Hi there, ZenPlus family! 👋

We have partnered with ZenPop for a sizzling summer sale! 🌞

ZenPop curates boxes of the best Japanese goods - ramen, snacks, candy and stationery.

Purchase from the sale before July 6th to enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a Pokemon Nintendo Switch Lite + 20 ZenPop Taster Packs.

The more packs purchased, the better your chances of winning! 🎉

Start Saving

🎁 21 prizes up for grabs! 🎁

1 x Nintendo Switch Lite - Zacian and Zamazenta Edition

We're giving away this special Pokemon-themed version of the Nintendo Switch Lite system perfect for on-the-go gaming. Nintendo Switch Lite is a compact, lightweight addition to the Nintendo Switch family, with integrated controls. 

Nintendo  Switch Lite supports all Nintendo Switch software that can be played in handheld mode. As a dedicated handheld gaming device, Nintendo Switch Lite does not support output to a TV. Also, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield games are not included.

Console pack details:

• Nintendo Switch Lite system
• Nintendo Switch AC adapter

20 x ZenPop Taster Packs

Enjoy a special selection of Japan's most popular sweet treats, as well as some deliciously moreish crunchy snacks, including :

1. Baby Star Yakisoba Sauce Flavor
2. Meiji's Milk Chocolate Cubie
3. Hi-Chew Mini
4. 3 Color Mochi Dango
5. Wasabi Kaki-pi
6. Umaibo Corn Stick
7. Sumikko Gurashi Gum
8. DIY Sushi Gummies

Best Deals 💰

Ramen Pack - Spring Mixer (Save 40%)

It's a party and everyone's invited! From Tonkotsu to Shio Ramen, Tantanman to Yakisoba, you'll get to meet (and eat) a delicious mix of instant noodles this month. Many of your ramen bowls feature tamago (egg); from soft-boiled egg to tarako (fish eggs), you'll enjoy the richness it adds. 

What's inside?

1. Hakata Mentai Tonkotsu Ramen
2. Chuka Zanmai Tantanmen
3. Cupstar Shio Ramen
4. Tamago Shoyu Ramen
5. Tomato Ramen
6. Kakitama Udon
7. Tarako Yakisoba

Stationery Pack - Summer Festival (Save 50%)

It's summer in Japan, which means beach adventures, festivals, fireworks, watermelon, and hot humid days lazing about. This collection of stationery items is useful, but also gives you a taste of Japanese culture. The Japanese matsuri (festival) is an essential part of summer traditions, where communities gather together to enjoy the hot nights with fun and food. 

What's inside?

1. Mechanical Pencil
2. Brush Pen
3. Sanrio Fan Letter Set
4. Washi Tape-Fuurin (Wind Bell) Pattern
5. Wash Tape-Goldfish Pattern
6. Stickers Summer Shiba-Inu
7. Sumo Stick Markers
8. Obondama Envelopes
9. Watermelon Letter Cards
10. Summer Matsuri Postcards

Save 50% Now

Ramen + Sweets Mix Pack - Sunny Snacks (Save 40%)

The weather's heating up in Japan and all we want to do is enjoy the long summer days and warm nights. Taste the changing season with this month's bounty of fresh and fruity snacks. With everything that's going on in the world right now, it can't hurt to have a few fruity flavors (and yummy noodles) that can put a smile on your face!

What's inside?

1. Nostalgic Shoyu Ramen
2. Traditional Sauce Yakisoba
3. Sweet and Salty Spring Potato
4. Grape Gummies
5. Premium Lemon Hi-Chew
6. Ichigo Mochitto
7. Banana Choco
8. Habenero Rings
9. Grape Chew

Save 40% Now

 View all ZenPop's Sizzling Summer Deals

If you would like to browse even more ZenPop packs on sale, we recommend you check out our ZenPop showcase containing our full catalog of ramen, snacks, candy and stationery packs. Remember more packs purchased, the better your chances of winning! 🎉

Good luck, everyone!

Get The Conversation Started #ZenPlus.

Dear customers,

Thank you for your continued support during these difficult times.
We are constantly trying to improve our services and we are happy to announce that we have implemented Transferwise as a new payment method on ZenMarket!

The biggest advantage of using this method is the very lowdeposit fees whenever you make a transaction.

Transferwise's transactions are very simple and take only a few minutes to be processed into your ZenMarket account. 

Let's walk through this simple and easy process together!

If you don't have a ZenMarket account yet, you can register here for free!  

About ZenMarket

Most Japanese online retailers don’t ship internationally, but we solve this problem. We buy, consolidate and ship Japanese goods to your address. Our goal is to make buying Japanese goods online as smooth as possible. We have integrated the biggest Japanese online shopping websites: Rakuten, Amazon, and Yahoo! Auctions. You can also make purchases from any other Japanese online shop or auction with us. Just add an item URL from the desired product page to the cart and place the order. 

Follow us on our Social Media

Dear customers,

Thank you for your continued support during these difficult times. At ZenMarket, we are constantly trying to improve our services. After Transferwise integration, we are happy to announce that we have added 7 new payment methods on ZenMarket!

For those who don't have an international credit card or access to cryptocurrency, we are now offering other local payment solutions to help you get a hold of your favorite products from Japan! 

In the list below, you can select a payment method and see how it works.

We are offering more choices for even more countries in Europe, Russia, Mexico, Brazil and more!  

If you don't have a ZenMarket account yet, you can register here for free!  

About ZenMarket

Most Japanese online retailers don’t ship internationally, but we solve this problem. We buy, consolidate and ship Japanese goods to your address. Our goal is to make buying Japanese goods online as smooth as possible. We have integrated the biggest Japanese online shopping websites: Rakuten, Amazon, and Yahoo! Auctions. You can also make purchases from any other Japanese online shop or auction with us. Just add an item URL from the desired product page to the cart and place the order. 

Follow us on our Social Media

Thank you very much to everyone who has been kindly waiting patiently with the recent delays. We're excited to announce we've managed to address the biggest issues that were causing a delay in our usual workflow at ZenMarket, we expect delays to come to an end and be able to be back to normal service times by the end of July.

Some new measures we've adopted to vastly improve our response times to the unexpected moving forwards include:

• Reorganized the entire storage layout of our warehouses to store, pick and pack items more efficiently even when we get close to maximum storage capacity (more here)
• Restructured our warehouse teams and updated our system for dealing with new requests. Thus making sure there is always a dedicated staff member assigned and processing items at each stage of an item's warehouse journey, reducing delays in items being processed.
• Hired and trained additional staff (with even more additions to warehouse staff coming soon) to make sure that we won't be short-staffed during unforeseen events or occurrences in the future.
• Additional shifts. We have increased the number of working days and paid hours for the warehouse staff so they are able to process ALL of the current packing requests and orders
• We adopted additional shipping services (DHL eCommerce, Pony Express, ECMS) to successfully ship out the excess of parcels stuck at the warehouse due to JP Post's current shipping limitations to some countries andcreated additional space to work on what really matters to you (packing and handling!)

We had started offering 120 days of free storage as an aid to customers who were unable to ship items during the COVID-19 situation.

Unfortunately, this created an unexpected problem when the postal services decided to return many of the parcels we had accounted for as "sent," and flooded our warehouses at a time when many of our workers were on leave to appropriately self-isolate and attend to personal issues brought about by the global pandemic and previous state of emergency declaration in Japan.

We never meant to inconvenience you, and always, always, tried our best to resolve any internal issues and stay in contact with everyone who has ordered through our service.

We're deeply sorry if you have already been waiting for weeks for your items to be packed and sent.

From this week, all new additions to our operations will go into effect and you can expect us to address all of the current delayed requests in order and should be back to a normal schedule by the end of the month.

So if you have a packing order in waiting, please expect it to be dealt with during these remaining two weeks of July. 

Note that we will not be charging extra storage fees for parcels with packing "In Progress" or for paid parcels "Awaiting Shipping"

(However, while we are focusing our attention on addressing delays with item intake and packing, we ask that you please allow for some small delays in other ZenMarket services like answering to new inquiries or purchasing time-sensitive items so we can return to normal operations as quickly as possible.)

Thank you very much for your patience, for choosing us during these globally difficult times, for all your improvement suggestions, and for the encouragement to make it through. If you wish to know more about the latest updates, please also check the following previous blogs in case you missed them:

You may be surprised to find out that one of the most popular items ZenMarket customers buy has nothing to do with anime, manga, or gaming.

Instead, many of our customers have fallen in love with the Japanese Kokeshi - and for good reason.

Maybe one of the least talked about tiny treasures you can buy from Japan, the Kokeshi doll is fantastic for anyone looking to add a touch of authentic Japanese culture and art to their living spaces.

But you may be wondering, what actually are Kokeshi dolls and what makes them so special?

In the article below, we not only dive into the history of Kokeshi, but we look at the different types and where are some of the best places to get authentic Kokeshi for your home.

What Are Kokeshi Dolls?

Kokeshi Dolls are traditional Japanese wooden dolls that were created in the Edo period (1600 - 1868) and originate from the Tohoku region of Japan with the purpose of giving workers something to work on during the winter months. They were originally designed for children and as souvenirs for tourists visiting the popular hot springs present within the area.

Currently, due to the popularity of Kokeshi, you can now buy them from different regions across Japan, coming in a wide variety of shapes and designs.

Kokeshi doll making is now widely considered to be a Japanese art form that requires a trained and skilled artisan to produce high-quality Kokeshi dolls.

How To Make Kokeshi Dolls?

Traditionally, a Kokeshi is made up of a wooden base that acts as the body which is then attached to a second piece that acts as the enlarged head of the Kokeshi figure. Artisans will then use thin lines of paint to add details and decorations to the figure.

Typically, seasoned wood from a Mizuki or a Japanese cherry tree is used to craft the head and body of the Kokeshi. Blocks of the chosen wood are cut into small pieces and then shaved, with the edges of the wood later smoothed and rounded off.

The pieces of wood are then attached to a machine that holds them in place and rotates the wood in a circular motion. While the blocks are spinning at high speed, the artisan can cut the wood to shape using a large and small plane tool.

Finally, the artisan has to file down the surface of the Kokeshi before they can paint, wax, and apply a fine polish to the figure giving it a slight sheen.

Don't believe the amount of work that goes into a Kokeshi doll? Check out the video below to watch master Kokeshi doll makers at work as they go about their craft.

Over the years, Kokeshi designs have become increasingly diverse in their designs and level of intricacy. You will find more modern-day Kokeshi designs take a more rounded shape with richer colors and a greater emphasis on facial features.

You can now find a Kokeshi styled for every special occasion such as weddings and Christmas. If you are looking for a Kokeshi styled in a way to show off your favorite hobby or even your current profession, chances are that it already exists somewhere for you to buy.

You can even find Kokeshi styled as some of your favorite fictional characters! With so many style options to make them feel personal, it is no wonder why these figures make for great gifts for anyone that has an interest in Japanese culture.

Kokeshi Meaning: What do they symbolize? 

The meaning behind what Kokeshi symbolize is unclear - with so many different regions and variations of Kokeshi being produced since their introduction, the exact spiritual significance originally held by Japanese people has either been lost or forgotten.

Most scholars on the topic of Kokeshi would all agree that the original spiritual significance of Kokeshi are strongly linked to children and wishing them good health.

It is also suggested that originally Kokeshi may have been exchanged between individuals as a token of friendship that concealed hidden messages within the figures - which is likely why Kokeshi are considered to be a popular Japanese souvenir to buy for a friend.

If you do happen to find yourself visiting Japan during September, there is a Kokeshi festival held in Naruko every year. During the festival, you will not only be able to see, create, and purchase Kokeshi figures, but you will be able to witness the annual burning of unwanted Kokeshi figures upon a large pyre which is said to release the Kokeshi from their spiritual duties.

You can also find the world's largest Kokeshi museum also located in Naruko, home to over 5000 Kokeshi figures! Naruko's Kokeshi museum is the place to go if you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the entire history behind Kokeshi. 

Where To Buy Kokeshi? 

Modern kokeshi are sold as a souvenir at tourist hotspots all over Japan, but if you are unable to make your way over to the land of the rising sun, fear not!

ZenMarket has sent hundreds of Kokeshi Dolls from Japan to customers living all over the world and by now we know some of the best online stores you can use to get your hands on Kokeshi to start your collection or for the perfect gift for a friend.

Yahoo Auctions Japan

If you are not sure where to start, Yahoo auctions can be a great place to find your first Kokeshi at a great price.

Yahoo Auctions has a huge selection of Kokeshi to choose from, varying in a wide array of traditional and unique styles that are sure to grab your attention.

The best aspect of Yahoo auctions can also be its biggest weakness - the array of Kokeshi available is constantly changing.

There is no guarantee if you spot a Kokeshi design that takes your fancy that it will still be there the next day, especially when it comes to figures that have a more modern design.

This is great for those you who enjoy browsing auction listings and discovering new figures each time, but for those of you that already have a particular design in mind, some of the other options listed below may suit your needs better.

Usaburo Kokeshi

Usaburo kokeshi is an online Kokeshi store based out of Japan's Gunma prefecture that specializes in modern Kokeshi designs. Although the variety and number of Kokeshi you will find on the website pales in comparison to that of Yahoo auctions, Usaburo kokeshi is a great place to pick up a Kokeshi if you have a certain theme in mind, or if you would rather avoid potentially buying second hand.

Their store contains dedicated sections for special events such as Christmas, Mother's Day, weddings, and celebrating the birth of a new child.

Usaburo kokeshi is probably best known for its Kokeshi designed around popular characters. You can find characters from Disney, Star Wars, Doraemon, Peter Rabbit, Dragonball, One Piece, Hello Kitty, Detective Konan, and more!

If you or someone you know has an interest in Japan and is a fan of any of these characters, Usaburo kokeshi's Kokeshi can be a great place to grab the perfect unique gift!

Rakuten 

Rakuten can be a great middle-ground for those you looking for a store that has a large selection of Kokeshi to choose from, but is more consistent than Yahoo Auctions with regards to what is available to buy at any given time. 

If you are interested in adding more Kokeshi to your collection or looking to buy your very first figure, then ZenMarket can help you buy and ship authentic Japanese Kokeshi directly from Japan!

Reach out to us if you have any questions or let us know if you think you we missed something important in this article - We are always looking for more online stores in Japan that sell Kokeshi.

You may be surprised to find out that one of the most popular items ZenMarket customers buy has nothing to do with anime, manga, or gaming.

Instead, many of our customers have fallen in love with the Japanese Kokeshi - and for good reason.

Maybe one of the least talked about tiny treasures you can buy from Japan, the Kokeshi doll is fantastic for anyone looking to add a touch of authentic Japanese culture and art to their living spaces.

But you may be wondering, what actually are Kokeshi dolls and what makes them so special?

In the article below, we not only dive into the history of Kokeshi, but we look at the different types and where are some of the best places to get authentic Kokeshi for your home.

What Are Kokeshi Dolls?

Kokeshi Dolls are traditional Japanese wooden dolls that were created in the Edo period (1600 - 1868) and originate from the Tohoku region of Japan with the purpose of giving workers something to work on during the winter months. They were originally designed for children and as souvenirs for tourists visiting the popular hot springs present within the area.

Currently, due to the popularity of Kokeshi, you can now buy them from different regions across Japan, coming in a wide variety of shapes and designs.

Kokeshi doll making is now widely considered to be a Japanese art form that requires a trained and skilled artisan to produce high-quality Kokeshi dolls.

How To Make Kokeshi Dolls?

Traditionally, a Kokeshi is made up of a wooden base that acts as the body which is then attached to a second piece that acts as the enlarged head of the Kokeshi figure. Artisans will then use thin lines of paint to add details and decorations to the figure.

Typically, seasoned wood from a Mizuki or a Japanese cherry tree is used to craft the head and body of the Kokeshi. Blocks of the chosen wood are cut into small pieces and then shaved, with the edges of the wood later smoothed and rounded off.

The pieces of wood are then attached to a machine that holds them in place and rotates the wood in a circular motion. While the blocks are spinning at high speed, the artisan can cut the wood to shape using a large and small plane tool.

Finally, the artisan has to file down the surface of the Kokeshi before they can paint, wax, and apply a fine polish to the figure giving it a slight sheen.

Don't believe the amount of work that goes into a Kokeshi doll? Check out the video below to watch master Kokeshi doll makers at work as they go about their craft.

Over the years, Kokeshi designs have become increasingly diverse in their designs and level of intricacy. You will find more modern-day Kokeshi designs take a more rounded shape with richer colors and a greater emphasis on facial features.

You can now find a Kokeshi styled for every special occasion such as weddings and Christmas. If you are looking for a Kokeshi styled in a way to show off your favorite hobby or even your current profession, chances are that it already exists somewhere for you to buy.

You can even find Kokeshi styled as some of your favorite fictional characters! With so many style options to make them feel personal, it is no wonder why these figures make for great gifts for anyone that has an interest in Japanese culture.

Kokeshi Meaning: What do they symbolize? 

The meaning behind what Kokeshi symbolize is unclear - with so many different regions and variations of Kokeshi being produced since their introduction, the exact spiritual significance originally held by Japanese people has either been lost or forgotten.

Most scholars on the topic of Kokeshi would all agree that the original spiritual significance of Kokeshi are strongly linked to children and wishing them good health.

It is also suggested that originally Kokeshi may have been exchanged between individuals as a token of friendship that concealed hidden messages within the figures - which is likely why Kokeshi are considered to be a popular Japanese souvenir to buy for a friend.

If you do happen to find yourself visiting Japan during September, there is a Kokeshi festival held in Naruko every year. During the festival, you will not only be able to see, create, and purchase Kokeshi figures, but you will be able to witness the annual burning of unwanted Kokeshi figures upon a large pyre which is said to release the Kokeshi from their spiritual duties.

You can also find the world's largest Kokeshi museum also located in Naruko, home to over 5000 Kokeshi figures! Naruko's Kokeshi museum is the place to go if you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the entire history behind Kokeshi. 

Where To Buy Kokeshi? 

Modern kokeshi are sold as a souvenir at tourist hotspots all over Japan, but if you are unable to make your way over to the land of the rising sun, fear not!

ZenMarket has sent hundreds of Kokeshi Dolls from Japan to customers living all over the world and by now we know some of the best online stores you can use to get your hands on Kokeshi to start your collection or for the perfect gift for a friend.

Yahoo Auctions Japan

If you are not sure where to start, Yahoo auctions can be a great place to find your first Kokeshi at a great price.

Yahoo Auctions has a huge selection of Kokeshi to choose from, varying in a wide array of traditional and unique styles that are sure to grab your attention.

The best aspect of Yahoo auctions can also be its biggest weakness - the array of Kokeshi available is constantly changing.

There is no guarantee if you spot a Kokeshi design that takes your fancy that it will still be there the next day, especially when it comes to figures that have a more modern design.

This is great for those you who enjoy browsing auction listings and discovering new figures each time, but for those of you that already have a particular design in mind, some of the other options listed below may suit your needs better.

Usaburo Kokeshi

Usaburo kokeshi is an online Kokeshi store based out of Japan's Gunma prefecture that specializes in modern Kokeshi designs. Although the variety and number of Kokeshi you will find on the website pales in comparison to that of Yahoo auctions, Usaburo kokeshi is a great place to pick up a Kokeshi if you have a certain theme in mind, or if you would rather avoid potentially buying second hand.

Their store contains dedicated sections for special events such as Christmas, Mother's Day, weddings, and celebrating the birth of a new child.

Usaburo kokeshi is probably best known for its Kokeshi designed around popular characters. You can find characters from Disney, Star Wars, Doraemon, Peter Rabbit, Dragonball, One Piece, Hello Kitty, Detective Konan, and more!

If you or someone you know has an interest in Japan and is a fan of any of these characters, Usaburo kokeshi's Kokeshi can be a great place to grab the perfect unique gift!

Rakuten 

Rakuten can be a great middle-ground for those you looking for a store that has a large selection of Kokeshi to choose from, but is more consistent than Yahoo Auctions with regards to what is available to buy at any given time. 

If you are interested in adding more Kokeshi to your collection or looking to buy your very first figure, then ZenMarket can help you buy and ship authentic Japanese Kokeshi directly from Japan!

Reach out to us if you have any questions or let us know if you think you we missed something important in this article - We are always looking for more online stores in Japan that sell Kokeshi.

R4G (Respect For Geeks) is one of the biggest anime apparel brands in Japan. It is well-known for collaborating with Love Live!, Haikyu!! And Hatsune Miku, which are sold exclusively in Japan. 

They have also worked with other famous anime and games,  Fate Stay Night, Attack on Titans, and  Persona 5. If you’re a fan of Japanese pop culture, R4G is the perfect place to get high-quality clothing and accessories.

We are pleased to let you know that R4G has chosen to open its official international store on ZenPlus. When buying from ZenPlus, there are no service fees, and you get cashback on every purchase. 

Why you should shop R4G on ZenPlus

• R4G is one of the biggest anime apparel manufacturers that holds licensing rights to many anime and gaming franchises. It is a great place to get trendy clothing and accessories that have a hint of your favorite anime series without being over the top. 

• Respect For Geeks sells many limited edition items that are incredibly hard to get your hands on these items outside of Japan. 

• There’s no waiting for price confirmation on ZenPlus. Although you can purchase from the official R4G store via ZenMarket, it may take some time before you can pay for the item as our buying team needs to confirm the item’s price first. 

• ZenPlus is always happy to help answer any questions regarding your item etc. and work quickly to resolve your concerns in your language. 

• Shipping within Japan is free. Plus, there are no service fees, and you get 3% cashback on every item purchased. 

Read on to find out how to buy from our official international R4G store with our step-by-step guide. 

Step 1: Visit our R4G store.

Go to our official international R4G store. ZenPlus stores are available in every language ZenMarket supports, so you won’t need to use any translation tool. Please note that as our site is automatically translated it may not be 100% accurate if you have any questions regarding an item, please feel free to contact our support team.

Step 2: Find your favorite R4G collaborations.

With the store in English (or any language you prefer), it is now time to start browsing for items you want to buy. If you already know what you are looking for, then you can use the search bar on the top of the page. For the best results, we recommend using keywords in Japanese. For any tips on finding item names in Japanese, read our handy guide here. 

You can also browse categories and brands to find items. The general categories are located on the left side of the product images. You can filter by price, color, and your favorite brand within the R4G store.

If you are unable to find an item, here are a few links to help you out. 

Step 3: Browse products.

R4G offers tons of unique pieces that bring anime and fashion together. When browsing, you will be able to see basic information about the item, such as a photo, a name, and the price. If you are wondering whether an item is available in your size, you can hover your mouse over the item’s photo, and you’ll be able to see the available sizes. 

Step 4: Find out more item details.

On the product page, you can find out more information about the item you want to purchase. You will be able to see more photos from different angles, quantities, product details (including sizing info), shipping, and payment options. Plus, our buyer protection promise to ensure there are no problems with your order. 

Step 5: Purchasing

Once you are satisfied with the item you want to purchase, click add to cart. You can then proceed with paying for your item. For a full tutorial on how to buy from ZenMarket, check out our guide here.

We hope this step-by-step guide was helpful, and you were able to find an item that you like. 

If you would like to browse even more anime goods, we recommend you check out our anime showcase containing our full catalog of products. If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know on our social media below. 

Get The Conversation Started #ZenPlus.

A single pokemon card sold for a whopping $233,000 (25,000,000 JPY) earlier this month on ZenPlus, making it the most expensive sale in existence. The card was purchased by an American customer via our Pokemonmania store.

Before you start rummaging through your old Pokemon Card folders, the Illustrator pokemon card could only be obtained through a Japanese comic contest in 1998. From the 39 released initially, there is said to be only 10 left. Making it “the most valuable and rarest Pokemon card in the world.” It even features art by Atsuko Nishida - the original illustrator of Pikachu.

This beats the previous most expensive Pokemon card sold for $190,000, which was also “Pikachu Illustrator” in 2019 as well as the recent “No.1 Trainer.” that sold for $90,000 at auction earlier this month. For those interested, the same Japanese seller is currently selling all three trainers (No.1, No.2 & No.3) on ZenPlus for a whopping $203,782.

The Pikachu Illustrator card sold on ZenPlus is graded as a PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) Mint 9, meaning that it is in “superb condition” with only one flaw. That’s impressive for a 22-year-old trading card.

Although the price may suggest extreme power, Pikachu illustrator does not have any competitive effects. The front text reads, “We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokemon Card Game Illustration Contest. Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokemon Card Illustrator and admire your skill.”

The reverse of the card is adorned with the Japanese logo and name for the game. 

This isn’t the first time collectible cards have been sold for big money. Back in the early days of Magic The Gathering, an overpowering card known as Black lotus was released. It was later banned due to it being too powerful and was sold for over $160,000 last year. Who knows what might be hiding in your collection? 

If you’re looking for Japanese Pokemon cards, we suggest you check out our Trading Card showcase containing lots of individual cards, decks and booster packs from your favorite TCGs.

Get The Conversation Started #ZenPlus.

Manga is one of the most iconic forms of media from the land of Japan. Well known franchises such as Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Sailor Moon, and many more all originally started out as Manga before making their over to the western world. However, there are literally thousands of different manga sold exclusively in Japan due to never being translated and brought over to English speaking audiences.

This means if you are learning to read Japanese there is an almost unlimited treasure trove of stories for you to uncover and enjoy from Japan's domestic online retailers!

Why Buy Manga from Japan

• It's dirt cheap! - Here in Japan, you can buy volumes of manga second-hand for as little as 100 Yen - a single US dollar! A brand new volume of manga can normally be bought for around 500 Yen ($5 USD) depending on the series and when the manga was released.  

• High Quality - Japan is famous for its second-hand items looking like they are brand new and manga is no exception. If you plan to buy manga second-hand, you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality. Unless you plan to buy collector editions of series, we really recommend you just buy manga second-hand - the value for money is just too high not to most of the time. 

• Japan-Only Editions! - There are plenty of popular manga that have received the collector's edition treatment. Whether that is re-releasing the series in full color or volumes with additional art never released in the west - there are plenty for collectors to get excited about.

• Unlimited Options - There are so many manga from you to choose from that you WILL get lost in the endless options you have - which is a great thing! You may start out reading familiar series from popular anime, but as you start to branch out more, you will find hidden gems from every genre. 

You may be able to find manga being sold domestically in your own countries such as the USA, Canada, Singapore, etc. However, as hard as they may try, those stores will always offer a far more limited range of manga then you can get directly from Japan itself. If you are looking for limited edition copies or just the newest series hitting the shelves of Japanese stores, buying manga directly from Japan is the only way to go. 

While most Japanese manga stores don't offer international shipping, with ZenMarket, you will be able to shop and ship all of your favorite manga right to your doorstep!  

Read on to find out how to buy manga from Japan with our easy to follow step-by-step guide. 

Step 1: Translate the Manga's Title

When searching for a particular manga series on a Japanese website, it is best to search for the manga using its Japanese title - it may come as no surprise to you, but Japanese sellers will normally list manga under their Japanese names/titles.

You can use google translate to try and guess the Japanese title of the manga you want, but a FAR, FAR better option is Wikipedia. Simply search the title of the manga you want using google and click on its Wikipedia page. The original Japanese title will normally be in the first paragraph - just highlight and copy the title in Japanese and you will be all set!

Step 2: Search for your Favorite Manga

Now that you have the Japanese name of the manga you are looking for, it's easy. Just paste the text into the search bar followed by this Kanji "巻" and hit enter - it roughly translates to "volume", so only manga should appear in the search results, helpful if you're not interested in other merchandise ("鬼滅の刃 巻" or "鬼滅の刃 3巻"). 　

If you are looking for second-hand volumes of manga make sure that you have "Yahoo auctions" or "ZenPlus" selected for the best price.

You can normally pick up brand new copies of manga by selecting "Amazon" or "Rakuten", just be warned you may be paying more then you need to with brand new copies as second-hand copies are normally in fantastic condition. 

Don’t forget that if you are unable to find an item, you can always reach out to us for help By clicking “Can’t Find” on our website, our customer support team can help you out. 

Step 3: Browse through dozens of options

You will often find the manga you are looking for being sold in a wide array of options. From volumes being sold individually or in complete sets, you can buy in whichever way is best for you.

To get the best value for your money, we recommend buying manga in complete sets. You will save money on shipping and processing fees in the long run instead of buying a single manga volume at a time.

Remember, you can always use the options listed to the left and top of the search results to help you find and narrow down your search.

Step 4: Check the item details

On the product page, you can find out more information about the manga you want to purchase. You will be able to see the price, more photos from different angles, and more.

If you are pre-ordering an item, please note that it will only be shipped out to us on the delivery date stated, after which you will be able to create a parcel for international shipping once it arrives at our warehouse. 

There will also be a lot more information about the item under “Product Details”, which you can normally find by scrolling down the page.  

Step 5: Order with ZenMarket!

Once you are satisfied and ready to order, add the manga to your ZenMarket cart.

Our operators will then check the price and availability of your item and you will receive a notification once it is ready to be paid for.

 For a full tutorial on how to buy from ZenMarket, check out our guide here. 

Bonus Step: Find New Manga!

If you are ready to dive into the unknown and find new manga series that are currently popular in Japan, we have a few resources for you.  

Bookwalker.jp

Bookwalker's Japanese website has an updated list of some of the most popular manga being currently released in Japan. Although Bookwalker only sells digital manga, you can always right-click and copy the Japanese title of any manga that catches your interest and follow the steps above. 

Click here to see Bookwalker's popular new releases.

Amazon.jp

As Amazon is one of the most popular e-commerce sites in the world, they also keep track of what is hot right now in Japan when it comes to manga. If you happen to find something you are interested in reading on Amazon you can follow the steps we listed out above or just copy and paste the URL of the item page directly into the ZenMarket search - you will be taken directly to ZenMarket's English listing for the same item. 

• Amazon Top Rated Manga
• Amazon Manga Homepage

Manga is a great form of entertainment and a fantastic way to level up your Japanese in a fun and effective way. If you are unable to make your way over to Japan to buy manga yourself, then ZenMarket is here to help! 

You can click the image below to check out our full in-depth guide on how to shop using ZenMarket, which will teach you everything you need to know about how to buy anything you want, not just manga, directly from Japan and have it shipped to your front door anywhere in the world.  

Dear customers:

We hope that the 120 days of free storage of your items in our warehouses have been useful to everyone during these months.

Unfortunately, our storage spaces are not unlimited, therefore, as of August 8, 2020, we are reverting to our system of 45 days of free storage and 45 additional paid days (50 yen per day exceeded per item).

Of course, all items registered in our warehouses before August 8 still have 120 days of free storage, and packages that are in preparation will not be invoiced either.

You will be able to see items storage times in your account. If storage days appear to be exceeded on your account view, but the items were sent to our warehouse before August 8th, do not worry, you will not be charged. 

We will be updating the system and notification emails in the coming days to reflect the change back to normal operations. 

Thank you for your continued support during these adverse times!

Happy Shopping!

In recent years there has been an incredible uptick in the number of light novels from Japan being adapted into anime. It is no wonder then that we have seen incredible growth in the number of people that are becoming more and more interested in Japanese Light Novels.

However, the list of light novels that have been adapted to anime is incredibly small when compared to Manga. Meaning, you have an entirely new world's worth of fiction to explore if you are stepping into reading Japanese light novels for the first time.

For those of you are looking for something a little bit different to standard manga reading or you are a Japanese language learning ready to take the step up from Manga to Light Novel, then this guide will teach you how to order Japanese Lightly directly from Japan and find amazing light novels series that you never would have known existed.

Why Buy Light Novels from Japan

• Find out how the story ends! - Too many times will you find yourself watching a season of anime to its conclusion, only to find out the story continues, not in a manga, but a Light Novel. As turning Light Novels in anime continues to become more popular, more and more series will choose to adapt only a single story arc as a form of marketing as a way to raise awareness for the original Light Novel. So if you want to know how these stories end, you are going to need to start picking up the light novels - But trust us, it is worth it.

• Japan-Only - Many Light Novels will never be adapted or translated for an English speaking audience. Which means the only for you to enjoy some of these fantastic stories to get the original Light Novel straight from Japan.

• Level up from Japanese skills - If you are getting pretty comfortable reading manga in Japanese and are looking for a new challenge, but the thought of trying to read a full Japanese novel feels you with dread - Then Light Novels are what you need. Light Novels can act as a great middle-ground for those of us who are trying to make the transition from Japan to Japanese literature.

• Unlimited Options - There are so many Light Novels from you to choose from that you WILL get lost in the endless options you have - which is a great thing! You may start out reading familiar series from popular anime, but as you start to branch out more, you will find hidden gems from genres that you didn't even know existed.

While most Japanese Light Novel stores don't offer international shipping, with ZenMarket, you will be able to shop and ship all of your favorite Light Novel right to your doorstep!

Read on to find out how to buy Light Novel from Japan with our easy to follow step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Translate the Light Novel's Title

When searching for a particular Light Novel series on a Japanese website, it is best to search for the Light Novel using its Japanese title - it may come as no surprise to you, but Japanese sellers will normally list Light Novels under their Japanese names/titles.

Use Wikipedia to translate and find out the Japanese name of the Light Novel you are searching for. Japanese Light Novels can have some pretty... odd names, and when you try to translate them directly into English. Best to avoid using something like Google Translate for this and just go straight to Wikipedia. 

Simply search the title of the Light Novel followed by "Wiki" using google and click on its Wikipedia page. The original Japanese title will normally be in the first paragraph - just highlight and copy the Japanese title and you will be all set!

Step 2: Search for your Favorite Manga

Now that you have the Japanese name of the Light Novel you are looking for, it's easy. Just paste the text into the search bar followed by this Kanji "巻" and hit enter - it roughly translates to "volume", so Light Novel volumes should appear in the search results, helpful if you're not interested in other merchandise ("盾の勇者の成り上がり 巻" or "盾の勇者の成り上がり 3巻"). 　

If you are looking for second-hand volumes of Light Novels make sure that you have "Yahoo auctions" or "ZenPlus" selected for the best price.

You can normally pick up brand new copies of Light Novel volumes by selecting "Amazon" or "Rakuten", just be warned you may be paying more then you need to with brand new copies as second-hand copies are normally in fantastic condition. 

Don’t forget that if you are unable to find an item, you can always reach out to us for help By clicking “Can’t Find” on our website, our customer support team can help you out. 

Step 3: Browse through dozens of options

You will often find the Light Novels you are looking for being sold in a wide array of options. From volumes being sold individually or in complete sets, you can buy in whichever way is best for you.

To get the best value for your money, we recommend buying Light Novels in complete sets. You will save money on shipping and processing fees in the long run instead of buying a single manga volume at a time.

Remember, you can always use the options listed to the left and top of the search results to help you find and narrow down your search.

Step 4: Check the item details

On the product page, you can find out more information about the Light Novel you want to purchase. You will be able to see the price, more photos from different angles, and more.

If you are pre-ordering an item, please note that it will only be shipped out to us on the delivery date stated, after which you will be able to create a parcel for international shipping once it arrives at our warehouse. 

There will also be a lot more information about the item under “Product Details”, which you can normally find by scrolling down the page.  

Step 5: Order with ZenMarket!

Once you are satisfied and ready to order, add the Light Novel to your ZenMarket cart.

Our operators will then check the price and availability of your item and you will receive a notification once it is ready to be paid for.

 For a full tutorial on how to buy from ZenMarket, check out our guide here. 

Bonus Step: Find New Light Novels!

If you are ready to dive into the unknown and find new Light Novel series that are currently popular in Japan, we have a few resources for you.  

Bookwalker.jp

Bookwalker's Japanese website has an updated list of some of the most popular Light Novels being currently released in Japan. Although Bookwalker only sells digital products, you can always right-click and copy the Japanese title of any Light Novel that catches your interest and follow the steps above. 

Click here to see Bookwalker's popular new releases.

Amazon.jp

As Amazon is one of the most popular e-commerce sites in the world, they also keep track of what is hot right now in Japan when it comes to Light Novels. If you happen to find something you are interested in reading on Amazon you can follow the steps we listed out above or just copy and paste the URL of the item page directly into the ZenMarket search - you will be taken directly to ZenMarket's English listing for the same item.  

Light Novels is a great form of entertainment and a fantastic way to level up your Japanese in a fun and effective way. If you are unable to make your way over to Japan to buy Light Novels yourself, then ZenMarket is here to help! 

You can click the image below to check out our full in-depth guide on how to shop using ZenMarket, which will teach you everything you need to know about how to buy anything you want, not just Light Novels, directly from Japan and have it shipped to your front door anywhere in the world.  

We have shipped thousands of copies of Japanese manga to people all around the world directly from Japan since 2014. 

However, many of our customers are still confused by the different types of Manga available to them. 

Below we breakdown everything you need to know about the genre of Seinen and why it might become your favorite kind of manga to read. 

What is Seinen? 

In Japanese, the word Seinen means "youth". One of the most popular types of manga, Seinen Manga (青年漫画) is a genre of manga that is targeted towards an 18 - 40-year-old male audience. Seinen is often more realistic and focuses on more mature subject matter such as politics, society, psychology, violence, sex, philosophy, and conflict.

Seinen Anime

Seine Anime like its Manga counterpart, will often be more graphic and grounded in its approach to visuals and storytelling to audiences. It is common for Seinen anime to depict mature scenes such as sex, death, and violence in more detail than anime aimed at younger audiences. 

However, it is not uncommon for Seinen anime when being adapted from its original source material, often a Seinen manga, to dilute scenes of an extreme sexual or violent nature when being adapted. This is often due to TV broadcasting restrictions placed upon the anime that can vary depending on a wide array of factors.  

A recent example of this would the Seinen Manga Tokyo Ghoul. 

Although the themes and ideas explored throughout this series remain the same between the manga and the anime, the anime adaption noticeably reduces the details of violent and darker scenes throughout the show. 

Anime can be a great place to get started with the Seinen genre, but if you are looking to enjoy Seinen in its entirety, we recommend getting your hands on some manga. 

3 Ways To Spot Seinen Series.

1. Publishing Company

When of the easiest ways to know whether you are about to read or watch a Seinen is to find out where it was originally published.  

In Japan, Seinen series are normally published independently of other types of manga and are normally serialized by outlets that specialize in Seinen series. 

This means if you find a series that is published by a magazine such as Weekly Young Magazine, Weekly Young Jump, or Big Comic Original, there is a very high chance the series is Seinen. See below for a list of some of the most popular publishers of Seinen series. 

Popular Seinen Publishers

• Weekly Young Magazine
• Weekly Young Jump
• Big Comic Original
• Weekly Manga Goraku
• Big Comic
• Comic Kairakuten
• Weekly Morning
• Big Comic Spirits
• Comic Shitsurakuten
• Young Champion
• Comic Ran
• Big Comic Superior
• Manga Action
• Young King

2. Style

The art styles that you will find in Seinen series vary greatly when compared to genres like Shounen.

Seinen will often experiment with the standard art style commonly present in shounen series to better convey the more mature themes that are trying to be portrayed through its narrative. 

Occasionally a series will transition from being a shounen into a Seinen. Typically when this happens, there will be a shift in art style within the series to help add weight to the heavier themes now being presented in the narrative. 

A great example of this is the series Vinland Saga, that went from being a shounen to a Seinen. 

3. Furigana

For those of you who choose to read manga in Japanese, the appearance of furigana displaying over kanji is a dead giveaway that you are probably not reading Seinen. 

Showing the furigana for a kanji is something that Japan does to make content easier for younger readers to be able to understand what has been written. 

You may occasionally see a Seinen manga use furigana to explain the readings of character names, made-up words, or rare words that even the average Japanese person isn't expected to know without looking it up.

Only in rare cases will a Seinen manga use furigana, as the expectation is that the audience has fully completed their high school education and is old enough that they should be able to read the kanji used in the series.

(FYI, Japanese people aren't expected to be able to read all the commonly used kanji until they graduate high school).  

Best Seinen Series to Get Started

It can often be pretty daunting diving into anything new, especially Seinen where the depth and variety of options for you to choose from can seem overwhelming at times.

Don't worry though, below we have listed some great series to help you get started with Seinen. These series will help you find your feet and know what to expect from the mature world of Seinen. 

Berserk

The award-winning series Berserk is a great all-rounder for those wanting to get a little taste of everything Seinen has to offer readers. A revenge story set in a fantasy world, this series is a roller coaster of emotions. 

Unfortunately, the anime adaptations of the series have not been well received, so we would advise you to just go and read the manga for the best experience. 

Ghost in the Shell 

A classic series that acted as one of the inspirations for the wildly successful and popular Matrix film series. The narrative explores a world where advanced scientific technology is everywhere and how human society is altered because of it. 

We recommend checking out the original anime series in either the original Japanese or with English voiceover - both are fantastic! 

Hellsing

If you are fan of alternative historical timelines and vampires then Hellsing is a great place to start. A show that focuses on the idea of what it means to be human in a world where monsters lurk in the most unexpected of places. 

Tokyo Ghoul

Already mentioned in this article, Tokyo Ghoul is a great series for those of you who are already familiar with shounen. The story takes common elements present in typically shounen series and takes things a step further by laying heavier themes of tragedy and loss. 

The anime series beyond season 1 of Tokyo Ghoul is regrettably, pretty poorly adapted. For those of you looking to get a taste of this series, we would recommend watching the first season of anime and then switching over to the manga if you find yourself enjoying the series. 

Gantz

A thrilling Seinen, Sci-fi, Action series that takes readers on a glorious roller coaster ride of intense battles for survival.

There is both a manga and film adaption of the series which come with their own pros and cons. We recommend checking out the series in whatever medium suits you best and then go from there. 

There are so many amazing Seinen series out there that we couldn't possibly list them all here, but we hope the above is enough to get you started. 

Although shounen will always have a special place in our hearts, Seinen is arguably just the natural progression that anime and manga lovers drift towards as they get older. 

If you haven't yet dipped your toes into the world of Seinen, we highly recommend you give it a shot. 

Japan is home to the largest visual novel playerbase in the world. 

Walk into almost any used games store in Japan and you will often see shelves filled with visual novels spanning various genres and platforms. Furthermore, while many say the PS Vita is dead in North America, there are entire shelves dedicated solely to PS Vita visual novels in Japanese game stores. 

If you’re a gamer that likes reading, then this genre should be right up your alley. 

In this article, we’ll introduce five anime visual novel games that both beginners and veterans of the genre should enjoy.

All of these games were either based on an anime series or were popular enough to spawn an anime series and/or film. We chose these games because they are relatively fast-paced, and above all, have great stories with characters you can get attached to. 

Best Anime Visual Novel Games

1. Muv-Luv Alternative

Developed by âge, Mul-Luv Alternative is a sci-fi romance visual novel that serves as the sequel to the original Mul-Luv visual novel. 

The game follows Takeru Shirogane as he wakes up in an alternate timeline where Earth is under attack by an unknown alien species known as the Beta. Luckily for Takeru, he has lived through this timeline before and knows what led to humanity’s defeat the first time around. 

To save this world, Takeru must educate the United Nations on the mistakes they made that led to humanity’s decimation and uncover the mysteries of his time-traveling abilities. 

The main character, Takeru, is voiced by veteran actor Soichiro Hoshi. 

Hoshi is known for key roles such as Keichi Maebara in Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (When the Cicadas Cry) and Kira Yamato in the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed series. Moreover, the entire voice cast does a spectacular job, with almost every line of dialogue acted out in Japanese. 

As with most visual novels, players spend most of the game simply reading text, enjoying the story with beautiful visuals and animations that help bring it to life. 

However, in Muv-Luv Alternative, players have the ability to greatly affect the storyline. 

This is done through decisions given to the player at key points in the story. While some multiple-choice games give you arbitrary choices that don’t have many consequences, the choices you make in Muv-Luv Alternative can mean life or death for soldiers on the battlefield. 

Available in English on: PS Vita (digital + physical), Windows PC (via Steam)

Anime Adaptation: Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse (24 episodes)

2. Toradora! Portable

Warning: contains spoilers of original anime series

When speaking of visual novel games based on popular anime series, it doesn’t get much better than Toradora! Portable. 

The game is a spin-off of the original Toradora! anime. 

In the game, you play as high school student Ryuji Takasu and the story picks up after key events that took place on Christmas eve. Ryuji wakes up in a hospital bed having suffered an accident. Unfortunately, he has amnesia and doesn’t remember anything about his past. 

The hearts of anime fans were captured by the romance between Ryuji and Taiga in the original anime. However, for better or for worse, in Toradora! Portable this time the choices are up to you. 

The choices you make in the game can lead you down the path to make sure Ryuji ends up with Taiga again, or you can go a completely different route and see what other romance options Ryuji has on the table.

If you haven’t watched Toradora!, this is one of the few times where I have to recommend you watch the anime before playing the game. Otherwise, you won’t get a lot of the references that the characters make and the story may be confusing or inconsequential to you. 

Gameplay revolves mostly around approaching characters to further the story, finding hidden items throughout the town, and making the right (or wrong) dialogue choices to trigger key events that pull you towards one of the many endings available. 

One thing I particularly loved about the game is the comedic dialogue, a lot of which is completely voiced in Japanese. 

Since Toradora! Portable is set in high school with a pretty simple story, the game can serve as a fun way to learn new Japanese vocabulary and practice your listening skills.

Please note that the game never received an official English release. 

This game is available physically on the PSP in Japanese. However, an English patch is available online, so you may need to follow some online tutorials to get the English patch of the game working on your device. 

Available in Japanese on: PSP (physical)

Based on the Anime: Toradora! (25 Episodes)

3. Steins;Gate

Also listed in our article about the best games to help you learn Japanese, Steins;Gate is one of the deepest visual novels I’ve ever played. The game features a beautiful art style and great character design that helps bring the words of the story alive.

Without a doubt, the personality of the game lies in its thrilling sci-fi time travel story and humorous dialogue, centered around a conspiracy about the SERN organization based on the real-life CERN. 

In Steins;Gate you play as a mad scientist / nutcase known as Rintaro Okabe. Seemingly by accident, Okabe and his ragtag team of “scientists'' develop a time machine using a mobile phone and a regular microwave oven. 

Steins;Gate has multiple endings and the developers chose an interesting way to allow players to reach those endings. 

Instead of simple dialogue choices, you affect the events of the game based on how you read text messages on Okabe’s mobile phone, the messages you send, and how you respond to incoming text messages. 

Furthermore, the game has a great soundtrack, sound effects, and voice acting. 

Nearly every line of dialogue is displayed on the screen along with accompanying voice-over audio performed by a great cast. 

The success of the visual novel sparked an anime adaptation of the same name released in 2011. 

Available in English on: PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC 

Anime Adaptation: Steins;Gate(24 Episodes + OVA)

4. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

If you’re looking for a fast-paced anime visual novel game with active gameplay elements, look no further than Danganronpa. 

Developed by Spike Chunsoft (Virtue’s Last Reward, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon),Danganronpa is an incredibly well-polished murder mystery visual novel. 

The game follows Makoto Naegi, a boy who was selected out of a lottery of students to attend Hope’s Peak Academy, a high school reserved for the world’s geniuses, celebrities, and prodigies. 

Each student has a special talent for which they were accepted into the school, be it the ultimate baseball player, ultimate pop star, ultimate detective, or in Makoto’s case, the ultimate lucky student. 

However, on his first day, Makoto realizes he is the exact opposite of lucky. Makoto is kidnapped along with a group of Hope’s Peak students and forced into a death game where the only way to win is: kill someone and get away with it.

In essence, that one rule defines the gameplay of Danganronpa.

When a murder occurs, the students have a set amount of time to investigate the crime scene and figure out who the murderer is. If the students deduce correctly, the murderer is executed and everyone lives to see another day. If the students get it wrong, everyone dies and the murderer walks free, thus winning the game. 

For those of you that wanted to feel like Sherlock Holmes for a day, this game will push your deductive reasoning skills to the limit.

Thanks to its wacky dialogue, crazy characters, and wild atmosphere, Danganronpa has amassed a cult following, spawning an anime adaptation, 2 sequel games, and one spin-off. 

Available in English on: PS Vita, PS4, Windows PC, Mac, Android, and iOS

Anime Adaptation: Danganronpa: The Animation (13 Episodes)

5. Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet

Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet is a true work of art that shows the power of the visual novel medium.

This anime visual novel game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where survivors, known as Junkers, scavenge the remains of human civilization in search of food, water, and reusable parts.

The game’s protagonist, an unnamed Junker, wanders into an abandoned planetarium where he finds a functioning humanoid robot named Hoshino Yumemi. The visual novel’s success spawned a short anime of the same name, and a full-length anime film titled Planetarian: Storyteller of the Stars.

With many visual novels, people lose interest early on, due to slow beginnings and hours of unnecessary or inconsequential lines. 

The key to a good visual novel is to make every line worth reading, either for its significance to the plot or simply the beauty of the writing.

In Planetarian, the writing is so beautiful that the music, the images, the voice acting, and all other elements become secondary. You can lose yourself in the story thanks to the flow of the words alone.

“I had heard stories of what the starry sky had looked like before the advent of the War and the Rain. But I could never in my wildest dreams have conjured up the spectacle that was presenting itself before my very eyes...I felt that surely if I were to continue looking up at those stars, my own spirit would be sucked into that immaterial sky.” 

- From Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet

Since nearly all anime visual novel games are translated from Japanese to English, often a lot of the quality of writing is lost in translation. Furthermore, many visual novels suffer from stunted dialogue scenes or gameplay elements that breakup the flow of the story. 

Luckily, that is not the case with this game. 

Planetarian is a novel first and a video game second, meaning that it reads like a novel does, complete with a narration of the protagonist’s inner thoughts, the things happening around him, and spoken dialogue brought to life with masterful voice acting. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever come across in a visual novel (listen to a sample in the video below).

Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet is the one visual novel on this list that everyone, gamers, and non-gamers alike, should try. 

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of video games, as long as you’re a fan of fiction, this game will capture your heart and never let it go. 

Available in English on: Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Mac, Android, and iOS

Anime Adaptations: Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet (5 episodes) and Planetarian: Storyteller of the stars (feature-length film)

Hopefully one of these titles will be your gateway into the wonderful and deep world of visual novels. The library is vast and spans multiple gaming consoles, as well as PC. 

If these five anime visual novels don’t sound like your cup of tea, I urge you to keep on looking for one with a story that is closer to your interests - You won’t regret it. 

For more Japanese game recommendations check out: 

About SAL Shipping:

We see that EMS and Airmail shipping have already been restored for many countries.

However, for the past 3.5 months, this has not been the case for SAL or SAL Small.

Based on our experience, we consider JP Post is highly unlikely to resume SAL shipping anytime soon.

For this reason, starting from August 28 (Friday, 0:00 JST), SAL will not be available anymore in the selection screen when creating your parcels, until officially resumed by the Japanese postal services.

Thus, if you are still waiting for SAL to be restored, we'd like to ask you to consider an alternative shipping method available for your destination.

SAL Parcels that are already packed and paid for ("waiting for shipping") will not be automatically changed to other services. You will need to log into your account and choose an alternate shipping method.

Please see our shipping calculator to check your available options.

We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you very much for understanding.

We have great news for you all!

We recently added 7 new payment methods, Cryptocurrencies, and Transferwise as new ways to add funds to your account.

We are now adding even more flexible payment options!

We have adopted dLocal Payments and have welcomed around 100 new payment methods to ZenMarket (depending on location).

Many new bank and cash payment options have been added, and you now have the option to choose your billing country in the Add funds panel.

We would like all of you to log into your account and update your billing country to see the new methods available, as shown in the following photo:

As you can see in the example above, by selecting your correct billing country you will unlock payments that may be exclusive to where you live. 

Please select your billing country to see all the new options available.

We hope this will be of great help and offer even more flexibility when shopping with us! 


Thank you for your trust and constant understanding.

Best regards,

ZenMarket Team 

Figuring out how to save on international shipping fees is everyone’s worst nightmare when it comes to buying products from Japan.

While buying from Japan can be very affordable, especially when buying preloved goods from places like Yahoo Auctions, not knowing how to navigate international shipping can lead us to spend more than we want to!

While every country is different with regards to the shipping services able and some of these helpful tips may not be available to a few of you, many of you should be able to benefit from the information packed into this article. 

In today’s article, we will be sharing 6 useful tips to save on international shipping from Japan.

This article is especially helpful for those who:

• Want to purchase from Japan’s online e-commerce sites—such as Rakuten or Amazon JP—but are turned off by high international shipping fees
• Don’t understand Japanese and have a hard time researching the variety of international shipping options from Japan 
• Regularly buy from Japan and Japanese online shops but want to further lower the costs of shipping from Japan
• Just want to mail packages from Japan to their home country 

How much is international shipping from Japan?

Now, before we dive into howto save on shipping, we must understand what affects international shipping fees from Japan. Here are the 4 main factors that could determine how high or low your shipping fees are when you buy online:

1. Size of the parcel (the total volume of your parcel, e.g. height x width x length).
2. Weight of parcel (how heavy your items are).
3. Value of the parcel (how much your item costs. This is especially important for customs duty and tax payments).
4. Shipping method (which courier or postal service you select).

This is a great list to keep in mind when you are looking to ship items internationally. You can try to think about if there is any way for you to lower shipping fees when keeping these factors in mind.

Without further ado, let's get into the top 6 tricks to save on shipping from Japan!

1. Choose The Right Shipping Service

 There are two channels you can use to ship your goods out of Japan: 

1. Postal Service (such as EMS, Airmail, SAL, Surface)
2. Courier (such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, SF Express)

What does that even mean? Put simply, postal service refers to the public shipping service, and a courier is operated by a privately owned business. In the case of Japan, is one necessarily better than another?

No, not necessarily. It depends on what your priorities are.

Another important factor to keep in mind is, what are you allowed to ship?

Private courier services undergo stricter customs checks and this has all kinds of implications. More often than not, if you are buying food, skincare items, clothing, and drinks to import, some kind of documentation will need to be provided.

If you do not provide the proper documentation, your items may be refused when you attempt to ship or import them to your home country.

Due to this ZenMarket will not ship some of the above-mentioned items with selected private courier services as we want to protect our customers from getting any nasty surprises at customs. 

Postal services do not allow shipping speakers, but they do allow you to ship alcohol that is 24% or under. (Alcohol above 24% can be shipped with DHL).

However, it is important to understand that for different sizes and weights, the cheapest shipping service provider will vary. It is not always the case that one shipping service provider will always be cheaper than another.

Here’s a useful calculator that will point you to the right shipping. The prices shown by our calculator are estimates and are typically lower than the standard prices as ZenMarket is able to get discounts with certain shipping partners.

Shipping Calculator

Please note, the calculator can only produce an estimate of your shipping costs. If you enter only the weight and size of your items, the additional weight and size of the packaging will not be calculated in the estimate.

The exact international shipping price that you will have to pay can only be provided once we pack and weigh your parcel.

2. Rearrange Your Packages

The size and weight of your items determine how much your shipping costs will end up being. Since that is the case, if the item you purchased has a huge discrepancy between its size and weight, there is definitely a way to save on shipping fees. 

Courier services when calculating your shipping fee will take into account your parcel's weight, size, and volume weight.

This means if you are trying to buy something like a Large anime plushie, even though the item is light, the courier service will still charge you more than you expect due to the size and space the parcel occupies. 

In contrast, postal services like JP Post will calculate the shipping fee of your parcel based on weight alone!

This means if you are shipping large, but light items, you can end up saving a lot of money shipping with Japan's postal service, although the delivery time may be slightly slower. 

In cases where you are trying to send a lot of items that would place your parcel over SAL or Airmail's 2kg weight limit, you may want to consider splitting your items between several different parcels instead of trying to send one large parcel.

(Unlike similar services, ZenMarket can split your orders into several parcels on request, but note that a single listing/item with a unique code may not be divided into multiple parcels)

This would mean that your items may take longer to arrive, but if you don't mind the longer wait, you could end up saving a decent amount of cash! 

This can be a good habit to develop as heavy packages are generally more expensive and more likely to be checked at your home country for customs (see the section below).

3. Check Tariffs And Custom Duties In Your Country

Prior to shipping purchases from Japan, you should check if your country imposes a tax on imports from Japan. 

If it does, check the value threshold for your tariff. Australia, for instance, collects 10% GST for all packages sent to Australia with a total value of 1,000 AUD or less.

If such is the case, it might be useful to put multiple items within one package and ship them together, rather than separating them into individual packages. 

Other countries impose taxes when the value of imported goods exceeds a certain price. In those cases, it is wiser to break items into smaller packages and ship them.

Customs duties and taxes are at the expense of the customer, so please check beforehand the rule on the delivery country. You can read more about customs duties and taxes here.

FAQ: Customs Fees and Duties

4. Consolidate Your Products

If import tax is not applied in your country or has certain tax free allowances, then you should try to consolidate your separate items into a single package.

However, when shipping to a country that has set tax fees for types of items, it is better to focus on saving money on shipping, not customs fees - Since you would be paying the same amount in taxes regardless of how many parcels you send your items in. 

(Note: ZenMarket’s service fee includes consolidation of items and repacking orders into one parcel for you)

5. Check Package Dimensions 

If you are not using a shopping service like ZenMarket and instead use a standard shipping forwarder, where you may be unsure of how well your items are arranged into packages, make sure the items you are shopping for will fit within the package dimension of your preferred shipping service. 

If you don’t have package dimensions in the back of your mind while shopping, you might find that your packages are arranged in a nonsensical way that results in unnecessary large shipping charges. 

Thankfully at ZenMarket, we will often arrange boxes to make sure they fit your items perfectly.

Not only does this make sure items do not move about during shipping, keeping them safe, but it also means you will pay less when using private couriers since your parcel will be no bigger than is needed. 

6. Buy Items With No Domestic Shipping Fees

Sites like Rakuten often offer “no shipping fees” promotions and options if the total cost of your items exceeds a certain amount. As such, it is wiser to buy your items on a single e-commerce site rather than across multiple platforms to save on domestic shipping fees whenever possible.

Conclusion

International shipping fees from Japan can be hard to grasp at first. But if you only take one thing away from this article: use the package calculator to determine the best shipping service provider before you post your purchases. Otherwise, keep the 4 major factors that affect international shipping fees, that we mentioned at the start of this article, in mind when making your next purchase from Japan.

Shipping Calculator

Happy shopping!

For those looking for more mature anime, this list will highlight some of the best dark anime titles that span a variety of genres.

This article will include both older and newer titles, with a focus on anime with deep plots and/or plot twists.

Of course, there are so many dark anime out there and we couldn’t include all of them in this list.

However, check out our honorable mentions section at the end.

Warning: It should go without saying that all of these anime are for mature audiences only. The titles on this list may contain scenes depicting sex, abuse, violence, and gore, that some viewers may find disturbing. If you are sensitive to certain content, please do further research before watching any of these anime.

Surprisingly Dark Anime List

1. Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer is one of the most controversial fantasy anime to come out in the past decade.

It is set in a world filled with adventure, magic, demon lords, elves, dwarves, and of course, goblins.

The anime follows an unnamed silver-ranked adventurer known only as “Goblin Slayer”, who got his name because, despite his high rank, he only accepts quests to kill goblins. 

As a child, Goblin Slayer watched as his entire family and village were slaughtered by a swarm of goblins right before his very eyes.

Since then, he has dedicated his life to hunting down all the goblins in the world.

That plot may seem straightforward and even slightly cliche.
However, the darkness of the Goblin Slayer anime comes from its exploration of good versus evil.

There is a striking scene where Goblin Slayer explains that from the goblin’s point of view, he is the monster.

He even says that it is possible that there are good goblins in the world that never come out of their caves.
He then finds a nest of goblin babies and slaughters them all.

Much of the darkness of the anime comes from its explicit scenes depicting nudity and even rape (at the hands of goblins), as well as gory depictions of violence in its action scenes. 

In fact, it is one of the only anime I’ve ever seen that included a warning in the opening credits stating “This show contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing.”

For those who are looking for a dark fantasy anime, Goblin Slayer is the anime for you.

2. Monster

By legendary manga writer Naoki Urasawa (20th Century Boys, Pluto),Monster is a gripping mystery anime based on the manga of the same name.

It is also considered one of Urasawa’s best works.

Monster is about a Japanese man named Kenzo Tenma who is the best surgeon in one of the most renowned hospitals in Germany.

Tenma is also engaged to the hospital director’s daughter, giving him significant pull in the hospital and putting him in position for a great promotion.

Everything seems to be going well for him, until one tragic night when a child is brought into Tenma’s operating room.

With serious gunshot wounds, Tenma decides to operate immediately. However, at the same time, the town’s mayor is also brought in for urgent care.

For political reasons, the hospital director orders Tenma to attend to the mayor and leave the child in the hands of less-capable surgeons.

Unable to silence his conscience, Tenma refuses and begins operating on the child. The mayor then dies in surgery.

Unfortunately for Tenma, not only does he lose his job, but he also learns that the boy he saved has a dark past, and perhaps saving him was the worst mistake of Tenma’s life.

For those that like murder mystery stories and government conspiracies, Monster will be right up your alley.

3. Beastars

While this anime may look like fanservice for furries, Beastars is actually a deep anime with a dark story and serious themes.

Developed by Orange and licensed by Netflix, the anime is set in a world where anthropomorphized carnivore and herbivore animals live together in an amalgamated society.

While it appears that predator and prey live together in harmony, there are countless tensions rising below the surface.

Beastars follows a young wolf named Legoshi who is a male high school student at Cherryton Academy. The anime opens with an alpaca student being killed and eaten on school grounds by one of his carnivore classmates. 

As a large powerful wolf, Legoshi tries his best to hide his fangs and blend into the background. All that starts to change when he falls in love with Haru, a dwarf rabbit.

Throughout the anime, Legoshi goes through the tumultuous times of male adolescence, meanwhile trying to suppress his carnal nature.

In Beastars, the anthropomorphization of animals is taken to the extreme.

With scenes including partial nudity and sexual intercourse, it is definitely an anime for a more mature audience.

Hearing animals speak about intercourse with other species can be jarring, to say the least, and some scenes depicting the illegal consumption of herbivores are hauntingly dark.

All in all, Beastars was a surprisingly deep anime presenting issues that reflect the racism and discrimination present in many human societies today.

4. School Days

Originating as a visual novel, the School Days anime was developed by TNK studio and licensed by Discotek Media.

While School Days is mentioned on numerous anime lists, it is one of the darkest anime I’ve ever seen and thus I had to include it here.

Throughout most of the anime, School Days presents itself as a light-hearted typical high school romance anime, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The anime follows Makoto Ito, a first-year high school student who has a crush on his classmate, Katsura.

At first, Makoto’s female friend Saionji helps bring the couple together and tries her best to cheer Makoto on in his pursuit of Katsura. Before long, however, Saionji develops feelings for Makoto and the infamous love triangle appears.

The darkness of this anime lies in the crazy twist ending that many could not predict.

If you start watching School Days and think it is just another run-of-the-mill romance anime, just trust me, and keep on watching.

You will be glad (or disgusted) that you did.

5. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (When the Cicadas Cry)

While this is a title most dark anime lovers must have heard of by now, it would be downright criminal to exclude it from this list.

Also known as Higurashi: When they Cry, this anime is iconic in horror anime circles and often shows up in best horror anime lists. 

Based on the critically acclaimed anime visual novel game of the same name, Higurashi is about a group of middle school students in a small rural Japanese town called Hinamizawa.

In fact, the town is so small that there is only one school and one class in the entire town.

When the protagonist Keichi moves to Hinamizawa, he is thrown into a class filled with children of various ages.
How the actual education works is anyone’s guess.

The anime starts out rather playfully, setting the scene for a relaxing slice-of-life story. Keichi gets to know his classmates, makes friends, and learns new things about the town.

However, soon Keichi learns of unexplained deaths and disappearances that happen in the town every year, like clockwork.

The story takes a darker turn, as Keichi starts to see the peaceful town of Hinamizawa in a new light.

The masterpiece that is Higurashi: When They Cry lies in its impressive use of contrast and juxtaposition.

On one hand you are introduced to these cute characters that all seem to have a happy-go-lucky attitude.

Then, those same cute little children are shown committing horrific and even gruesome acts. This stark contrast creates hauntingly scary and jarring scenes that will stay with you far longer than any jump scare ever will. 

Undoubtedly, Higurashi: When They Cry is one of the darkest anime I’ve ever seen.

Best Dark Anime: Honorable Mentions

We couldn’t write about every dark anime out there, so here are a few that we didn’t highlight.

Nevertheless, these too are definitely worth checking out. We’ll briefly introduce them below, without giving away any spoilers.

School-Live! - An anime about a group of high school girls who are part of the “school living club”. They not only attend the school, but live at the school together 24/7.

Like, Higurashi, the power of this anime lies in the power of juxtaposition. Why is this club so small and why do these girls never go home? The answer to these questions will come as a dark surprise.

The Promised Neverland - I so badly wanted to include this anime in the list above, but decided to focus on lesser-known titles.

The Promised Neverland is one of the most famous anime of recent years and also one of the best. It is about a group of genius orphans who realize there is more to their orphanage than meets the eye.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - A remake of the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, many consider Brotherhood to be the better and more definitive version of the story.

It is more mature than the original, depicting horrific scenes of The Occult. While this is more of an action anime, things get dark as we dive into the forbidden world of alchemy.

Elfen Lied - A classic sci-fi anime that everyone (with a strong stomach) should check out.

Elfen Lied is one of the most violent and gory anime I’ve ever seen. It also has a strong story about an elevated species of humans with supernatural abilities. 

Once again, we know we couldn’t include all of the dark anime out there on this list.

If we missed your favorite anime, don’t hesitate to reach out on social media and we may include it in an update of this article down the road!

Japanese anime, manga, and even video games, are often placed into the shounen and shoujo categories, based on their target demographics.

While there are other types of these categories, including Seinen and Josei, this article will focus on shounen and shoujo and some of the key differences between them.

What is shounen?

shonen or shounen (少年) literally means “young boy” in Japanese.

Likewise, as a genre, shounen manga, anime, and video games are geared towards school-aged males in Japan. This target audience is anywhere from boys in elementary school to males in their late teens.

However, shounen as a genre is enjoyed by people of all ages.

There are also various sub-genres, such as shounen action, shounen romance, shounen sports, and more.
 

What is Shoujo?

shojo or shoujo (少女) literally means “young girl”.

Therefore, as a genre, shoujo manga and anime are generally targeted at girls in elementary school up to high school. However, just like with shounen, shoujo titles are often enjoyed by people of all ages.

In fact, despite being a 27-year-old male, the shoujo romance manga Orange quickly became one of my favorites.

Just like with shounen, there are various sub-genres, such as shoujo action, shoujo romance, shoujo fantasy, and more.

Shounen vs Shoujo: 3 Key Differences

There are so many small differences between shounen and shoujo titles, that listing them all would make this article far too long.

However, aside from the different demographics of target audiences, below are 3 key differences between the two genres that you need to know.

These key points will help you more easily identify and distinguish between shoujo and shounen titles.

1. Gender of the Protagonist

Kosei from Your Lie in April

Typically, when trying to identify between the genres, the most obvious clue is to simply look at the protagonist of the story.

If they are male, then it is likely that the anime, manga, or video game is targeted at a male audience and would fall under shounen.

Likewise, a female protagonist is a good sign that it is likely a work targeted at a female audience.

There are also many character tropes in shounen and shoujo that can serve as key indicators as to what the genre of work is. 

For example, in a shounen romance anime (Ichigo 100%, Your Lie in April), the protagonist is normally a shy, quiet, male who “just wants to live a peaceful life and not get noticed by anyone.”

In a shoujo romance anime, the protagonist is often a shy, quiet, girl whose love interest is a more outspoken and outgoing guy (My Little Monster).

Alternatively, you often see outgoing and outspoken female leads in shoujo titles that are more tsundere types, such as Misaki in Maid Sama!.

2. Fan Service

One thing that the shounen genre is typically criticized for (or praised for depending on who you ask) is fan service.

Basically, Fan Service is a nice way of saying bikini shots and other sexual content added into an anime, manga, or video game, simply for the sake of pleasing the fans. 

Normally these scenes don’t add anything to the story as a whole.

This has been a point of international criticism by many countries, due to shounen romance animes often having a high school setting. Leading to fan service that often sexualizes underage girls.

Because of this, many titles have been censored when being localized in the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries.

Swimming Pool Scene in Toradora!

Therefore, if you ever see prolonged bikini shots or female characters whose clothes accidentally get ripped for no apparent reason, chances are, it's a shounen title. 

On the other hand, fan service means content created just to please fans. So while it generally refers to sexual content, there are other kinds of fan service.

In mecha anime, like the Gundam series, fan service could refer to wide shots of the Gundam mechas or epic Gundam battle scenes in space. 

3. Character Design

Another easy indicator to tell the difference between shoujo and shounen works is the character design.

Put simply, in shounen titles, male characters are more muscular, and female characters are more “well-endowed”, often to a ridiculous extent.

Oppositely, in shoujo titles, female characters are often designed more realistically and with more reserved clothing.
You will find male characters are often slim and well-shaven.

Take, for example, the manga book covers of Ichigo 100% and Orange.

Ichigo 100% (left) and Orange (right) 

I’m sure you can tell, without too much effort, which manga is catered more towards the shounen readership and which targets the shoujo readership.

We hope that this article has helped you better understand the shounen and shoujo categories.

These key indicators should help you differentiate between the two types going forward, and help you better traverse libraries when looking for new titles to watch, new manga to read, or even new games to play.  

If you’re looking for more reading, check out these related articles:

Shounen romance is one of my favorite anime genres of all time.

While some plot arcs are repetitive in many titles, the same can be said for many genres in the industry. The fact is, anime studios have been around long enough to know what works and what audiences are attracted to. As a result, there are many tropes that have been used and reused in many of the most beloved romance anime out there.

In this article, I will go over 5 of the most common tropes seen in shounen romance anime, with examples from popular titles.

5 Common Tropes In Shounen Romance Anime

1. The Quiet Loner

Nothing is more representative of teen angst than the quiet loner male protagonist, who “just wants to live out their days peacefully, without getting noticed by anyone.” You can see this in Tomoya from Clannad, Ryuji from Toradora!, and Kousei from Your Lie in April.

Tomoya Okazaki from Clannad

While this trope is overused, it is done so for good reason.

A lot of the people watching shounen romance anime are quiet, reserved, introverted, males, or at least, they view themselves that way. With any anime or any good narrative, you need your audience to empathize with the protagonist.

If your audience is made up of awkward teenage boys with no experience in love, then it is likely no coincidence that your main character is an awkward teenage boy. Doing so gives viewers the idea that “if this loser can find a girlfriend, maybe I can too!”

But that doesn’t mean watching shounen romance anime makes you a loser.

I mean...I’m not a loser...

At least, that’s what my mother tells me...

2. Serendipitous Clumsiness

I know it’s called “falling” in love, but do main characters have to be so clumsy?

If you’ve watched a lot of shounen anime, you probably already know what I mean.

In romance anime especially, there is almost always a scene where a female character trips over her own shoes or just oxygen... and falls onto the male protagonist. Then, all of a sudden, he too falls down as if it were a choreographed dance. 

When the two recover from their fall, they realize they are lying in each other’s arms, or the male’s hands coincidentally shot up to brace her fall and ended up on her breasts.

Alternatively, sometimes the female character falls down and her skirt flips up, giving everyone a clear view of her underwear.

This happens so often in anime that there is even a Japanese word for it: Panchira (panty shot). 

We all know that this is just for fanservice and it’s played out so often, that I wonder if it even works anymore.

3. Spontaneous Nosebleeds

Have you ever wondered why during certain scenes an anime character’s nose will randomly start bleeding?

This trope is used to signal that a character is viewing something arousing.

Not sure what I'm referring to?

Here is a montage of nosebleeds from Dragon Ball:

...I think you get the point. 

This trope comes from the idea that your face gets hot when aroused and blood rushes to your head (which isn’t really true).

So, when male characters get too aroused, you may see them have an exaggerated, explosive nosebleed (the likes of which would call for a visit to the hospital in real life).

Especially for non-Japanese audiences, this trope may seem a little weird and often unnecessary, but it has been around for so long in anime that writers still use it even to this day.

4. Harems

The term “harem” is used to refer to romance anime in which the main character has multiple love interests, all of whom have feelings for the main character.

As mentioned previously, shounen romance anime caters to their audience.

Surely, it’s every man’s dream to have a swarm of beautiful girls pining for his attention. The same can be said for girls and this harem trope can be seen in shoujo anime as well.

Love Hina

Some prime examples of harem romance anime are Love Hina and Ichigo 100% (Strawberry 100%).

In Ichigo 100% an unremarkable high school student named Manaka begins dating the most popular girl in the school. Shortly after, more and more beautiful girls seem to appear out of nowhere and confess their feelings for him. 

It should be said that Ichigo 100% is a cliche example of a harem anime, but some romance anime actually manage to make this trope work. Toradora!, for example, has a harem element but it is subtle and is used to skillfully create drama and build a solid story.  

5. The Terminal Girl

WARNING! SPOILERS: Any anime mentioned below feature a terminally ill character. However, most of these shows mention that the character is sick within their synopses, so it shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise.

Kaori from Your Lie in April

Terminal illness is a trope that is overused in romance stories in general, and shounen romance anime is no exception.

From Your Lie in April to I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, the “sick girl” trope is used very often. To be honest, I personally don’t have a huge problem with it, as long as it isn’t being exploited for the sake of tears. Your Lie in April used this trope wonderfully, unexpectedly, and doesn't milk it to create emotion.

On the other hand, I was disappointed with I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. With such a great title, I was expecting something unique.

However, the film featured both The Quiet Lonertrope and The Terminal Girltrope in the main characters. There were some interesting thought explorations within the main characters, but other than that, the film felt shallow. 

If used poorly, terminal characters are the equivalent of "jump scares" in the horror genre.

No one can help but be surprised when something jumps out at the screen and loud music plays. Similarly, no one can help but feel “oh that’s sad” whenever there is a terminal character.

However, if crafted well, terminal characters can be used to create beautiful stories. 

Did you already know about all of these shounen romance anime tropes?

Did we miss some important ones? Let us know on Twitter! 

Looking for more anime articles? Check out:

If you are a fan of Japanese anime, manga, or light novels, you may have noticed the words Doujinshi or Doujin popping up more recently on social media, and online in general. 

if you didn't know, Doujins are fan made or amateur self-published material based around an existing series with a cast of characters that you are already familiar with. 

Some doujinshis are manga created with completely original stories with their own original characters and are often self-published by aspiring artists hoping to garner attention or take their first steps towards working in their dream industry.

In the west, we might be tempted to refer to doujinshis as simply a type of fan fiction, the kind of goods that are often produced or written by fans of popular western novels, TV shows, or video games and can be enjoyed for free online. However, they are not quite the same thing - it may be more accurate to refer to doujinshi as "premium fanfiction".

In Japan, Doujinshi is often sold for money by aspiring artists to fans of their work. 

The idea of paying for fanfiction or unlicensed goods might initially sound strange to you or even illegal if you live outside of Japan, but with that price tag often comes higher quality art, storytelling, and sometimes the option to own a physical product that is truly unique!

Unsurprisingly it's pretty hard to get your hands on a piece of Doujinshi merch outside Japan, but in this article, we'll walk you through step by step on how to get them shipped to you anywhere in the world.

Why Buy Doujinshi from Japan?

Japan-Only! - Seriously, you will probably never be able to buy most Doujinshi goods in stores outside of Japan. We will go into more detail about this later in the article below, but just know, Doujinshi, especially those that borrow characters or settings from already existing series, can't really be produced and sold outside of Japan for legal reasons. So for now, Japan is your only option.

Support New Artists - Most Authors of Doujinshi are artists that are creating these pieces of work in whatever spare time they have - reportedly, less than 10% of Doujinshi authors make enough to do this as a full-time job. By buying copies of their work you really are supporting these creator's livelihoods and potentially helping them to launch a real career in the industry.

Discover the Next Superstar - it is not uncommon, at all, for a famous Japanese artist to start their careers by creating Doujinshi. Authors such as Kiyohiko Azuma (Azumanga Daioh and Yotsuba To!) and Chica Umino (Honey and Clover and March Comes Like a Lion) all started their careers by creating Doujinshi! By exploring the world of Doujinshi, you might be one of the first to discover the next big Japanese artist.

Options, Options, Options - From Dragonball to Doraemon, there are Doujinshi about anything and everything you can possibly wish for, whether that be an alternate retelling of your favorite manga or adult love stories between characters that never happen in the original source material - If you can imagine it, there is probably a Doujin about it.

While most Japanese Doujinshi stores don't offer international shipping, with ZenMarket, you will be able to shop and ship all of your favorite Doujinshi right to your doorstep!

Read on to find out how to buy Doujinshi from Japan with our easy to follow step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Translate the Doujinshi's Title

If you don't have a specific Doujinshi title in mind at the moment, feel free to skip this step. However, if you know exactly what you are after, translation is the first step. 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to many of you, but many Doujinshi do not have official English titles, so it is always best to search for what you are looking for in Japanese whenever possible. 

If you are looking for a Doujinshi that features characters from an already existing series, then you should look up the Japanese name of that series first. 

You can use google translate to do this, but it is much better to use Wikipedia instead. Simply search the English title of the manga you want, followed by "Wiki" on Google, and then click on its Wikipedia page. 

The original Japanese title will normally be in the first paragraph - just highlight and copy the title in Japanese and you will be all set!

Don't worry if you don't speak any Japanese? We have you covered in the next steps.

Step 2: Search for Doujinshi

Now that you have the Japanese name of the Doujinshi you are looking for, it's easy. Just paste the name into the search bar followed by this Kanji "同人誌" (Doujinshi) and hit enter.

("ドラゴンボール 同人誌"). 

You can sometimes pick up brand new Doujinshi goods directly on our website by selecting "Amazon", "Rakuten" or "ZenPlus" in the search bar. 

If you don't find what you are looking for or want more options to choose from, then the options below will be sure to help. 

Melonbooks - A website that specializes in Doujinshi and arguably the most popular Doujinshi store in Japan. They offer Doujinshi in the form of light novels, manga, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, magazines, artwork, and more! 

Toranoana- The largest competitor to Melonbooks, Toranoana has a huge selection of Doujinshi goods and between the two of them, you are likely to find what you are looking for.  

Toranoana and Melonbooks don't offer international shipping, but worry, that's why we are here! 

The process for ordering from either of them is simple and the same for both websites.

1. Take the Japanese title of the Manga you are looking for and enter it into either Melonbooks or Toranoana's search bar on their website.
   
   
2. Once you have found the product you are looking for, click on the product page and then Highlight and Copy the full URL of the item at the top of the webpage. 
   
   
   
3. Paste that URL into the ZenMarket search bar - Done! 

You will get a webpage or pop-up box for you to confirm the item and add it to your shopping cart.

Step 3: Browse Listing Options

When it comes to buying Doujinshi goods, there are a few options to be aware of.  

If you are buying directly through ZenMarket, You will often find Doujinshi Manga or Light Novels being sold in a wide array of options. From volumes being sold individually or in complete sets, you can buy in whichever way is best for you.

To get the best value for your money, we recommend buying Doujinshi in complete sets. You will save money on shipping and processing fees in the long run instead of buying a single Doujin at a time.

Remember, you can always use the options listed to the left and top of the search results to help you find and narrow down your search.

If you find yourself wanting to browse the huge selection offered by Melonbooks or Toranoana's websites for more than just manga or light novels, don't worry, there is a section at the end of this article explaining some tips on how to do just that! 

Step 4 - Check Item Details

On the product page, you can find out more information about the Doujin you want to purchase. You will be able to see the price, photos from different angles, and more.

If you are pre-ordering an item, please note that it will only be shipped out to us on the delivery date stated, after which you will be able to create a parcel for international shipping once it arrives at our warehouse. 

There will also be a lot more information about the item under “Product Details”, which you can normally find by scrolling down the page.  

Step 5: Place Your Order!

Once you are satisfied and ready to order, add the Doujin to your ZenMarket cart.

Our operators will then check the price and availability of your item and you will receive a notification once it is ready to be paid for. 

For a full tutorial on how to buy from ZenMarket, check out our guide here. 

Bonus Step: Even More Options!

If you decide you want to use the process we outlined in the previous steps to buy goods from Melonbooks or Toranoana, here a few things to look out for and keep in mind before you buy.  

Translate the Page - 90% of the time by using Google Chrome's built-in google translate function, you will be able to read all of the important information you need to know about the product. 

Simply right-click anywhere on the page and select "Translate to English".

The two most important pieces of information you want to pay close attention to when wanting to place an order are the following:

Release Date (発売日)– Check if there is a release date on the item as both stores also provide users the option to pre-order items that aren't out yet. If you order a pre-order item, ZenMarket will still buy it on your behave, but it can't be shipped to you before it is released. 

Age Rating - There are plenty of Doujinshi out there that are not family-friendly or safe for work, which is great if that is what you are looking for. Check the page listing for any warnings of "18+" or "R18" audience ratings. We'd hate for you to buy a doujinshi expecting to get plot, and instead, you get - Plot... or vice versa for that matter. 

Whether you are just looking to see some of your favorite stories from Japan retold in interesting ways, looking for something completely fresh, or just want to get exclusive merchandise while supporting aspiring artists, Doujinshi goods are a great way to go about accomplishing all of these. 

With there being so many different types and options available we recommend browsing what is on offer or looking for recommendations to get started.

In no time you will be a connoisseur of the indie artist scene of Japan!

You can click the image below to check out our full in-depth guide on how to shop using ZenMarket, which will teach you everything you need to know about how to buy anything you want, not just Light Novels, directly from Japan and have it shipped to your front door anywhere in the world.