its as-of date.

They're different products: sets can differ in card pool, rarity spread, print timing and price. Japanese boxes often release first. Our set guides break down the differences per set so you can decide for your goal — playing, collecting or display.

Some stay Japan-only, some get international releases later — it varies by maker and license. Where an international release has been announced, our pages say so with a source; where it hasn't, treat 'exclusive' as 'currently, and it can change'.