ZenMarket is a proxy shopping service: a company in Japan that buys items for you from Japanese websites, receives them at its warehouse, and ships them to you. It solves the 2 problems that keep most of the Japanese second-hand market out of reach: sellers who only ship within Japan, and sites that only work in Japanese.
That market is worth reaching. Japan's second-hand sellers are known for careful condition grading, and cameras, watches, guitars, fishing gear and collectibles often sell for less than in Europe.
| Company | ZenGroup Inc., Osaka, founded in April 2014 |
| Scale | 3 million+ registered users, 1.8 million parcels shipped, 50,500+ stores |
| Warehouses | 3, all in Osaka prefecture |
| Support | 19 languages, including German and French |
| Service fee | ¥500 per item for most shops, ¥300 for partner stores, ¥800 for Mercari and auctions |
| Registration | Free, no documents |
Where it buys
- JDirectItems Auction: the new international name, since January 2025, for Yahoo! Auctions Japan, the country's largest auction site. ZenMarket bids live on your behalf.
- Mercari and Rakuten Rakuma: Japan's big flea-market apps, where individuals sell second-hand goods at fixed prices.
- Amazon Japan and Rakuten: new goods.
- Specialist shops: Digimart and Kurosawa Gakki for music gear, BOOKOFF and Suruga-ya for books and games, Naturum for outdoor and fishing, and more.
- Any other Japanese shop: paste the item URL into the cart.
ZenMarket also runs ZenPlus, its own marketplace with lower fees, and a second-hand luxury service that checks items for authenticity.
How it works
- Add items. Search inside ZenMarket, which translates the listings, or paste a URL from any Japanese shop.
- Get a quote. ZenMarket confirms the price and availability.
- Pay for the items. For auctions, you deposit funds first, then bid.
- Wait for delivery to Osaka. A few days for shops, sometimes a week or more for individual sellers.
- Choose shipping. Combine several purchases into 1 parcel, pick a carrier, and pay for international shipping once the parcel is weighed.
- Receive the parcel in 1 to 2 weeks.
What it costs
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Item price | Includes Japan's 10% consumption tax | Always |
| ZenMarket service fee | ¥300 to ¥800 per item | Always |
| Deposit fee | From 1%, covers card and PayPal costs | Always |
| Shipping within Japan | Set by the seller, often free | Sometimes |
| International shipping | By weight and carrier: airmail, FedEx, ZenExpress and others | Always |
| Photos before shipping | ¥500 per item | Optional |
| Storage over 60 days | ¥50 per item per day | Optional |
The fee is per unique item, not per unit: 3 identical T-shirts cost 1 fee, 3 colours cost 3. Initial consolidation and insurance up to ¥5 million are included. Cancelling after the item reaches the warehouse costs ¥1,000, and isn't possible for auction, Mercari or Rakuma items.
Customs in Germany
The Japanese price is only part of the bill. On arrival, the carrier charges:
- 19% import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) on the item plus shipping, from the first euro.
- Customs duty above €150, at the rate for the product category. Since 1st July 2026, the EU also charges a flat €3 per item line on parcels below €150.
- A handling fee from the carrier for the customs paperwork.
Use ZenMarket's fee calculator, then add about 20 to 25% for German import costs, before you bid.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Access to Japan-only marketplaces, auctions included.
- A flat fee per item, not a percentage of the price. That favours expensive items.
- Free consolidation of purchases from several shops into 1 parcel.
- Support in German and French.
Cons:
- The stacked costs: service fee, deposit fee, shipping, VAT, duty and carrier fees. For cheap items, they can double the price.
- Slow: 2 to 4 weeks from order to door.
- No returns for most second-hand purchases. What you win at auction is yours.
- The ¥800 fee on Mercari and auctions, where most of the interesting second-hand goods are.
Alternatives
| Service | Note |
|---|---|
| Buyee | Official partner of Yahoo! Auctions and Mercari |
| FROM JAPAN | Long-established, strong on auctions |
| Remambo | Smaller, also covers auctions and shops |
Fees and shipping options differ, so compare the total cost for 1 real item on 2 services before a big purchase.
Verdict
ZenMarket is a solid, transparent way to buy from Japan's second-hand market. The flat fee makes it worth it for items worth ¥20,000 or more: a camera lens, a Seiko or Citizen watch, a guitar. For cheap items, the fees and German import costs eat the saving.
For me, the interesting use is watches. Japanese auctions carry many Seiko and Citizen field and pilot models that rarely reach European shops, often in well-described condition. I'd pay the ¥500 for photos before shipping on anything valuable. For the trip itself, see Japan: 10 days, landing in Tokyo.
Further Reading