how to buy a Japanese book?
June 1, 2017 6:27 AM Subscribe
I can't be the only one who is now dying to have a copy of The Butt Detective/Oshiri Tantei books from Japan! How can I get one if I don't speak/read Japanese?
All over the internet yesterday was a Japanese children's book series called Oshiri Tantei aka The Butt Detective! This is apparently a Sherlock Holmes-style British detective who exists in the shape of a giant bare backside ... and it toots on its enemies' faces to disable them!
I so badly want to get this for my little nephew, who just turned 7 years old earlier this week. None of us speak/read Japanese, but it would still be the funniest thing ever for a 7-year-old boy, right?! (His mom would think it was funny too, and she knows what kind of auntie I am ...)
Any MeFites know how/where I can order this? I tried Amazon US and Amazon Japan, but I'm getting nowhere with the latter because of my language deficit.
Can any MeFite help me with how to search Amazon Japan to get this? Or if any of you actually live in Japan, would you send this to me if I can make it worth your while to do so?
All over the internet yesterday was a Japanese children's book series called Oshiri Tantei aka The Butt Detective! This is apparently a Sherlock Holmes-style British detective who exists in the shape of a giant bare backside ... and it toots on its enemies' faces to disable them!
I so badly want to get this for my little nephew, who just turned 7 years old earlier this week. None of us speak/read Japanese, but it would still be the funniest thing ever for a 7-year-old boy, right?! (His mom would think it was funny too, and she knows what kind of auntie I am ...)
Any MeFites know how/where I can order this? I tried Amazon US and Amazon Japan, but I'm getting nowhere with the latter because of my language deficit.
Can any MeFite help me with how to search Amazon Japan to get this? Or if any of you actually live in Japan, would you send this to me if I can make it worth your while to do so?
Here's a 5 volume set for ~$140 (including shipping).
posted by gregr at 6:41 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by gregr at 6:41 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
FYI. You can't order from Amazon Japan without having a Japan address.
posted by vacapinta at 6:44 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by vacapinta at 6:44 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you want to say "Auntie got this book for you from Japan!", here's the link to the list of books on Amazon Japan. You can use your regular account and the option to view the menus in English.
If you have questions, memail me. My spouse orders from Amazon Japan all the freaking time!
posted by rw at 6:48 AM on June 1, 2017
If you have questions, memail me. My spouse orders from Amazon Japan all the freaking time!
posted by rw at 6:48 AM on June 1, 2017
You should be able to order it through Kinokuniya or pick it up in person at one of their stores.
posted by gyusan at 6:50 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by gyusan at 6:50 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
@vacaptinta you can memail me too. I assure you I wish what you say was true. So many packages! I'm married to an otaku.
posted by rw at 6:50 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by rw at 6:50 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you to all, especially gregr and rw ... I honestly didn't think I was unable to use Amazon correctly, but apprently I am. So sad. But no matter because now I am the best. auntie. ever!
posted by mccxxiii at 7:53 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mccxxiii at 7:53 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I have bought books from Amazon JP, I've done it through White Rabbit Express. There are lots of shopping services, Tenso is the one used by Rakuten for example.
HMV (which is merging with Lawson, there is some account migration going on) and some shops in Rakuten also ship abroad on their own.
posted by sukeban at 7:55 AM on June 1, 2017
HMV (which is merging with Lawson, there is some account migration going on) and some shops in Rakuten also ship abroad on their own.
posted by sukeban at 7:55 AM on June 1, 2017
Hey - check out Amazon's French site, because the first two books from this series were translated into French versions (which might be easier for you to translate).
posted by Geameade at 1:14 PM on June 1, 2017
posted by Geameade at 1:14 PM on June 1, 2017
vacapinta, I've ordered multiple books from Amazon Japan without having a Japanese address, the most recent about a month ago. It depends on whether the item is being sold via Amazon or via a third-party reseller. Amazon's totally fine with it, the third-party resellers usually aren't (although I've found them sometimes selling the same object on US Amazon).
One bonus to ordering from Amazon Japan when you're in the US is that sometimes the package tracking doesn't account for time zones correctly so you get treated to the sight of a package seeming to go from Japan to Alaska to Japan to Seattle before arriving at your doorstep.
posted by telophase at 1:50 PM on June 1, 2017
One bonus to ordering from Amazon Japan when you're in the US is that sometimes the package tracking doesn't account for time zones correctly so you get treated to the sight of a package seeming to go from Japan to Alaska to Japan to Seattle before arriving at your doorstep.
posted by telophase at 1:50 PM on June 1, 2017
You can't order from Amazon Japan without having a Japan address.
Just want to agree with others this is definitely not true, I order from them at least once or twice a month.
There are some categories of things they won't ship, and it does depend if the seller is amazon or 3rd party (some 3rd parties will ship to US, some won't).
I even ordered a PS4 from Amazon Japan at one point, so they'll ship all kinds of stuff.
But books, movies, CDs, and video games are almost always available for shipping (I have a large Bluray collection from Amazon Japan, because I need Japanese subtitles for US movies).
posted by thefoxgod at 1:57 PM on June 1, 2017
Just want to agree with others this is definitely not true, I order from them at least once or twice a month.
There are some categories of things they won't ship, and it does depend if the seller is amazon or 3rd party (some 3rd parties will ship to US, some won't).
I even ordered a PS4 from Amazon Japan at one point, so they'll ship all kinds of stuff.
But books, movies, CDs, and video games are almost always available for shipping (I have a large Bluray collection from Amazon Japan, because I need Japanese subtitles for US movies).
posted by thefoxgod at 1:57 PM on June 1, 2017
« Older Has a Disney animated character ever rapped before... | Good resources for improving more diverse... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by gregr at 6:36 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]