Shipping & Returns

90-Day Returns
Return or exchange items that don't fit

Shipping Delay Updates
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
So what are my Shipping Options?
What's the difference between Express, Standard and Economy?
Can I get Free Shipping?
Do I have to pay Tax or Customs Duty?
Do you ship to U.S. Military Addresses?
Can I return or exchange my item(s)?

Shipping Delay Updates

Currently no major delays!

How long will it take for my order to arrive?

We understand that you want those tabi yesterday, but bear with us...You'll see estimated times for the various shipping options on the product pages and in your shopping cart. They will give you an idea of how long it will take after your order is dispatched. We do our best to dispatch orders within 1-3 days, though occasionally it can take longer (we'll let you know about any delays).

Most orders are shipped by the efficient and reliable Japan Post service (see below for your shipping options). Once outside Japan, these packages are generally handled by national postal services. Japan Store cannot be held responsible for delays caused by such factors as the weather or industrial action.

Some large orders, and when requested by the customers, can be shipped by international courier services such as Fedex, UPS and DHL.

So what are my Shipping Options?

For most countries there'll be 3 options: Express, Standard, and Economy. Need more details? See the next section.
Courier shipping is available to the United States and several other countries. It may be available elsewhere on request.
If you need delivery by a certain date, we highly recommend using Express, which also includes insurance against damage or loss. Japan Store is not responsible for packages open/broken or lost in transit but if an order is shipped by Express we can definitely help you sort out any issues.
For orders that weigh over 2kg, Express is sometimes the best price option. If you choose a cheaper option, we will need to ship in multiple packages of less than 2kg.
Japan Store will ship to a PO box*, but we take no responsibility for any packages lost or delayed as a result.
*Unfortunately we cannot do this at the moment, as express/courier services will not deliver to a PO box address.

What's the difference between Express, Standard, and Economy?

Due to the ongoing situation post Covid-19, Japan Post are not currently accepting international Airmail packages. For this reason, we cannot use Economy and Standard rates to most countries.

Basically Economy (Economy Airmail/SAL) is cheap but slow, Standard (Airmail/ePacket) offers a faster delivery, and Express (Express Mail Service/EMS) is the fastest service and the only one that includes insurance.

Economy

Cheapest for smaller packages (up to 2kg).
Slow (7-14 days to the U.S. PLUS local delivery time. Usually takes 3-5 weeks.)
Does not include a track & trace number (we may, at our discretion, send as registered mail with tracking)

Standard

Cheaper for smaller packages (up to 2kg).
Fast (usually 7-14 days to the U.S.)
Includes a track & trace number - track your package online ($20 order minimum; only available to some countries)

Express

Fastest (2-5 days to the U.S.)
Cheaper for heavier orders (2kg or more). For less than 2kg, about 25-40% more than Standard.
Includes a track & trace number - track your package online.
Full insurance against damage or loss. We will follow up any such claims on request.

Can I get Free Shipping?

Due to the ongoing situation post Covid-19, Japan Post are not currently accepting international Airmail packages. For this reason, we cannot use Economy and Standard rates to most countries.

Do I have to pay Tax or Customs Duty?

Hey, we hate taxes too, but they are a fact of life. Our prices are inclusive of Japanese sales tax, but any applicable customs duties and fees are the responsibility of the customer. Should you refuse the package because of duty fees that may be associated with it, or for any other reason, you are responsible for the full order price and shipping costs for the order. Please contact your customs office for information about additional fees.

Currently (2023) customers in the U.S. do not have to pay import duty or tax on footwear orders less than $200.

Customers in the U.K. should see the Royal Mail website for information about customs charges and handling fees.

If you want to check the amount of duty you are likely to be charged, try this free online Duty Calculator.

Update for EU Customers
We have been advised by customers in the EU of stiff duty charges being applied on orders shipped by EMS. These charges often exceed the value of the items shipped. On request, we will do what we can to help you avoid these excessive charges, such as marking items as gifts. But this does not in any way overrule our policy on duty as described above.

Do you ship to U.S. Military Addresses?

No, due to Japan Post policy we cannot ship to U.S. military addresses (eg. APO, FPO, etc) outside Japan. If you are in the U.S. military, we recommend that you ship to a regular U.S. postal address and have it forwarded to you from there. It's more hassle and cost but far less risk.

Can I return or exchange my item(s)?

Yes, you can! Particularly when buying footwear, there is always a chance that you'll get the wrong size. If you do, please see the following:

First of all contact us to let us know you want to exchange or return your order. Please include your order number.
Once we have agreed to an exchange or refund, post your item(s) back to the address below within 90 days of the original order date. As long as it reaches us intact and in its original packaging, we'll send you a replacement, or a refund if a replacement isn't possible.
If the returned item reaches us damaged or showing signs of wear, or if the packaging is damaged, the amount of any refund will be at our discretion, but there will be a minimum $15 re-stocking fee.
If an item is returned to us due to an incorrect shipping address or failed delivery, we will resend the item but all further shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.
If an item does not fit but was shipped as ordered by the customer, we will exchange the item but all further shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer. Always double-check the sizes as noted on the site. For information on choosing a Japanese footwear size, see our size comparison charts.
Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer. When we receive the returned item(s) for exchange we will let you know the shipping cost and ask you to pay this amount to our PayPal account. We can issue an invoice via PayPal if required. Once the payment has cleared we will ship the exchange item(s) to you.
If the problem is due to an error on our part, we will of course issue a replacement where possible and refund your shipping cost. If a replacement is not possible, we will refund your payment in full.