Rakuten vs Amazon Japan for Foreign Sellers

This matters because Japan is a large, high-value e-commerce market, but it punishes half-hearted launches. Many foreign brands pick a marketplace based on a blog post, sign up, upload English-style listings and then wonder why nothing sells. Choosing the right platform and setting it up properly from day one saves months of wasted fees and ad spend.

Key Takeaways

• Amazon Japan has low fixed fees (a monthly plan fee plus category referral fees) and an English-friendly seller setup.
• Rakuten Ichiba has higher fixed costs, including an initial registration fee and a monthly plan fee, plus sales-based fees and points costs.
• Rakuten works like a shopping mall of individual stores, so your store design and Japanese copy carry a lot of weight.
• Both platforms need Japanese listings, Japanese customer service and compliance with Japanese product and labeling laws.
• Many brands start on Amazon Japan to test demand, then add Rakuten once they have proof and a local partner.
• Fees and rules change, so check each platform's current terms as of late 2026 before signing.

How the Two Marketplaces Work

The biggest difference between Rakuten and Amazon Japan is the model.

Amazon Japan (Amazon.co.jp) is catalog-based. Every product has one detail page, and many sellers can sell the same item. The winner of the "Buy Box" gets most sales. Shoppers trust Amazon itself, fast Prime delivery and easy returns. Your brand sits inside Amazon's experience.

Rakuten Ichiba is a mall. Each seller runs its own store, with its own design, pages, policies and customer service. Shoppers browse stores, collect Rakuten points across the whole Rakuten ecosystem and often buy during big sale events. Your brand has more room to tell its story, but you also carry more of the work.

A simple way to think about it: Amazon Japan is like renting shelf space in a giant, efficient warehouse store. Rakuten is like opening your own shop inside a busy department store, where you decorate the space and serve customers yourself.

Fees: What Each Platform Costs

Fees are one of the first questions in any Rakuten vs Amazon Japan comparison. The figures below come from each platform's published pricing pages as of late 2026. They change often, and they usually exclude Japanese consumption tax, so always confirm the latest numbers before you budget.

Amazon Japan fees

• Large-volume (Professional) plan: about 4,900 yen per month, before tax.
• Small-volume (Individual) plan: about 100 yen per item sold, with no monthly fee, but fewer tools.
• Referral fees: a percentage of each sale, depending on category and sometimes price. Published rates range from roughly 5 percent up to about 15 percent for most categories.
• FBA fees: extra charges for storage, picking, packing and shipping if you use Fulfillment by Amazon.
• Linked accounts: Amazon says sellers with linked accounts across North America and Japan can pay either the equivalent of USD 39.99 per month or the sum of the plan fees, whichever is lower.

Rakuten Ichiba fees

• Initial registration fee: listed at around 60,000 yen.
• Monthly plan fee: Rakuten's published plans have ranged from about 25,000 yen per month on the entry plan to about 65,000 yen and 130,000 yen on larger plans, generally with annual contracts.
• System usage fees: a percentage of monthly sales, which varies by plan.
• Payment processing (Rakuten Pay): listed at roughly 2.5 to 3.5 percent.
• Points and other costs: contributions to Rakuten points, affiliate fees, messaging tools and optional advertising.

Rakuten's merchant pages also mention changes to its service taking effect in February 2027, so read the latest notices before you sign.

What this means in practice

For a small brand testing Japan, Amazon's low fixed cost is a big advantage. If sales are slow, you are not locked into large monthly fees. On Rakuten, you pay meaningful fixed costs from day one, so you need a plan to generate traffic and sales quickly to make the numbers work.

Setup and Eligibility for Foreign Sellers

Selling on Amazon Japan from overseas

Amazon allows many foreign businesses to register through its global selling program, and Amazon says you may not need a Japanese company to sell there, depending on your situation. Key setup steps usually include:

1. Register a seller account for Amazon.co.jp (or link it to your existing Amazon account).
2. Verify your business identity and bank details.
3. Create Japanese listings for each product.
4. Choose FBA or merchant fulfillment.
5. Arrange import into Japan, including an importer of record (the party responsible for customs).

The importer of record point catches many sellers. Amazon generally does not act as your importer, so you need your own Japanese entity, a partner, or a third-party importer service.

Selling on Rakuten from overseas

Rakuten has historically accepted overseas companies from a limited list of countries, with a review process and clear expectations around Japanese language store pages and customer service. Many foreign brands work through a Japanese subsidiary, a distributor or an agency partner who runs the store day to day. Confirm current eligibility directly with Rakuten before planning.

Fulfillment and Logistics

Amazon FBA in Japan

FBA is one of Amazon Japan's strongest advantages. You ship inventory to Amazon warehouses in Japan, and Amazon handles storage, packing, delivery, customer service for shipping questions and returns. Your products can get Prime badges, which many Japanese shoppers trust.

Rakuten logistics

Rakuten sellers can fulfill orders themselves, use a third-party logistics provider (3PL) in Japan, or use Rakuten's own logistics services where available. Japanese shoppers expect fast, careful delivery, neat packaging and accurate delivery time slots. Late or damaged deliveries quickly lead to poor reviews.

Shipping into Japan

For both platforms, you need to import goods, clear customs and pay consumption tax and any duties. As of late 2026, Japan's standard consumption tax rate is 10 percent, with a reduced 8 percent rate for most food and non-alcoholic drinks. Get advice from a Japanese customs broker or tax advisor on how this applies to your products.

Shoppers and How They Buy

Understanding shopper behavior is the heart of the Rakuten vs Amazon Japan decision.

Amazon Japan shoppers

Amazon shoppers often know what they want. They search, compare prices and reviews, and buy fast. Speed, price and Prime eligibility matter most. Reviews and ratings are very influential.

Rakuten shoppers

Rakuten shoppers are deeply tied to Rakuten points, which they earn and spend across Rakuten services such as cards, banking, mobile and travel. Many save purchases for big events like Rakuten Super SALE and monthly campaigns where points multiply. They are used to browsing long, image-rich product pages that explain every detail.

What Japanese shoppers expect on both platforms

• Accurate, natural Japanese writing, not machine translation.
• Detailed specifications, size charts and usage instructions.
• Clear shipping times and polite, quick customer service in Japanese.
• Careful packaging and on-time delivery.
• Trustworthy reviews and honest product claims.

If you are new to the Japanese market, our guide on how to market a foreign brand in Japan explains the culture and trust factors behind these expectations.

Marketing on Each Platform

Amazon Japan

• Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands ads drive visibility in search results.
• A+ Content (enhanced brand content) improves product pages with images and comparison charts.
• Deals and coupons help during big events such as Prime Day and seasonal sales.
• Review building through Amazon's approved programs, never through incentivized reviews.

Rakuten

• Rakuten Super SALE and campaigns, which drive huge traffic and points promotions.
• Search ads (RPP) and other Rakuten advertising options inside the marketplace.
• Store design, including long Japanese product pages with detailed images and banners.
• Email and messaging to shoppers who follow your store.
• Points boosts to make your products more attractive during events.

Outside the marketplaces

Both platforms benefit from outside traffic. Social media, influencer posts and messaging all help. In Japan, LINE is a key channel for keeping in touch with customers; see our guide to LINE Official Account marketing in Japan. Be careful with influencer content: as of late 2026, Japan's rules on undisclosed advertising (often called stealth marketing rules) require sponsored posts to be clearly marked as ads.

Rules and Compliance to Plan For

Japan has strict product and advertising rules. Before you sell on either platform, check:

• Seller disclosure. Online sellers must publish business details, prices, shipping costs and return terms under Japan's commercial transactions rules. Rakuten stores display this clearly, and Amazon has its own seller information pages.
• Electrical products. Many electrical items need PSE marking under Japan's electrical safety law.
• Cosmetics, supplements and health products. These fall under Japanese pharmaceutical and food laws, and cosmetics usually need a Japan-based license holder. Health claims are tightly controlled.
• Food. Imports must meet Japan's food sanitation rules and labeling requirements.
• Advertising claims. Misleading claims and exaggerated discounts can break Japanese consumer protection rules.
• Tax. Consumption tax, invoice rules and possible registration obligations.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change often, so confirm with a qualified Japanese advisor before launch.

Which Should You Choose?

Here is a simple way to decide.

Start with Amazon Japan if:

• You have a limited budget and want low fixed costs.
• You want to test demand before committing to Japan.
• Your products sell well on Amazon in other countries.
• You want FBA to handle logistics and returns.
• You do not yet have Japanese staff or a local partner.

Start with Rakuten if:

• You have a strong brand story and want full control of the store experience.
• You have a Japanese partner or team to run the store and customer service.
• Your products fit categories where Rakuten shoppers are very active, like fashion, beauty, food and gifts.
• You can invest in sale events, points and store design from the start.

Use both if:

• You already have proof of demand and a local partner.
• You want to reach both quick, search-driven buyers and loyal, points-driven shoppers.
• You can manage pricing so the two stores do not undercut each other.

Many brands run Amazon first for six to twelve months, learn what sells, then open a Rakuten store with a stronger, proven product range.

Common Mistakes Foreign Sellers Make

• Using machine translated listings with odd Japanese.
• Ignoring importer of record and consumption tax until goods are stuck in customs.
• Opening a Rakuten store without a plan to drive traffic, then paying high fees for little sales.
• Copying Western product pages instead of building detailed Japanese pages.
• Missing big sale events because inventory was not ready.
• Making health or performance claims that Japanese rules do not allow.
• Slow customer service replies, which hurt reviews and store ratings.

Pick the platform that matches your budget and your local support, then do it properly instead of doing both badly.

Ready to Launch in Japan?

Raw Marketing Group Asia helps foreign brands plan market entry into Japan, choose the right marketplace, build Japanese listings written by native speakers and run campaign management across marketplace ads and social media. One contract, one accountable team, run from our Las Vegas headquarters with vetted partners across East Asia.

If you are weighing Rakuten vs Amazon Japan for your products, book a free 30-minute strategy call. We will review your product range, budget and local support, and recommend the fastest path to your first sales in Japan.