Amazon.co.jp
 

Wrapping up a nice long trip to Tokyo since Japan reopened and fulfilling the pent up demand. One thing that we really took advantage of during this trip was Amazon Japan. Probably the best Amazon experience I've had anywhere (although my regular Amazon experience is delivering to an island in the middle of the Pacific) and fast speedy delivery with a free month-long trial of Prime. Yamato Transport always delivered the packages as promised to our hotels (sometimes same day delivery if ordering in the morning), and the hotels had no problems accepting and delivering the packages to our rooms. Just thought I'd pass this along for those who are coming to Japan as it did not initially occur to me that this home convenience would be available/accessible to me as a foreigner.

Yep, it is quick, and packages don't go missing from doorsteps either.
You don't even need Prime, as regular shipping is usually the same speed.

Sometimes we don't appreciate how good we have it (Amazon is only in 13 countries).
I spent a year in Australia and was shocked not to have it as an option.

I order regularly from Amazon.jp to Canada. Pricing is hard to beat on many things currently shipping included.

Delivery to convenience store for pickup is very easy too. You can even do that at Lawson's in Narita T1 and T3. (Haneda is T2 only though)

Nice to know, as how some US hotels charged like $15 to accept packages (and this was maybe 10 years ago at the Hilton Hawaiian Village).

Australia has had Amazon Prime delivery for a while now, but it's still next day + 1 service, ie, order before midnight and you get it sometime two days after.

Amazon Japan Prime offers a selectable four hour delivery window. Order before midnight and you can get it 8am-12pm the next morning. You can use Family Mart as a pick up location, but simpler just to send it to your hotel, indeed some packages can't be sent to Fami.

Well worth signing up for the free prime trial just for this.

And Amazon Japan offers a full English language experience, no need to translate anything.

Just to confirm - US Prime membership will work on amazon.co.jp?

No - it's its own website. You need to register with a new account, and it will be independent of any other Amazon account you have. In addition to the US website where I have prime, I've ordered from the .jp and .uk sites, and thus have 3 accounts and only the US one has Prime.

I'm looking into ordering a large suitcase along with toiletries and a few other sundries via Amazon Japan. Would we be able to register and have it delivered to our initial hotel prior to our arrival?

EDIT: For clarity, we'd be arriving at the hotel at about 6pm JST so having it delivered earlier that day.

Really? I use Amazon in USA, Japan, and Australia, and they all use a common login, and know all my addresses. Are you using the app or the website?

But yes, you need to purchase prime in each country. I have all three.

There is a big bug in prime video, after adding Australia I lost access to all my channels, eg, Starz, AMC+, etc, it didn't seem to support different countries. And changing you default country won't fix it.

I'm using the website. It's been several years since I've ordered from the non-US websites, so perhaps it's changed since then.

Perhaps it works for because you used the same email/pwds?
I set up Amz USA and Amz JPN with different emails/street addresses/payments etc. They are quite different accounts.

I don't know how it happened, but the login was accepted universally without having to re-register, my addresses are synced up on all the sites, same payment (Amazon visa card) and I can switch between all the prime video countries when I want to watch different videos.

When I use the app and want to buy and ship to a different country it asks me to confirm to switch countries.

Just checked, never used amazon.co.uk, but it recognises me just fine.

Payments, addresses, everything is there too.

And all the prime memberships show up, I'm not using an overseas account, it's completely native in all countries, I pay zero shipping.

Not sure why your account isn't global. I've had Amazon since 2003. Maybe it is your residential address?

I don't think you'd have any problems at all. Just inform the hotel that you will have a delivery arriving.

Yes this is a problem -- and my wife and I have just accepted it and use two separate accounts -- one for Japan and one for the USA. Amazon in Japan is so far superior to the US it's not even funny -- but living in NYC we have it pretty good -- nearly 100% of our orders are delivered by the next morning -- in varying conditions however....

Given the recent exchange rate my wife has been on a spending spree in Tokyo -- I'm glad I'm coming home in a few weeks to end the "but it's 40% off right now" binging in Ginza and Omotesando....

As I've said before, at least for me, you're completely wrong.

My Amazon account works in every country I've every tried logging in, and just yesterday I tried a few more countries for laughs.

Same login, all payments show up, all addresses in every I've shipped to show up. All local offers and discounts.

Amazon will specifically ask me which country I want to use when I make a purchase, even those I've never used before, and offer me a free 30 prime trial if it's a new country. And like I said, I'm not making a foreign purchase from a foreign account, it is 100% native.
I make purchases all the time in the US, Japan, and AUS to those respective countries.

For me there is no difference between having different logins or just using the same account. Under options I can select what my default country is, but it always asks me anyway when I buy something.

I was referring to the issue in prime video -- but thanks for all the other stuff.... And just so you know -- it's not limited to just certain countries -- I don't know why it happens but it was frustrating enough that we just gave up and maintained separate accounts.... We also use Amazon Music, I use Amazon to watch NFL football, and there are many other "bugs" they have. Personally I think it could be licensing issues, but as someone that lives in both places having two accounts just made life easier...

I'm currently in the UK -- here is what Amazon tells me (and I've found it to be true) when trying to use Amazon outside of my "home" country:

Oh, sorry, ACK.

Probably the same bug with your NFL subscription.

I've never had an issue if I just change my home country on prime video in the options setting to access the regular local content, non special subscription. Music works fine for me.

I've found the apps on different devices are wildly different.

I carry a Google TV with Chromecast wherever I go and enjoy whatever countries content I want, so doesn't seem to agree with the answer Amazon gives.

Very helpful since licencing differs between different countries, some content is only on Disney+ or others in different countries, but Amazon will licence it in the another country.

Of course I use a VPN to access the country I want. That's probably what breaks it.

I probably should have been more selective in my quote ;) -- My wife is Japanese and although we can make things work with one account we've run into so many issues that yes -- can be resolved -- but require so much work it's not worth it.... Amazon Video was just one example - Netflix also gives us fits - as does NFL football (my kryptonite). Yes - buying stuff is simple -- but all of the add on services we've added somehow make things complex....

I probably should have been more selective in my quote ;) -- My wife is Japanese and although we can make things work with one account we've run into so many issues that yes -- can be resolved -- but require so much work it's not worth it.... Amazon Video was just one example - Netflix also gives us fits - as does NFL football (my kryptonite). Yes - buying stuff is simple -- but all of the add on services we've added somehow make things complex....

Almost certainly country licencing. I have had Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, work in every country as long I use a VPN and set the home country in the app's options.

Easy as, just click the country you want to be local in and it just works, and each offers a completely different set of content to the others, mostly cross mixed across services.

Some, like Amazon, you need to add a prime prescription for the country you want, most others have a universal subscription that automatically gives local content.

But all work with the same login as long a I remember to pay for the country I'm interested in.