Touhou Fumos are beautiful character plushies from popular anime, manga, and games.
For anyone trying to shop for one from outside Japan, it might seem a bit daunting to figure out the site catalogs which are not in English and pinpoint a retailer that carries the rare Fumo characters.
Gift, the maker responsible for creating Fumo characters, does not allow for international purchases without using a proxy service but don't worry - that's why we're here to help!
Due to their popularity, it is often easier to buy a like-new or previously owned Fumo rather than waiting for the character you want to become available in Gift's online catalog - with some Fumos not being restocked in years.
However, you can often find them by using our convenient search function or through the reseller sites like Yahoo Auctions JP or Suruga-Ya.
Also Read: HOW TO BID ON YAHOO AUCTIONS
Also Read: HOW TO PURCHASE ITEMS FROM SURUGAYA
This article will go over in detail how to find the Fumo character that you want and how to purchase it using our quick and easy proxy service.
Our step-by-step guide will walk you through how to identify the various types of Fumo and create an order so that you can get your Fumo with the least amount of time and effort.
Types Of Fumo
There are a wide variety of loved characters that you can buy in Fumo form.
They come in five main categories:
- Standard (approximately 20cm, 7.9 inches)
- Nendoroid (approximately 25cm, 9.8 inches)
- Hand puppets (40cm, 15.7 inches)
- Keychain/Plush Strap (approximately 16cm, 6.3 inches)
- And the large Deka Fumo (70cm, 27.5 inches)
There are around thirty unique Touhou characters available as Fumo.
Some of them are available in all forms, and others only come in one or two. Puppets are typically the rarest type.
The Touhou Fumos available from Gift include the following (This is not an exhaustive list):
- Remilia Scarlet (レミリア・スカーレット)
- Hakurei Reimu (博麗・霊夢 | はくれい・れいむ)
- Patchouli Knowledge (パチュリー・ノーレッジ)
- Kirisame Marisa (霧雨・魔理沙 | きりさめ・まりさ)
- Alice Margatroid (アリス・マーガトロイド)
- Flandre Scarlet (フランドール・スカーレット)
- Kochiya Sanae (東風谷・早苗 | こちや・さなえ)
- Cirno (チルノ)
- Moriya Suwako (洩矢・諏訪子 | もりや・すわこ)
- Konpaku Youmu (魂魄・妖夢 | こんぱく・ようむ)
- Saigyouji Yuyuko (西行寺・幽々子 | さいぎょうじ・ゆゆこ)
- Hong Meiling (紅・美鈴 | ほん・めいりん)
- Chen (橙 | ちぇん)
- Yakumo Ran (八雲・藍 | やくも・らん)
- Yakumo Yukari (八雲・紫 | やくも・ゆかり)
- Houraisan Kaguya (蓬莱山・輝夜 | ほうらいさん・かぐや)
- Fujiwara no Mokou (藤原・妹紅 | ふじわら・もこう)
- Komeiji Satori (古明地・さとり | こめいじ・さとり)
- Komeiji Koishi (古明地・こいし | こめいじ・こいし)
- Reisen Udongein Inaba (鈴仙・優曇華院・イナバ | れいせん・うどんげいん・イナバ)
- Inaba Tewi (因幡・てゐ | いなば・てゐ)
- Hata no Kokoro (秦・こころ | はた・こころ)
- Ibaraki Kasen (茨木・華扇 | いばらき・かせん)
- Shameimaru Aya (射命丸・文 | しゃめいまる・あや)
- Himekaidou Hatate (姫海堂・はたて | ひめかいどう・はたて)
- Hinanawi Tenshi (比那名居・天子 | ひなない・てんし)
- Yorigami Shion (依神・紫苑 | よりがみ・しおん)
- Kazami Yuuka (風見・幽香 | かざみ・ゆうか)
How To Spot A Fake Fumo
Bootleg Fumo are not always easy to tell from the authentic figures, but there are a few things you can look for that can reveal a fake.
You will notice that original Gift pieces have short legs, but you will find quite a few knockoffs that feature long legs.
If they have no tag or badge to prove their provenance, it does not automatically mean they are bootlegs, but it is a red flag. It is possible that someone selling their fumo has lost the tag or badge but be careful if you are looking specifically for original fumo.
You will want to look at the overall quality. If it appears poorly made either in design or materials, then it is almost certainly a fake. Original fumo are quality controlled which is why they are such a popular type of plushie.
If you are looking for a Fumo that you have seen, but it does not seem to be listed under Gift's catalog or on any other sites selling new or used Fumo, then most likely it was a custom design.
Gift does not create customized Fumo for their customers, but many talented artists can make them.
It is essential to be able to identify a forgery because some second-hand sites have issues with filtering them out due to the sheer number of items being processed daily.
How To Translate For Searching Site Catalogs
When using our search catalog, everything is automatically translated.
However, if you end up buying from a site we do not have listed, you may need some help reading the product information and filling out search terms.
If you are using an internet browser like Chrome, there are built-in translation features that make it simple to make it possible to read sites and product descriptions for products on Japanese sites.
However, you will still need to be able to write in the correct words and characters into the search engine if you are after a specific Fumo.
You can do this by using Google Translate, but you will need to set it for Japanese characters; otherwise, it will use the Latin alphabet, which will not be as helpful on the site search engines.
Here are a few words and their Japanese alternatives that you will most likely need to use when shopping for Fumo. The kanji and hiragana versions of character names have been written above for your convenience but character names that haven't been listed can often just be typed into Google Translate with little to no issues.
- Fumo | ふも
NOTE: "Fumo" is an English nickname for these goods, and it is catching on in Japan but they often also go by the Japanese standard term for a plushie "Nuigurumi".
- Plush Doll/Plushie | ぬいぐるみ
NOTE: This term refers to all plushies, not specifically fumo, so if non-fumo plushies show up in your search, don't worry - this is just a qwirk of searching for fumo in Japanese.
- Deka | でか
NOTE: "Deka" is a Japanese term that describes things that seem really big.
- Nendoroid | ねんどろいど
HELPFUL LINK: You can browse all Nendoroid Fumo on Gift here.
- Puppet | パペット
- Strap | ストラップ
HELPFUL LINK: You can browse all Strap Fumo on Gift here.
- Mini | ミニ
NOTE: Plush Strap/Keychain type fumo are often (but not always) referred to as "Mini fumo" in Japan due to their small size so if you don't get the results you were looking for when you search for strap fumo, try mini fumo instead.
- Out of Stock/Sold Out | 在庫切れ, 売り切れ | ざいこぎれ、うりきれ
- In Stock | 在庫 | ざいこ
- Resale | 再販 | さいはん
- Touhou | 東方 | とうほう
How to Search for the Fumo you want:
If you are looking for a specific character Fumo, simply put the character's name, the type of fumo and the Japanese word for plushie.
For example, if you wanted to get the Remilia Scarlet Nendoroid Fumo your search term could be:
レミリア スカーレット ねんどろいど ぬいぐるみ
If you wanted to get the Puppet Kirisame Marisa Fumo, your search term could be:
パペット ふも まりさ
Usually Fumo are listed using the character's personal name and written in Hiragana instead of kanji, though this is not the case 100% of the time so feel free to experiment with keyword combinations.
If you are looking for the standard type of fumo, you don't have to include a specific type in your search at all but be aware that they are sometimes listed as "Fumo fumo".
Also, if you are looking for non-Touhou Fumo, there are plenty available but the search rules still apply - simply replace the character's name with who you're looking for or if you are not looking for a specific character but want to see Fumos from a certain franchise, replace the character name with the name of the franchise.
For example, if you were looking for Fate Fumo you could try searching:
Fate ふも
Also Read: TAKING A PEEK INTO THE WORLD OF FATE
Where To Find A Fumo
Gift is the #1 place for finding official and original Fumo from a number of franchises including Touhou but as they are a maker they do not always distribute goods themselves and often rely on other retail stores to sell their merchandise.
As such, they are good for finding out about the different kinds of fumo currently available, so that you can search for them on other online stores.
For items they do sell directly, Gift is often out of stock because they only produce more Fumo a couple of times a year, so you may be forced to search through an alternative site for available Fumo anyway. They also only ship to Japan.
The easiest way to look for Fumos is by using the search terms guide above to search the the sites we have listed on our menu bar. You can use this to buy new Fumo on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon Japan.
Another way you can buy Fumo plushies is by visiting Japanese online retailers! If they don't ship to your country, ZenMarket can help! Simply find the fumo you want to buy and paste the link into the ZenMarket search bar - our customer support will then confirm its availablity for you and prepare it for purchase. We have a more in-depth guide on this down below.
Other retailers that sell Fumo Plushies are:
You can also shop for second-hand fumo plush dolls on stores like Yahoo! Auctions Japan, Rakuma and Mandarake.
The benefit of buying a used or like-new Fumo is that the price may be significantly reduced depending on the seller. Individuals on auction sites can have lower costs than reseller retailers and can sometimes have discontinued fumo plushies or fumo that are currently sold out or unavailable for purchase at official stores - but do be careful - second-hand sellers are more likely to have fake fumo or bootleg fumo, so if you are after an original fumo, be sure to check all the purchase details carefully.
If you need help confirming if a fumo is real, feel free to ask our friendly customer support for assistance via your account page.
Also Read: YAHOO AUCTIONS LISTINGS - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Once you have found the product you want, you can get started on purchasing. If you found the Fumo you want on Yahoo! Auctions, add the funds you need to win your auction and make a bid. It is okay if you add more funds than you need for the auction as you will be able to use any leftover funds to pay for shipping. Alternatively you can use your ZenMarket credit.
Also Read: ZENMARKET LOYALTY PROGRAM - FAQ
For other websites, as above - copy and paste the link for the Fumo you want into the ZenMarket search box so our customer support team can confirm its availability and prepare the order for you.
Using A Proxy Service For Shipping
When ordering products from a site like Gift that does not allow shipment to international sellers, it is good to use a proxy service like ZenMarket because we can take care of both the order and the international shipment for you.
It is often cheaper than mail forwarding options and requires far less translation or Japanese language knowledge than you would need to order for yourself.
How much it will cost is going to be determined by several factors, including where you live, what kind of site the item is on (retail, auction, etc.), and what features/extras you would like included.
The ordering process is much more straightforward with a proxy since all you need to do is find the right Fumo figure and forward the URL for that item page to us through our order form.
Step By Step Walkthrough For Buying A Fumo
Now that you are more familiar with the products and how to search for them, we will break down the actual buying process from search to shipment.
There may be slight variations to each step depending on which site you are buying from and what service you are using, but this guide should cover most buying situations.
Step 1: Register For ZenMarket Services
If you do not have one, we make it quick and easy to create an account by allowing you to connect with a social media account. Once you are registered, the process has only a few simple steps.
- Provide the URL of the item you want to purchase.
- Get a price quote.
- Confirm and provide your payment information.
- We will order the item and let you know when it has arrived at their storage warehouse.
- We'll then ensure we have the right shipment information for you, and the item will be sent out for delivery.
Not signed up for ZenMarket yet? Sign up here.
Step 2: Finding Your Fumo
You can search by copy/pasting either "Fumo Plush", "Touhou Plush", or the translation of the Fumo character you are looking for if there is a specific Fumo you are trying to locate.
This will go directly into the Zenmarket search bar, and you can narrow it down by selecting individual sites from the search dropdown menu.
For example, if you want to look for a Fumo being auctioned, then you can choose "Y! Auctions" from the dropdown menu and paste in the translated search term.
Whenever you venture onto another site, you will want to utilize your browser's translation feature to make looking through the products easier.
Step 3: Filtering Your Search Results
There is a wide range of filtering possibilities available on the page's left-hand side when using Yahoo! Auctions once you have input your search term. You can choose from price range, item condition, or seller, among other options.
Other stores may have different filtering capabilities.
Step 4: Determine Authenticity
When looking on a second-hand site, keep an eye out for the badge or tag that will indicate the figure is a true Gift Fumo and not a knockoff.
Also, zoom in on any images provided so you can get a good look at the quality of materials and details. Best practice is to look at a photo taken by the seller so that you can see the exact Touhou plushie you are buying.
If it looks poorly made, then it is almost certainly not authentic.
Also, sellers will sometimes use product images from the Gift website instead of photos of the product they have taken themselves. This doesn't necessarily mean the Fumo will be fake but it is something to be careful of as you are unable to see the individual Touhou Fumo doll that you will end up buying.
Finally, ZenMarket closely monitors sellers on Yahoo! Auctions. If a seller has a rating below a certain threshold, they are likley selling fakes, provide slow service or are generally difficult to deal with, so we flag them and make purchasing from them unavailable by default. If you really want to purchase from that seller, you can request an exception but we strongly recommend not to.
We have your back!
Step 5: Paste URL And Checkout
If there is a Fumo you are after on a website other than ZenMarket we can still help! All you have to do is paste page URL of the item into the ZenMarket search bar, follow the prompts, and our super customer support will take care of the rest.
Shipment Timeline
The seller's shipping times will not reflect when your Touhou Fumo will arrive at your location but when it will arrive at the ZenMarket warehouse.
Shipping times from our warehouse can vary significantly based on what country you live in and how Covid may be affecting the postal services between different countries on the route.
If you are looking to get a fumo as a a gift with a deadline (Christmas, birthday, etc.), it is best to order far in advance.
THAT'S IT!
Shopping for a Fumo figure could not be easier with the help of our dedicated proxy service.
You now have the tools needed to search through site catalogs using translations, identify if an item is authentic or possibly a knockoff, and order with confidence.
Also Read: 7 MUST-HAVE TOUHOU PROJECT MERCH
Also Read: COMIKET ULTIMATE GUIDE: TOUHOU PROJECT
