Amazon Japan and Rakuten Ichiba are the two marketplaces that matter for a foreign brand entering Japan — together with Yahoo! Shopping they account for an estimated 55–60% of consumer ecommerce. They look similar from the outside and behave completely differently on the inside: different fee logic, different shopper psychology, different operational demands, and different rules for sellers based abroad.
This comparison covers what each is, what it costs as published, how a foreign seller can actually get onto each one in 2026, where each wins, and how to sequence them. Fees and program terms are as published in August 2026 and change; the last-verified date is on the product box below.
Two Marketplaces, Two Philosophies
| Amazon Japan (amazon.co.jp) | Rakuten Ichiba | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Product-centric catalog; shoppers search, compare, buy | Store-centric mall; shoppers browse branded storefronts, earn and spend Rakuten Points |
| What drives purchase | Search ranking, reviews, price, Prime delivery | Points multipliers, sale events (Super Sale, Marathon), storefront trust, coupons |
| Storefront control | Limited (brand store pages for brand-registered sellers) | Extensive — and expected. Rakuten storefronts are information-dense by design |
| Logistics | FBA: Amazon stores, ships, handles returns and Prime | Merchant-fulfilled by default; Rakuten Super Logistics available |
| Language of operation | Seller Central available in English; listings must be Japanese | Japanese-language operation effectively required day to day |
| Scale | Largest Japanese ecommerce site by most estimates | ~27% share of Japanese ecommerce; domestic GMS near ¥6 trillion (2024, Rakuten) |
Cost Comparison (as published, August 2026)
Amazon Japan
- Selling plan: Individual ¥100 per item sold, or Professional ¥4,900/month (excl. tax) — the Professional plan is the practical choice for a brand
- Referral fees: most categories 5–15.4% of the sale price (media 15.4%; consumer electronics 5–8.4% depending on price band)
- FBA fees: from around ¥252 per unit for small standard items priced ¥1,000 or less, scaling with size and weight, plus storage
- Optional: Sponsored Products advertising — in practice, expected for launch visibility
Rakuten Ichiba
- Initial registration: ¥60,000 (excl. tax)
- Monthly plan: Ganbare! ¥25,000 (billed annually, non-refundable), Standard ¥65,000 (billed half-yearly), Mega Shop ¥130,000
- System usage fee: Ganbare! 3.5–6.5% (PC) / 4.0–7.0% (mobile); Standard and Mega Shop 2.0–4.0% / 2.5–4.5%, sliding with volume
- Plus: Rakuten Pay processing (~2.5–3.5%), 1.0% points contribution, 0.1% safety/system fee, optional advertising
The practical difference: Amazon’s cost is almost entirely variable, so a slow start costs little. Rakuten front-loads ¥60,000 plus a year of Ganbare! fees (¥300,000) before your first sale — which is why Rakuten rewards conviction, not experimentation. For a fuller breakdown of Rakuten’s economics against an owned store, see Shopify vs Rakuten.
Getting On From Abroad
Amazon Japan: no entity needed, but you must handle import
Amazon states that a business outside Japan may not be required to form a Japan-based company to sell on amazon.co.jp, and global account linking lets you run Japan alongside other marketplaces. The real obstacle is customs: since October 2023, Japan Customs requires non-resident importers to appoint an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP), and Amazon will not act as your Importer of Record — you cannot ship to an FBA warehouse with Amazon as consignee and expect it to clear. Foreign FBA sellers therefore work with an ACP/IOR service, a Japanese distributor, or their own entity. Budget for this before your first inbound shipment.
Rakuten Ichiba: no entity needed for 13 countries (since 2025)
Historically Rakuten effectively required a Japanese entity or an approved service partner. On September 30, 2025, Rakuten expanded its international merchant program so businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, China, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland can open a store and ship directly from their home country, with bilingual setup support. Sellers elsewhere still typically go through an approved service partner or a Japanese entity. Import obligations (including ACP for non-resident importers) apply here too when goods enter Japan.
Where Each Wins
Amazon Japan wins on
- Speed to market. Familiar Seller Central, English interface, FBA logistics — a foreign brand can be live in weeks.
- Search-intent purchases. Shoppers who know what they want; strong for products with clear specs and existing category demand.
- Logistics and returns. FBA and Prime remove the hardest operational problems for a foreign seller.
- Low fixed cost. Ideal for validating whether Japanese demand exists.
Rakuten wins on
- Loyalty and repeat purchase. Rakuten Points are the strongest loyalty mechanic in Japanese ecommerce; shoppers concentrate spend to earn multipliers.
- Brand storefronts. If your brand story matters, Rakuten’s store pages let you tell it — Amazon’s product-first layout doesn’t.
- Japanese consumer trust. Rakuten’s domestic-mall feel and points ecosystem carry weight with shoppers who are cautious about foreign brands.
- Event-driven categories. Food, cosmetics, gifting and consumables ride Super Sale and Marathon cycles.
Head-to-Head Decision Table
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Testing Japanese demand with limited budget | Amazon Japan (FBA) | Variable cost, logistics solved, fastest data |
| Product bought on specs and price (electronics, tools, supplements) | Amazon Japan | Search-driven purchase behavior fits |
| Consumable or gift brand aiming for repeat buyers | Amazon first, Rakuten soon after | Amazon for reach, Rakuten’s points for retention |
| Brand story and storefront experience are central | Rakuten (with Amazon for discovery) | Storefront depth and loyalty ecosystem |
| No Japanese-language operations capacity yet | Amazon Japan only | Rakuten storefronts need Japanese-language day-to-day operation |
| Established brand with proven Japan demand | Both | Complementary shopper bases; most large brands run both |
The Realistic Sequence
- Launch on Amazon Japan with FBA after arranging an ACP/IOR — localize listings properly (native Japanese, not machine translation) and run Sponsored Products for initial visibility.
- Read the data: conversion, review sentiment, which SKUs move. This is your Japan demand test at minimal fixed cost.
- Add Rakuten once demand is proven and you can staff Japanese-language operations (in-house or agency) — build a proper storefront and lean into points and sale events.
- Consider an owned store for retention and margin once you have a marketing engine (see Shopify vs Rakuten and Marketing in Japan).
Operational Notes
- Listing quality is the whole game on both. Japanese shoppers read everything; thin or machine-translated listings underperform on Amazon and fail on Rakuten (see Japanese Localization).
- Reviews are stricter. Japanese buyers review critically; packaging, delivery precision and support quality show up in ratings fast (see Selling to Japan).
- Regulated categories (food, cosmetics, electronics) need pre-market compliance regardless of marketplace — budget months, not weeks.
- Consumption tax registration and invoicing rules apply to sellers into Japan; get advice early.
Fees, program eligibility, customs and tax requirements are as published in August 2026 and change over time; verify current terms with Amazon, Rakuten and a qualified customs/tax professional before committing. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Tools
Whichever marketplace you start on, most brands eventually add an owned store for margin and customer data:
See the Ecommerce in Japan section and our Tools directory for the full stack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amazon or Rakuten bigger in Japan?
Amazon Japan is generally the largest ecommerce site in Japan by traffic and sales estimates; Rakuten Ichiba is the largest domestic marketplace, with roughly 27% share and domestic GMS near ¥6 trillion (Rakuten, 2024). Together with Yahoo! Shopping the three account for an estimated 55–60% of consumer ecommerce.
Can I sell on Amazon Japan without a Japanese company?
Yes — Amazon says a business outside Japan may not need a Japan-based company. The requirement that trips up foreign sellers is import: non-resident importers must appoint an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP), and Amazon will not act as your Importer of Record, so you need an ACP/IOR service, distributor or your own entity to bring goods in.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Japan or Rakuten?
Amazon is far cheaper to start: ¥4,900/month plus mostly 5–15.4% referral fees and FBA per-unit fees. Rakuten front-loads ¥60,000 registration plus ¥25,000–65,000/month plans (paid annually or half-yearly), then 2–7% system fees, ~2.5–3.5% payment fees and 1% points. At meaningful volume the percentages converge; the difference is fixed cost and risk.
Do I need to speak Japanese to sell on these marketplaces?
Amazon Seller Central is available in English and FBA handles customer contact, but listings must be native-quality Japanese. Rakuten effectively requires Japanese-language day-to-day operations (storefront, customer messages, reviews); its international program helps with setup rather than daily service.
Should I sell on both?
Eventually, most successful foreign brands do — Amazon for search-driven acquisition and logistics, Rakuten for loyal, points-driven repeat buyers. Start with Amazon to prove demand cheaply, then add Rakuten when you can support Japanese-language operations and its fixed costs.
Where to Go Next
Compare the owned-store option in Shopify vs Rakuten, get the full channel and payments picture in Selling to Japan, and plan the demand engine in Marketing in Japan.
