Style

You don't have to live in Japan to buy "Japan-exclusive" streetwear

With the internet at your fingertips, there doesn't have to be a barrier.

If you're serious about what you wear, chances are you've come across these two dreadful words: "Japan only." We've had to type it ourselves here at Input, as Japan-exclusives are often too good not to cover.

Beams

If you're willing to jump through a few hoops, the confines of international shipping don't have to apply to you. And you should be willing to put in the extra work because Japan makes some of the finest clothing in the world, particularly when it comes to Americana and outdoor apparel.

Neighborhood

Acquiring some of these prime Japanese goods requires enlisting a proxy, which isn't actually too difficult. That's why we've put together this primer to help you secure some choice goods from overseas.

Comfy Outdoor Garment

Choosing a proxy

There are several different proxy services, and each of the ones we've listed has its own strengths and fee policies. We'll break those down to help you decide which is right for you.

White Rabbit Express

White Rabbit Express

This corporatized proxy is extremely easy to use and has one of the lowest fees in the market. Excluding shipping, you'll be charged $4 per item plus 9.9 percent of the item's total cost (or $8 if the total isn't higher).

All you have to do is drop the link of what you want to buy through White Rabbit Express and fill out the necessary product and personal information to purchase. And if your item needs to be picked up at a physical store, WRE can do that, too.

Stylistics Japan

This proxy is less buttoned-up, run by a husband-and-wife team who maintain the namesake webstore out of Japan. That'll make your interactions more personal, but Stylistic's fees are also slightly higher at 10 percent or ~$19 (whichever is higher).

To purchase, just fill out this form and send through a deposit to Stylistics' PayPal account. They'll also do in-store pick up, but only for a selected list of stores and for a minimum of ~$28.

Kapital

Zen Market

Zen Market is dumb cheap, with a fee of only $3 per item. And your first purchase will essentially be without fee, as signing up for an account comes with 300 yen free. You do, however, have to make a deposit that'll increase if you use a direct bank transfer.

Buyee Japan

Buyee Japan, which has a relatively low fee of $2 plus 5 percent of the item cost, is more useful for Yahoo! Auctions because of its limited list of sites it'll work with it. But it's worth including here because Yahoo! Auctions rocks.

Yahoo! Auctions

The Japanese equivalent of eBay is a gold mine for bargains. There you'll find new and used apparel for way cheaper than you'll find here in the states or straight from the source. It's a wormhole you may get upset at me introducing you too, but can ultimately upgrade your wardrobe in a way you never knew was possible.

Happy shopping

Your world of clothing should now be wider with the help of proxies. Self control, however, is on you.

Comfy Outdoor Garment