How to buy Japanese Pokémon cards wholesale from Japan
A practical guide for card shops and resellers who want to source Japanese Pokémon booster boxes, packs, single cards and PSA slabs directly from Japan: what is sold, how pricing and the wholesale discount work, how shipping and customs are handled, and how to place a first order.
- Why buy Japanese Pokémon cards from Japan
- What you can buy
- The wholesale discount
- Shipping from Japan
- Import duties and taxes
- Payment
- Authenticity guarantee
- Placing a first order
Why buy Japanese Pokémon cards from Japan
Japanese Pokémon sets release in Japan first, often months before the English version, and many cards exist only in Japanese print runs. Sourcing inside Japan means buying at Japanese market prices in yen, choosing the exact set codes you need, and getting new releases on release day rather than through a middleman. The trade-off is logistics: international shipping, customs and payment in a foreign currency. This guide covers how we handle each of those.
What you can buy
| Product | What it is | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed booster boxes | Factory shrink-wrapped Japanese booster boxes by set code (for example SV, M series). Sold per box. | Pokémon Boxes |
| No Shrink boxes | Complete boxes with the shrink wrap removed for authentication; the packs inside stay factory sealed. Explained in our box condition guide. | Pokémon Boxes (No Shrink) |
| Loose booster packs | Sealed packs sold in sets of 50, priced per set with the pack inspection included. | Pokémon Packs |
| Single cards | Raw Japanese singles: ARs, SARs, promos and older sets. Browse by set with our card lists or by character with the best cards rankings. | Pokémon Single Cards |
| PSA graded cards | PSA slabs, mostly PSA 10, priced from current Japanese market prices and inspected before shipping. | Pokémon PSA |
Upcoming sets are listed on the release calendar; pre-orders ship on the Japanese release day.
Reading Japanese set codes
Every Japanese Pokémon card carries a set code and a card number, for example sv9a 071/063. The letters identify the era (sv = Scarlet & Violet, m = the Mega era that followed, s = Sword & Shield, sm = Sun & Moon), the digits identify the set within that era, and a trailing letter marks a sub-set or special set. Card numbers above the set total (071/063 in the example) are secret rares: ARs, SARs, URs. Our set card lists show every number in each set with its rarity, so you can match a Japanese listing to the card you are looking for.
The wholesale discount
Register as a buyer and the wholesale discount applies by itself: once the item total of an order reaches ¥100,000 JPY or more while you are logged in, 5% comes off at checkout. Listed prices do not change when you register; the discount is taken off the order total. There is no quote request, no approval wait and no minimum order quantity per item beyond the total. Registered buyers can order up to 50 units of the same item (the retail limit is lower), and for carton quantities or items not in the shop you can message us on Instagram.
Shipping from Japan
We ship with FedEx, DHL, UPS and Japan Post, all tracked. Dispatch times are counted in business days from payment confirmation (weekends and Japanese public holidays excluded): sealed boxes 2–3, single cards up to 5, sealed packs and No Shrink boxes 5–7, PSA graded cards 7–10. Express carriers (FedEx, DHL, UPS) typically take 2 to 3 business days in transit; Japan Post, used for single-card orders by default, takes 5 to 10. Single-card orders ship at a flat rate; everything else is charged at the actual carrier rate for your address, shown at checkout before you pay.
Pre-orders ship on the Japanese release day. If an order mixes pre-order and in-stock items, everything ships together once the pre-order is released. Buyers with a VIP account can also choose Hold for later shipment at checkout: pay for the items only, we store them, and shipping is billed when you request delivery from your account page, so several holds can go out in one box.
Import duties and taxes
Orders to the United States are shipped DDP: the import duty is prepaid at checkout, so nothing is collected on delivery. For all other countries, import duties and taxes are not included in the price and may be collected by the carrier on delivery. Rates and duty-free thresholds are set by your country, so check with your local customs office for exact figures. See the customs section of the FAQ for the documents we provide.
Payment
You can pay by credit / debit card or PayPal (instant checkout with Buyer Protection) or with your Wise account (pay within 24 hours from the Wise payment link in your order confirmation). No payment fees. Prices are in Japanese yen.
Authenticity guarantee
Shrink-wrapped items carry a full authenticity guarantee. To claim it, film an uninterrupted unboxing video that starts from opening the outer shipping carton and continues through opening the product. Sealed packs and PSA slabs are inspected before they ship; that inspection verifies authenticity only. Wrong or damaged items can be returned within 14 days under the return policy. How parcels are packed is shown on the packaging page.
Placing a first order
- Register as a buyer with your shop details. The account is active immediately.
- Add boxes, packs, singles or PSA cards to the cart. Prices are in yen; the wholesale discount is applied at checkout once the item total reaches ¥100,000 JPY or more.
- Choose the delivery option and pay by PayPal or Wise. Shipping and, for US addresses, prepaid duty are shown before payment.
- Receive a tracking number when the parcel is handed to the carrier. Film the unboxing from the outer carton to keep the authenticity guarantee.
Questions before ordering? The FAQ covers inspection, customs and payment in detail, and you can message us on Instagram.
About the seller
AWESOME CARDBANK JAPAN is operated by M&D Inc., a registered company in Kobe, Japan (Japan Corporate Number 1140001136398, established November 2024). We ship Japanese trading cards to card shops, resellers and collectors worldwide and post daily packing and shipping updates on Instagram. Company details are on the company page.