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Monday, December 6, 2010

Lucky draw promotion campaign by golf gear shop Greenfil, in Rakuten Ichiba Japan

Love golf? Then perhaps you know the following brands:

Yonex

Dunlop

Bridgestone

Mizuno

Callaway

Nike


Titleist


Taylormade

There are several shops in Rakuten Ichiba Japan which specialize in golf gear and this time we want to highlight Greenfil, as they have started a lucky draw campaign today!

The campaign entry page:
http://event.rakuten.co.jp/borderless/campaign/20101207/en/?scid=fb_os_999








Another reason to highlight this shop is that Greenfil offers one of the widest choices of golf products for women and thus garnered wide popularity among female golfers in Japan. Now Greenfil is offering their products to everywhere around the world through our site!

We are presenting 1000 Rakuten Superpoints for more than 5000 yen worth purchase!

The idea is simple. You enter the campaign, shop for at least 5000 yen and then receive 1000 Rakuten Superpoints in the period specified in the campaign rules.







If you love reading rules, scroll down in this page and enjoy:
http://event.rakuten.co.jp/borderless/campaign/20101202/en/?scid=fb_os_999

Well, actually I do recommend you to read the rules at least once, because we conduct the same format of a point campaign time to time, without major changes in the rules.

So, what are we promising to give you? 1000 Rakuten Superpoints!
Rakuten Superpoints are like mileage points, which you earn from each of your purchases in our site. Our rate is one of the highest - you get 1 Rakuten Superpoint for every 100 Yen spent.
Definitely much more generous than airmiles!

Once you have Rakuten Superpoints, you can spend them in ANY shop in Rakuten Ichiba Japan, and there are over 30 thousand of them, offering millions of products! Far better than very limited airmile exchange catalogs, with just over 100 items. ;-)

Join us in Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to this blog, and you will keep getting info about how to have fun shopping on Rakuten and make great savings in the same time!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The video guide to Rakuten Ichiba Japan, International Shipping!

Here is a short video, which we branded "1-minute video". Yes, it is just one minute, so please have a quick look!




Quick facts about Rakuten Ichiba Japan, International Sales:

1. Rakuten Ichiba Japan is the biggest shopping site in Japan, with over 50 million registered members.

2. Many  of Rakuten Ichiba Japan's shops ship outside of Japan.

3. Registration is free and it allows saving Rakuten Superpoints, which can be spent in future purchases.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Earn 10-times the Rakuten Superpoints for shopping from "We Welcome Foreign Buyers" shops!


In spring of 2010 we started the so called "WELCOME shop" program. This name comes from the declaration that shops make: "We Welcome Foreign Buyers", meaning that they promise to provide corteous service for orders and inquiries received from outside of Japan.

So, these shops are very eager to serve shoppers outside of Japan - very international-minded and forward-thinking.

It is especially exciting to watch some of the shops working hard on learning polite and easy-to-understand natural English. Some of them go a step further and learn other languages too.

Very soon we will have a global marketplace, where shoppers around the world will be able to buy anything from anywhere. Safely and smoothly. This is the ideal that drives us.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Low-cost international delivery service is being adopted by more shops in Rakuten Ichiba Japan!

 

Super-saving international delivery service has been launched more than a month ago in Rakuten Ichiba Japan. The number of shops that are offering this option has been steadily increasing.

If you know a shop which does not offer such cheap delivery option, but you'd like them to offer it, please let us know and we will contact the shops!

For those who still haven't bookmarked the special page, the URL is here: 

http://bit.ly/lowcostdelivery

 

Monday, November 8, 2010

Rakute Ichiba Japan, international shipping promotion campaign

We have an announcement:


WHAT: Get 1000-yen worth Rakuten points, if you buy 5000-yen worth of products.


WHEN: Until 17 Nov, 9:59 morning by Japanese Standard Time.
 

HOW TO JOIN: Click here ---> http://bit.ly/buMhvg
 

HOW TO SPEND: 1000 Rakuten points = 1000 Japanese Yen in Rakuten Ichiba Japan. If you want to see some hints, check out our suggestions on the link above!

Monday, November 1, 2010

MADE IN JAPAN products online catalog

 








For those of you who miss Japan, we have a catalog of MADE IN JAPAN products:


http://event.rakuten.co.jp/japan/food/

It is divided into 3 sub-catalogs, according to Japanese term E-SHOKU-JOO (衣食住 meaning), meaning Clothes-Food-Housing, which we dubbed Fashion-Food-Lifestyle

...Some of you may have already visited the page in the past, but I invite you to visit it again and even bookmark it, as we have new selections of MADE IN JAPAN products!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tips and tricks of shopping at Rakuten Ichiba Japan by an Aussie for Aussies


Thinking of giving shopping in Japan a go, but you’re unsure where to start or maybe even what to buy?  If that’s the case, read on, for tips and tricks from a fellow Aussie who has been shopping in Japan, online, for the last five plus years.

Shopping for Japanese goods has never been easier than now, especially with websites like Rakuten making an extra special effort to assist foreigners, yes, us Aussies too, with English language translation of their website; making previously difficult navigation a thing of the past.  Gone are the days of having two or three browser windows opened, cutting and pasting various texts to your favourite translation software or site of choice, just to make heads or tails of a website.  Now, merely head on over to http://global.rakuten.com/au/ and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on an Aussie website, it really is that easy.

Once there all one needs to do is decide what to buy, which is easier said than done.  Not because it’s difficult to find what you want, definitely not!  The biggest problem, I find, is the sheer size and range of products on offer.  Mind you, I’m no shop-aholic by any stretch of the imagination, but let me loose on a site like Rakuten and I can spend hours just surfing the site and discovering new and exotic products, much to the distress of my poor wife.

If you are like most males though, you’ll already know what it is you want to buy.  In which case, it’s simply a matter of finding what you want, either by navigating to the appropriate category, which should be self-explanatory, or alternatively by simply searching for the product using the built in search function.

Before I go on though, a quick note about using search; I’ve found it’s always best to use generic keywords and keep the searches simple and broad to start with.  Then, once you’re in the general vicinity of what you are looking for, narrow the search further and go from there.

As I’ve already mentioned, there is an absolute plethora of products available from sites like Rakuten; but what to buy?  Having been faced with that question myself, many times over, I’ve come to a few simple conclusions, which you can perhaps use as a general guide for your own shopping ‘expeditions’. 

Obviously, there’s not much point buying something overseas, Japan or otherwise, if you can get it locally, unless, of course, you can buy it cheaper from overseas.  That’s a given.

Personally, I tend not to purchase things that require an exacting fit.  What I mean by this is things like shoes for example; shoes are an item that you’d generally want to try on to make sure they are comfortable and fit exactly before you purchase them.  Shoe sizing also differs from country to country, so your size 10 sneakers here might be an 11 in the UK and a 9.5 in Japan, you get the idea, right?  This rule goes for other goods and products too, so just use your good judgement, and common sense and you’ll be fine.

Clothing on the other hand, you can probably get away with not having a perfect fit so you should be quite safe in that area.  Speaking of clothing, if you are a fashionista or brand name junkie in any sense of the word you will absolutely love shopping the clothing and accessories sections of Rakuten.  There are brand names galore as well as accessories like wristwatches and jewellery that you’d be hard pressed to find in one location anywhere else, it simply is mind-boggling.  I would hazard a guess that this abundance of the latest fashions and trends probably stems from Japans obsession with style.

The reason I got so involved with buying from Japan, initially, was my need for import (aka JDM) car parts, so I guess that’s another good area to cover.  First, up, if you’re thinking, “great, I’ll get myself that body kit or those wheels would give my car the perfect stance.”  Don’t!  For items of that size and weight, you’re probably better off going through an agent who specialises in shipping items of that nature as they tend to be quite cost prohibitive when purchased and shipped as one offs.  Smaller car parts though, shouldn’t be a problem, but do keep in mind the weight of such items as you could find yourself getting caught out unexpectedly.  Personally, I’ve quite literally lost count of the number of car parts I’ve purchased from Japan, as I’m sure those who know me can attest to. 

Speaking of shipping, as already mentioned, be mindful of products that are excessive in size and or weight.  Australia Post, for instance, has a restriction of 20kg per package that they will handle and deliver; anything heavier than that and a courier company will be required.

Because you will be buying from overseas and your goods will be crossing borders, customs fees will also need to be taken into account as part of the final cost of your purchase.  Currently, items valued under $1000AUD do not incur a customs duty, go over this total and you’ll find yourself paying and extra 10% of the value of your goods.  Also note that the $1000 threshold is calculated based on the cost of your goods and shipping costs, so don’t get caught out thinking you’re under the limit because you may get a nasty surprise.  Additionally, you’ll probably also find that your goods, when shipped, are priced in Japanese Yen, in which case, currency fluctuations can also have an effect on the final value of your purchase when the necessary conversions to Australian dollars are performed.  

 
Lastly, if for some reason, you have two or more packages being shipped to you and they happen to arrive at Australian customs at the same time; the combined value, including shipping costs, for all of your packages will be used to determine if you are over the duty free threshold.

 Thus far, we’ve covered where to buy from, namely Rakuten, what to buy and how to find it as well as general shipping and delivery concerns.  So what about what to expect when you finally get the products you’ve purchased.  Going by my own personal experience, I think you’ll be quietly surprised when you finally open up your package.  I regularly purchase goods from various countries around the world and I have found the Japanese, in general, are like no other nationality when it comes to business, and buying and selling on Rakuten is no different.  You can certainly rest assured that you will get exactly what you paid for and in the best possible condition; no dodgy dealings, or counterfeit products here.

To give you an example of what I mean, whenever I’ve purchase second hand books or magazines from Japan they’ve always arrived in utterly pristine condition. I’ve been absolutely astounded to find the lengths the previous owners have gone to, to meticulously wrap the goods in multiple layers of protection, ensuring the product that looks almost like new!  I kid you not.

When buying second hand goods, rest assured that if there are any imperfections or defects to be had, you won’t be confronted with any little surprises; every Japanese seller that I’ve encountered has photographed and visibly marked any areas of concern that may be evident with their products, if at all.  This practice is so prevalent that sellers will even make note of overly bent pages in a book or magazine as they see it as a defect or problem for the buyer.  So, even if you don’t exactly understand the description of the product, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Lastly, some final words of advice; while there are many varied reasons and advantages to buying products from Japan and in particular Rakuten, as with any venture, clearly there are also some pitfalls to be aware of.  However, providing you are vigilant and aware of the overall situation the road to buying from Rakuten can actually be a very enjoyable, smooth and even a very rewarding exercise.

When I started writing the article I never intended to paint a rosy picture of the buying process, however, looking back now, I can’t think of any logical reason why it shouldn’t be just that.  Either I’ve been extremely luck with my own buying experiences or it really is that simple that anyone can do it; I like to think it’s the latter.

by Mark

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Wine catalog of Rakuten Ichiba Japan, international shipping

 



 

Hello, Rakuten friends! For those who are in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea, we are happy to announce our brand new wine catalog! 




http://bit.ly/RakutenWine



Although the catalog is new, the wine presented there is not necessarily new. You can find some very old vintage wines there. Well, you'd bet...ter have a look at it yourself, as it is very easy to navigate - you can choose wine by type, country and keywords such as gold prize-winning wine, degustation pack and so on. Personally I find searching through these keywords very convenient!



Cheers!


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Enjoy Rakuten Points!


Are you already a Rakuten member?


Don't miss out, join now!


http://bit.ly/rakutenpoints


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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Journal Standard opened its online store in Rakuten! Up to 58% discount offered now!

 We have launched a catalog of Journal Standard! It's one of the most famous casual fashion select shops in Japan with 19 brick-and-mortar stores across the country. And now they have opened their store in Rakuten Ichiba Japan!


http://bit.ly/RakutenJournalStandard

The clothes offered on this catalog look very comfy and stylish at the same time. And the prices are quite reasonable! Please check out!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

30 years of Japanese fashion is being celebrated in London's Barbican gallery

30 years of Japanese fashion is being celebrated in London's Barbican gallery, featuring famous fashion Japanese designers such as Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. There is a video available on BBC news page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11548260

Some of their brand items can be found in our shopping mall as well!

 
Issey Miyake collection:
http://bit.ly/RakutenIsseyMiyake

Yohji Yamamoto collection:
http://bit.ly/RakutenYohjiYamamoto

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Low-cost international delivery service started!

Low-cost cheap inexpensive reasonable cost-effective...whatever you name it...

Now Rakuten Ichiba Japan started using this new service. Click below for more information!

http://bit.ly/RakutenCheapDelivery


Please note that not all shops are using this service to send small and light products to ship worlwide, but we are working on increasing the number of such shops.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Shops which welcome customers from around the world!

Did you know that over 7,600 shops of Rakuten Ichiba Japan offer international shipping?
Did you know that over 17,160,000 products are offered by those participating stores?

In order to keep high level service for all customers around the world, we started the so-called WELCOME program this year. Shops which join the program declare their commitment to courteous service for orders and inquiries from outside of Japan.

So far there are not so many, but more and more shops join the program, improving their pages for non-Japanese speakers, introducing Paypal and many of them studying English to improve their level of service.

Here is the list of those shops with global mindset:
http://bit.ly/Welcome2Rakuten (I encourage you to bookmark this URL)

We WELCOME you all to visit these shops!