Amazon Japan … but you can’t read Japanese?

by Paul Goodchild on August 20, 2008

If you’re looking to make use of the Japanese Amazon store, to buy books and whatever else, you’re probably a little stuck when you first visit the site.  Why?  Because it’s all in Japanese of course!  Well, mostly, but once you’ve signed up, you can get around in English.  Sign-up is only provided in Japanese, but account management is provided in English, so it’s a breeze once you’re inside.  This article is a how-to on signing up to the Amazon Japan site.

How to register with Amazon Japan

So to begin, simply go to www.amazon.co.jp and you’ll receive a welcome page like that pictured below.  Have a look at the image as there are 2 label indicating items you need to click

Amazon Japan Homepage

Amazon Japan Homepage

Firstly, click the “In English” to set your basic settings to English and get it where you can.

Next, click the ‘New User‘ link at the top middle to bring you to the page shown in  the image below.  Again, have a closer look at the labels on this image to know how to proceed by filling in the form.

Amazon Japan Sign-in

Amazon Japan Sign-in

All you need is an email address and you’re on to the the next stage.  Click the orange button to proceed.

If you can get to this stage, you’re onto the most “difficult” part of the sign-up process.  You have to put in your name!

Amazon Japan - User registration

Amazon Japan - User registration

Take a close look at this picture and fill in all the details you need.

The most difficult part is going to be inputting the Japanese text using Katakana for your name.  Note: You cannot have any spaces in the Japanese part.

If you currently cannot do this, ask a friend to write it for you on their computer and email it.  Or, follow this how to to enable Japanese input on your Windows XP computer.

Once you have completed this step, you’re finished with registration and are a fully fledged member of Amazon Japan.

There are other things you can do, such a registering a credit card, setting up your delivery address book etc., tracking orders… but it has a comprehensive English interface for this.  To get to your account management screen in the first place, look to the top right of the screen, within the blue banner header for text that reads:

アカウントサービス

Click this link and you’ll have an all-English account management interface (assuming you clicked “In English” in the first step above)

Happy Amazon Japan shopping! 🙂

{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

NewB March 26, 2010 at 00:00

Awesoomeee! That’s just what I was looking for. Thanks a million!

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hana July 5, 2010 at 04:00

am i suppose to get an email comformation because it didnt come.

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Paul Goodchild July 5, 2010 at 08:06

I’d say you’re supposed to get some sort of confirmation, or email one way or the other. Try it again and with the same email address and see how the site responds – perhaps it just didn’t register right the first time around.

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Jessica @ 101 Things In Japan September 30, 2010 at 19:50

Hey thanks for this! I was having trouble with it, but now I know that you aren’t allowed spaces in the name, thanks!

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Paul Goodchild October 2, 2010 at 16:07

@Jessica, no problem. Glad it helped. I love your blog on the 101 things in Japan btw. Very cool! 🙂

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Mole October 13, 2010 at 19:34

Thank you SO much! I needed some figure replacement parts that I couldn’t find outside of Amazon.co.jp, and this really helps me a lot!

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Paul Goodchild November 8, 2010 at 16:05

Glad to hear you’re all finding this still useful and relevant. It’s actually very simple once you’ve done it because everything else is provided in English.

Please feel free to let me know if and when this article becomes outdated.
Thanks!
Paul.

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JanO April 11, 2011 at 17:14

When you have to fill your name, do you first have to give your family name and your first name after it? In the katakana name box, how do you make clear what your first and family name are if you may not put a space between it? Or do you only need to give your first or family name there?

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Paul Goodchild April 11, 2011 at 18:10

I don’t think this matters really… they wont know/care and it’s really just so it can be delivered to you properly. Either way is fine I’m sure.
As for the space, don’t put that in – it wont work. Just do it all together, it’ll be fine.

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Nicky October 18, 2011 at 01:28

How do you delete your Amazon Japan account? I made one a while back and now I don’t want it anymore and want to close it but I don’t know. I found the information on it in Japanese (http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_lnav_dyn?ie=UTF8&nodeId=872466) but I can’t read Japanese and Google Translate can only do so much before it starts to not make sense…

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Paul Goodchild October 18, 2011 at 09:26

Hi Nicky,

I’ve never had to do this, but I took a look at the page you linked to. As I understand it’s the bottom section of the page you need to pay attention to (手続き方法).

You need click on the link ‘カスタマーサービス’

This will open your email program with an appropriately entitled email and TO: address. If you use gmail or the like, just copy the details into it.

You need to mail them:
– your account name
– a recent order number and title
– reason for closing your account

Better also to email them from your registered email address.

I’ve never worked out how they’re linked, but I know that accounts are linked across Amazon sites however. You could try mailing the .com or .co.uk with an email asking them to assist you in closing your Amazon JP account. Worth a shot.

Good luck!
Thanks,
Paul.

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ngleek February 2, 2012 at 20:04

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THankkkkkk YOU!!!! XD i was trying by another page, well the same amazon.jp , but different format, cuz i was translating manually with the google chrome and just in case i tried again as you showed in the pic, and I HAVE MY ACC!!! LOL thank you n.n アリガトウ ^^ i added the Japanese language in the keyboard but.. i cant figure out how can i write in hiragana u.u

REgards! n.n

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Paul Goodchild February 3, 2012 at 11:24

Glad to hear this helped you get signed up! 🙂

Getting to write Japanese can be a little tricky on the computer… but I’m sure you’ll get there – if you need more specific help, drop me a mail or reply and I’ll how I can help ya.

Thanks!
Paul.

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Ibeanusi Ebuka Emmanuel June 8, 2012 at 23:21

Because it will enbale to buy books that i will use for my academic work.

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Alex November 15, 2012 at 06:59

Hi Paul,
I try to register for teh Amazon Associate Japan. Even with your tutorial I failed twice to register. The Amazon Japan account registration (as described on your post) and the Amazon Associates Japan account is slightly different. If you can give me help I woulld really appreciate
Thanks

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candy May 5, 2015 at 04:40

có thể bạn quan tâm tai sao bi roi loan kinh nguyet tuoi day thi , nguyên nhân rong kinh rồi phương pháp phát triển chiều cao ở tuổi dậy thì,Ngoài ra còn có tinh hoàn bên to bên nhỏ, những vấn đề trên đều rất đáng lo ngại.Là nội trợ bạn đã biết cong dung cua chanh tuoi , cong dung cua qua ot trong bửa ăn hàng ngày chưa.Người lớn ở nhà hay bị đau lưng ,vậy nguyên nhân gây đau lưng ở người lớn tuổiNguyên nhân gây chóng mặt ở người cao tuổi là do đâu.Xem thêm: nhung buc anh ve tinh mau tu , bí quyết trị mụn nhanh ,Bệnh của dân văn phòng.

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Rob October 5, 2015 at 02:37

what do I do about billing information?

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Muk October 27, 2015 at 19:40

You have to use a forwarding shipment system like Tenso. I just signed up with them, basically they give you a “japanese address” to use, which ships your item to the company, and then you give tenso your (US/EU) address and they ship it to you.

Reply

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