Hot search
As a proxy shopping platform, Rakufun already integrates with dozens of Japanese ecommerce sites, flea market apps, and specialty stores. You can search and buy directly from partners like Mercari, Rakuma, Surugaya, PBANDAI, and many others without leaving the Rakufun app. But what if the item you want is only available on a website that Rakufun does not directly partner with?
That is exactly why we created Link2Buy.
This guide explains what Link2Buy is, how to use it, what it costs, and when it makes sense to choose this option. We also provide a complete list of Rakufun’s integrated platforms, so you know when you can use direct search and when Link2Buy is the right tool.
Table of Contents
- What Is Link2Buy?
- When Should You Use Link2Buy?
- Rakufun’s Partner Platforms: What You Can Buy Through Direct Search
- How to Use Link2Buy: Step by Step
- How Much Does Link2Buy Cost?
- Why Choose Link2Buy?
- Final Thoughts
What Is Link2Buy?
Link2Buy is a feature within Rakufun that allows you to purchase products from any Japanese online store, even if that store is not officially partnered with us.
Here is how it works: you find a product on a Japanese website, copy its URL, and paste it into Rakufun’s Link2Buy tool. Our team then purchases the item on your behalf using our local Japanese address and payment methods. The seller ships the item to our warehouse, where you can consolidate it with other purchases before we forward everything to your international address.
Link2Buy is essential because many Japanese retailers do not ship internationally. Even large, wellknown platforms often restrict sales to domestic customers only. Link2Buy removes that barrier.
When Should You Use Link2Buy?
Use Link2Buy when the product you want is not available through Rakufun’s direct search on our partner platforms.
Typical scenarios for Link2Buy:
- You find a limitededition item on a brand’s official Japanese website.
- You discover a product in a small independent shop that does not offer international shipping.
- You want to buy from a regional retailer that only operates within Japan.
- You find an item on a Japanese auction or marketplace that is not among our current partners.
Do not use Link2Buy when:
- The item is already listed on one of our integrated platforms (see table below). In that case, direct search is faster and does not require copying a URL.
Rakufun’s Partner Platforms: What You Can Buy Through Direct Search
Before you decide to use Link2Buy, it is worth checking whether the item is already available on a platform we directly integrate with. Rakufun has official partnerships with the following Japanese sites. You can search and shop across all of them from one place.
| Platform | Category | What You Can Find |
|---|---|---|
| Mercari | Flea market / C2C | Second‑hand fashion, electronics, trading cards, collectibles, household goods |
| JDirectItems Auction | Auction platform | Rare collectibles, vintage items, second‑hand luxury goods (formerly Yahoo! Japan Auctions) |
| Amazon | General e‑commerce | New electronics, books, cosmetics, household items, toys |
| Surugaya | Second‑hand specialty | Anime figures, manga, video games, CDs, DVDs, collectibles |
| JDirectItems Fleamarket | Flea market / C2C | Second‑hand goods across all categories (formerly PayPay Flea Market) |
| Animate | Anime specialty | New anime merchandise, manga, CDs, DVDs, character goods |
| Rakufun Global | Proxy service | Our own service for purchasing from sites not yet integrated |
| ZOZOTOWN | Fashion e‑commerce | Japanese streetwear, brand‑name fashion, apparel |
| Rakuten | General e‑commerce | New and used goods across all categories |
| Magi | TCG and collectibles | Pokémon, Yu‑Gi‑Oh!, One Piece cards, anime figures, sneakers |
| Rakuma | Flea market / C2C | Fashion, electronics, toys, furniture, outdoor equipment |
| Lashinbang | Second‑hand anime goods | Anime figures, doujinshi, cosplay items, character goods |
| Amnibus | Anime merchandise | Official anime goods, limited editions |
| Chiikawa | Character goods | Chiikawa official merchandise, plush toys, stationery |
| Hard Off | Second‑hand electronics/hobby | Used electronics, gaming consoles, musical instruments, hobby goods |
| Gamers | Anime and game goods | New anime merchandise, light novels, CDs, character goods |
| Pattythree | Fashion | Women’s fashion, accessories, lifestyle goods |
| KADOKAWA | Publishing and anime goods | Manga, light novels, anime merchandise, art books |
| Sundrug | Drugstore | Cosmetics, skincare, health products, daily necessities |
| Jumpcs | Manga specialty | Shueisha’s Jump comics, manga merchandise |
| SNKRDUNK | Sneaker and TCG marketplace | Authenticated sneakers, trading cards, streetwear |
| POINT | Fashion retailer | Casual and business fashion, accessories |
| Mandarake | Second‑hand collectibles | Rare manga, vintage toys, anime cels, limited editions |
| GRL | Women’s fashion | Affordable trendy clothing, accessories |
| BEAMS | Fashion retailer | Japanese designer fashion, lifestyle goods, accessories |
| Tower | Music and entertainment | CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, artist merchandise (Tower Records Japan) |
| Kitamura | Camera and electronics | Cameras, lenses, photography equipment |
| SQUARE-ENIX | Game company store | Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest merchandise, game soundtracks, collectibles |
| Sanrio | Character goods | Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Sanrio character merchandise |
| P-BANDAI | Exclusive merchandise | Limited‑edition Gunpla, Tamashii Nations figures, anime exclusives (Premium Bandai) |
| 2nd STREET | Second‑hand fashion | Used brand‑name clothing, luxury bags, accessories |
| RUY | Fashion | Women’s clothing, seasonal fashion items |
| NIJISANJI | VTuber agency | VTuber merchandise, character goods, collaboration items |
| Disney | Official Disney store | Disney character goods, park merchandise, limited editions |
| YUYU-TEI | TCG and collectibles | Trading cards, collectibles, card supplies |
| TohoAnima | Anime production company | Merchandise from TOHO‑produced anime series |
| Toranoana | Doujinshi and manga | Doujinshi, manga, anime goods, character merchandise |
This list is extensive now, but it is not exhaustive in the future. Rakufun continues to add new partnerships over time. For the most current list, check the Rakufun app or website directly.
Even with all these partners, there will still be websites you want to buy from that are not on this list. That is exactly when Link2Buy becomes useful.
How to Use Link2Buy: Step by Step
Using Link2Buy requires a little more input from you than a direct search, but the process is still straightforward.
Step 1: Find Your Product on Any Japanese Website
Browse the Japanese website of your choice. Once you find the exact product you wish to purchase, copy its full URL from your browser’s address bar.
Step 2: Paste the Link into Rakufun’s Link2Buy Tool
Open the Rakufun app or website and go to the Link2Buy section. Paste the product link into the provided field. Rakufun will automatically attempt to extract the product name from the URL. This is usually successful, but you should always check the name for accuracy.
Step 3: Manually Fill in the Required Details
Because Link2Buy works with any website, Rakufun cannot automatically retrieve all the information needed to place the order. You are responsible for providing the following details:
| Field | Description |
| Specification | Any options such as size, color, model number, or version. Be as precise as possible. |
| Product price (JPY) | The exact price of the item as shown on the website. Do not include domestic shipping here. |
| Quantity | How many units you want to purchase. |
| Shipping fee (JPY) | The domestic shipping fee charged by the seller within Japan. This is usually displayed on the website before checkout. |
⚠️ Important: Accuracy in these fields is critical. If you enter the wrong price, Rakufun may be unable to complete the purchase or may purchase the wrong item. Double‑check all information before submitting.
Step 4: Place Your Order
After confirming the details, submit your order. Rakufun will then purchase the item from the Japanese website on your behalf, using our local address and payment methods.
Step 5: Warehouse Arrival and Consolidation
The seller ships the item to our domestic warehouse in Japan. Once the item arrives, it will appear in your inventory. You can take advantage of up to 90 days of free warehouse storage to accumulate multiple purchases—whether made via Link2Buy or direct search—before combining them into one international shipment.
Step 6: Choose International Shipping and Receive
Select your preferred international shipping method (DHL, EMS). We will carefully repack your items and ship them to your address. You can track the package all the way to your door.
How Much Does Link2Buy Cost?
Using Link2Buy involves a Purchasing handling fee in addition to the product price and shipping costs. Below is the full breakdown.
| Cost Component | Amount | Notes |
| Purchasing handling fee | 200 JPY per order | Flat fee per Link2Buy transaction, regardless of item price |
| Product price | Varies | The price listed on the Japanese website |
| Domestic shipping (within Japan) | Varies | Paid by you; amount depends on the seller’s shipping policy |
| International shipping | Varies | Based on package weight, dimensions, and selected method |
The 200 JPY Purchasing handling fee covers our handling of the purchase: verifying product details, placing the order, and communicating with the seller if needed. This fee is charged per Link2Buy order, not per item. If you purchase multi-items from the same website in a single order, you pay the 200 JPY fee only once.
Example: You want to buy a figure from a small Japanese store not on our partner list. The figure costs 3,000 JPY, the store charges 600 JPY domestic shipping, and you use Link2Buy. Your total before international shipping would be:
- Product: 3,000 JPY
- Domestic shipping: 600 JPY
- Purchasing handling fee: 200 JPY
- Subtotal: 3,800 JPY
International shipping will be added after the item arrives at our warehouse and is weighed.
💡 Note: The 200 JPY Purchasing handling fee applies only to Link2Buy orders. Purchases made directly through our integrated partner platforms (Mercari, Rakuma, Surugaya, etc.) do not incur this fee.
Optional add‑on services such as Photo Verification, Professional Packaging, or Electronics Check are available for an additional fee, but they are not required to use Link2Buy.
Why Choose Link2Buy?
You might wonder why you would ever use Link2Buy when Rakufun already offers direct search across so many partner platforms. The answer is coverage.
Direct search gives you access to a curated set of platforms. This covers a huge portion of the Japanese online shopping landscape. However, no single proxy service can partner with every single website in Japan.
Link2Buy fills the gaps. It allows you to purchase from:
- Official brand stores that only sell through their own websites
- Small independent creators and shops that do not have international partnerships
- Regional retailers that operate only within specific areas of Japan
- Specialty auction sites not integrated into our search
- New or niche platforms that we have not yet partnered with
In short, direct search is convenient for major platforms. Link2Buy is your safety net for everything else.
Final Thoughts
At Rakufun, our goal is to give you access to the entire Japanese market—not just the parts we already partner with. Direct search covers many popular platforms efficiently, but Link2Buy ensures you are never locked out of a product simply because it is sold on a website we do not yet integrate with.
Whether you are hunting for a rare collectible on a small creator’s shop, a limited‑edition item on a brand’s official store, or a product from a regional retailer that has never shipped outside Japan, Link2Buy gives you a way to bring it home.
We hope this guide helps you shop Japan with confidence. If you have any questions, our support team is always available.
