Through MTG Arena I got back into TCGs and being a collector with a knack for Japan I was browsing the web to buy Japanese Magic the Gathering cards directly from Japan.
Lately, I began to sort through my modest MTG card collection which was stored at my grandparent’s place for the past twenty years. Back then I never really played the game and was much more interested in collecting and trading the cards.
Unfortunately, not many of my friends were into Magic, and not long after discovering Warhammer 40k I quit collecting the cards and got all into building and painting Warhammer figures. And yes, I didn’t really play this game as well. Building and painting small figures was basically all I was interested in. And the lore of course. I still remember picking up that Games Workshop magazine called White Dwarf with all those great war stories centered around the Warhammer lore.
Now two decades later I picked up my old Magic cards again and after playing Hearthstone on and off for the last couple of years I wanted to finally learn how to play Magic The Gathering. I picked up a cheap Started set with two pre-made decks and went through the fantastic tutorial in MTG Arena on my laptop.
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Use amazon for ease of use and no trouble with custom duties for the latest sets
Pro tip: With the click of a button you can change the whole site interface from Japanese to English
If you want to buy the latest sets I’m always using amazon (link to the WOTC store) for ease of use, speedy shipping (around 3 days after ordering), and because all import duties, etc. are handled by Amazon. the prices for new sets are generally higher in Japan in comparison with the EU and the US so expect to pay around 13k¥ for a standard Booster Display with 36 Booster packs.
Keep in mind though that amazon will deduct the Japanese taxes at checkout so 13,206¥ becomes 12,005¥. Of course, that does apply to everything you order from amazon JP.
Sometimes pre-order prices are a little cheaper ranging to 11k¥. Just check the Wizards of the Coast’s very own store on amazon.
And still, one of the most interesting Japanese MTG booster displays till today which is always a good pick-up if you can get them for a decent price. War of the spark has the alternate art Japanese exclusive Planeswalkers, Ikoria packs the JPN exclusive Godzilla cards, and even if you can get Japanese the “Mystical Archive” alternate art cards in international Strixhaven boosters as well your chances of picking the beautiful Japanese ones are far higher if you pick up a JPN box.
The best places to buy Single MTG Cards
BigWeb is a great shop for buying singles and pre-order Display Boxes for the latest MTG sets. The site is entirely in Japanese and you need a proxy (like fromjapan) in order to buy from them. If you want some specific singles this is definitely the way to go (proxy + BigWeb) but just for convenience if you want a Japanese Magic drafting experience or to bolster up your collecting with some Japanese MTG cards, I would recommend checking amazon every now and again, waiting for a discount.
This usually happens right before the release of a new set (in late 2020 these two are Zendikar Rising and the upcoming Kaldheim expansion).
The selection for singles is huge and especially for savvy MTG Finance aficionados, there are some bargains to be made. With English cards as well.
Hareruya is probably the most well-known Japanese shop for Magic the Gathering cards. I really enjoy their fantastic selection of Japanese and English cards but am personally much more about their card supplies than MTG cards. I personally prefer to just buy a booster display for drafting instead of picking up singles for the perfect deck. Playing MTG Arena most of the time anyway.
They always carry a big supply of KMC Perfect Size sleeves with the option to buy in bulk for a pretty good price (30pcs – 5,280¥). If you want to stock up on KMC products while shopping for Japanese Magic singles this might be the perfect shop for you. Especially since Hareruya is shipping internationally.
TokyoMTG is both carrying Singles and booster displays for the latest set. But: Booster Displays can’t be shipped internationally! You would need a proxy like fromjapan for this (like with BigWeb).
A little bummer but considering that their prices are roughly on par with amazon (12k¥ for a standard draft display) this might be the more relaxed option (customs, service, etc.) nonetheless. Where TokyoMTG shines though is their free shipping on Singles.
And they carry fantastic art prints of Magic cards. I really really do love some of these and will definitely be ordering on from the older sets.
These are currently the Japanese shops I’m looking through if I’m in search of some specific MTG card. If you have any suggestions/additions please share them so I can include them in this list.
When looking to pick up a booster display from the latest MTG set just to get it from amazon. It will be the cheapest (proxy shipping + service fees add up) and you won’t have to deal with getting hit by customs and no worries when some product has been damaged/lost. Just my 2cents though.
