Based in Japan · English · Español · 日本語

Anything sold
in Japan, sourced
and shipped to you.

A Mexican-American personal shopper on the ground in Japan — buying from Mercari, Rakuten, and stores that don't ship abroad, then getting it to your door.

Start a request Contact me via email
JP · Tokyo Your address
7 Tokyo areas — no travel fee
English · Español · 日本語 support
What I can actually get

If it's sold in Japan, there's a way to get it.

✓In-store lines & pop-up shop purchases
✓Store-exclusive & limited-release items
✓Lottery & raffle entries for high-demand drops
✓Convenience-store (konbini) payment proxy
✓Mercari & other marketplace purchases
✓Items that refuse international shipping outright
✓Ticket, reservation & print-service proxy
✓Consolidated shipping across multiple purchases
Sneakers & streetwear Figures & gunpla Trading cards Beauty & skincare Automobile Cameras Books & Magazines, Manga Home Goods Limited restocks Concert & event goods
Lucas, founder of Tokyo In Person
About the shopper

Hi, I'm Lucas.

I turned a personal obsession with unique sneakers, figures, trading cards, and limited gear into a full personal shopping service. What began as favors for friends is now how I help people get the exact pieces they want from Japan — without the stress or the guesswork.

Mexican-American living in Tokyo, I shop in English, Spanish, and Japanese and know the stores, drops, and marketplaces inside out. Together with my Japanese wife, we're happy to help with requests for adults, teens, kids, and everything in between.

Every single order is bought, inspected, and shipped by me. No subcontractors. No call centers. Just direct access and real care.

English · Español · 日本語 Based in Tokyo Hand-picked by me, every time
Coverage area

Where "in-person" means in-person.

Coverage area — no travel fee
TOKYO Nakano Shinjuku Akihabara Harajuku Shibuya Ginza Yokohama Osaka Kyoto Elsewhere in Japan
Within coverage — included, no travel fee Outside coverage — travel fee applies, quoted per trip

This only applies when I have to physically go somewhere for you — a store line, a pop-up, an in-person pickup. Nakano, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ginza, and Yokohama are covered at no extra cost. Anywhere else requires a travel fee, quoted before you approve the request. Online purchases and shipping aren't affected, no matter where in Japan the item ships from. Full details on the Japan Shipping Information page.

The process

Three steps, no Japanese address required.

01

Send the link

Paste listings from Mercari, Rakuten, a brand's Japanese site, or just describe what you're after. Pick Standard or Premium — your call.

02

Approve the total

You'll see the full price upfront — item cost, shipping, estimated customs, and my fee — before anything is charged. I don't buy a thing until you approve it.

03

I buy & ship it

Once you approve, I purchase, inspect, and ship with tracking. Premium requests get video verification and a dedicated line for updates.

Tiers

Same honesty, different level of access.

Standard

Standard

18% service fee $40 minimum per job · $149.99 minimum order · single store per request
  • Response within 24 hours (JST)
  • Photo check before anything ships
  • Standard queue for restocks & lottery entries
  • EMS, DHL, or surface shipping — your choice
  • Tracking number on every shipment
  • 48 hours free storage once your order is ready to ship
Priority access
Premium

Premium

23% service fee $60 minimum per job · $249.99 minimum order · multiple stores per request
  • Priority response within 6 hours (JST)
  • Video verification before anything ships
  • Priority queue + multiple lottery entries where allowed
  • Basic shipping insurance included
  • Direct email line — one point of contact
  • Free consolidation & repacking across orders
  • 7 days free storage once your order is ready to ship
  • Sourcing & discovery help included at no extra fee
Line-standing & drops

In-person releases work a little differently.

A limited drop or overnight line isn't priced like a normal purchase — the time and risk of waiting in person is worth something whether or not the item is still there when I reach the front. So it's billed in two separate parts.

The attempt fee is charged upfront and isn't refundable, win or lose — it's what compensates the wait itself. The item cost and my usual tier fee are only charged if I actually get it.

Step 1 — charged upfront
Standard queue$30

Up to ~2 hours in line. Non-refundable — this covers the attempt itself.

Step 1 — charged upfront
Extended / overnight queue$60–80

Quoted per drop once the expected wait is known. Also non-refundable.

Step 2 — only if successful
Item cost + tier feeStandard 18% / Premium 23%

Charged only once the item is actually secured — same rates as any other request.

If it sells out first

The attempt fee is kept — it paid for the time, not a guaranteed result. The item cost and tier fee are never charged, since nothing was bought. I'll always flag this risk before you approve an attempt fee for a known high-demand drop.

FAQ

Questions people actually ask.

How does pricing actually work?

Standard is 18% of the item cost or a $40 flat fee, whichever is higher. Premium is 23% or $60, whichever is higher. The flat minimum protects smaller orders; above roughly $222 (Standard) or $261 (Premium), the percentage takes over and scales with order size. You always see the full breakdown before approving anything.

I don't have a link to the item — can you still help?

Yes. Check "I don't have a link, help me find it" when building your request. It's a $20 sourcing fee on Standard, included free on Premium.

Can I combine multiple items into one order?

Yes — Premium supports multiple stores in a single request, and either tier can use "Hold & consolidate" shipping to combine several purchases into one box and save on shipping.

What can't you help me buy?

A short list of export-restricted categories — things like standalone lithium batteries, certain regulated cosmetics or medications, and CITES-protected materials. See Japan Shipping Information for the full list.

How fast do you respond?

Within 24 hours on Standard, within 6 hours on Premium — both JST. Same-day restocks and time-sensitive drops get priority if you flag them in your notes.

What happens if a release sells out before you reach the front?

You keep nothing charged for the item, but the attempt fee stays — it pays for the time and the line, not a guaranteed result. See Line-standing & drops for how that's priced.

What if I need to cancel?

Full refund any time before I've purchased the item. Once it's bought, the item cost typically can't be recovered, but the service fee may be partially refunded case by case. Full policy on the Payment & Cancellation page.

Do you only cover Tokyo?

In-person work — store lines, pop-ups, pickups — covers Nakano, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ginza, and Yokohama at no extra cost. Anywhere else in Japan that needs an in-person trip adds a travel fee, quoted up front. Online sourcing isn't limited by geography either way.

How do I pay?

PayPal. Once you approve your total, you'll get a PayPal invoice with a payment link — nothing's charged automatically before that.

Get a quote

See the full total. Approve it. I take it from there.

List what you want, pick Standard or Premium, and watch the total build — item cost, shipping, customs estimate, and my fee, all before you approve anything.

Response time is usually under 24 hours (JST). If it's a same-day restock or a time-sensitive drop, say so in the notes and I'll prioritize it.
No payment until you approve the quote · Full refund if I can't source the item · Photos sent before anything ships
tokyoinperson@gmail.com
Items subtotal$0.00
Estimated shipping$0.00
Estimated customs / import$0.00
Service fee (Standard, 18%)$0.00
Payment processing (~4%)$0.00
Total (approve to send)$0.00
Standard requests have a $149.99 minimum order and cover one store per request. Choose Premium for multiple stores in one request.
Shipping is estimated from your shipping preference and item count; customs is a rough placeholder — actual duties are set by your country and collected by the carrier. Both are confirmed in the invoice I send back.
Payment processing covers PayPal's fees for handling your invoice — it's a pass-through, not extra profit.
This sends your approved request — I'll confirm final pricing and follow up with a PayPal invoice once I reply. Nothing is charged automatically.