How to buy and ship guitars from Japan with ZenMarket

If you are a guitar player or collector, you might have heard before of people buying Japanese guitars.  

And indeed, Japan is an excellent place from where to source guitars: from vintage Japanese guitars straight from the Lawsuit Era (and even genuine Ibanez Lawsuit Guitars!), to second hand instruments in pristine condition, to the new, limited edition instruments made by Japanese manufacturers such as Yamaha, ESP, Fernandes, Fujigen and Tokai - Japan really is a heaven for guitar players and collectors!  

However, if you are living outside Japan you might be worried about whether you could tap into the Japanese market for guitars and how you can ship - or even if you can ship! - your finds to to your country.  

Well, fear not! With the help of ZenMarket, by the end of this article all of your questions about international shipping of guitars will be answered - and we’ll also give you some helpful tips on where to find great deals on Japanese guitars. So read on!

Can guitars be shipped internationally?

To clear any doubt from the start, guitars can indeed be shipped internationally!  

International couriers like DHL even offer guidelines on how to ship guitars abroad, proving that, as long as the maximum dimensions and weight limitations imposed by these carriers are respected, it is possible to have guitars and other instruments shipped to your door from other countries. 

But wait, didn’t guitars require special permits to be imported from abroad? 

Well, we have good news to share: for most Japanese guitars, this is no longer an issue!

Shop Guitar from Japan

In the past, a family of woods used in higher-end guitars and other instruments, collectively known as “rosewood”, was indeed subject to trade restrictions, needing additional documentation from the makers /  sellers of the instruments to be able to clear customs procedures in most countries.  

Since 2019 however, the Organization that watches over the application of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations has established that import regulations for rosewood items could be relaxed, therefore removing the need for additional import documentation for most destinations.  

While we always invite our customers to double-check with the local customs authorities on the rules to import their items before completing a purchase, since November 2019 it is generally possible to buy and have ZenMarket ship guitars even when they contain parts made out of rosewood.  

As it happens for the instruments weight and dimensions, most Japanese online sellers will include information on the materials used to build guitars and other musical instruments in the product's details, especially mentioning materials such as rosewood.  

And if you are feeling better in knowing you can ship a guitar from Japan to your country, but still have doubts on how much it would cost you, we got you covered!

ZenMarket helps you verify which shipping company will be able to take charge of your guitar from Japan, by putting at your disposal a practical shipping calculator.

You will just have to fill in the details about the destination country and the guitar’s dimensions and weight (information that can usually be found in the product’s description) and you will be able to check which shipping methods allow for the sending of such instruments and an estimate of the cost!

Is it risky to have guitars shipped off internationally?

While guitars are delicate instruments that require extra care when being packed and shipped, instruments shipped with the proper care and cushioning materials will arrive safely to their new owners in the majority of cases. 

On many Japanese online shops it is actually possible to buy guitars and other instruments complete with their original cases, even when second hand!  

This is thanks to the care that many Japanese owners put into storing their instruments and the way in which the purchasing of second hand goods works in Japan. 

Have you found a listing for a great guitar on a Japanese online store, but it doesn’t include the original case? 

We can help you! You can buy a guitar from Japan with ZenMarket knowing that we’ll proceed to securely pack your new instrument with cushioning materials such as bubble wrap to make sure your precious find won’t be damaged during transport. 

 ^{We are proud with the way we pack the guitars we sell, and even prouder when people are happy of the conditions in which they received them.@DunsysGuitarWorld}

Where to find great deals on Japanese guitars

Now that you should be feeling more confident about shipping a guitar internationally from Japan, it’s time to go on a treasure hunt and look for rare Japanese vintage guitars finds, second hand deals, or even limited edition, Japan-only guitars from some of the best makers in the world! 

We can highly recommend Digimart, Japan’s  largest website dedicated to musical instruments and new partner of ZenMarket.

Browsing on their website or on their ZenMarket’s page, you will be able to browse items from more than 500 musical instruments stores across Japan, with more than 350,000 items in stock at the moment in which we write this article. We are sure that you will find the best deal for you!  

And if that seems like too difficult of a choice, you could also try to take a look at our guitar showcase, where we have selected some of the most popular guitars available in Japan, both brand new or second hand guitars in excellent condition.

You can also ask our customer service for help in finding the perfect guitar for you or if you need more information on how ZenMarket ships guitars internationally.

Shipping a guitar internationally from Japan doesn’t have to be a hurdle! So, why wait? Start browsing for your dream guitar on ZenMarket, and let us help you bring the sounds of Japan to your doorstep!