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 JDirectItems Auction or Suruga-Ya.
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.
Also Read: HOW TO BID ON JDirectItems Auction
Also Read: HOW TO PURCHASE ITEMS FROM SURUGAYA
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
Shop Touhou Fumo on ZenMarket Now
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 JDirectItems 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 JDirectItems Auction, 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: JDirectItems Auction LISTINGS - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
How to Order Gift Fumo Using ZenMarket
First, head over to our website and log in. If you don’t have an account, you can register here (it only takes a few seconds!). After that, copy the item URL. Then, paste the URL into the search bar! A pop-up box will appear. Here you can input item descriptions (e.g., if there are different colors and sizes). All you have to do next is click “Add,” and the item will be added to your cart!
After the item is added, sit back and wait for our ZenMarket buying team to check its price and availability. This process may take up to 24 hours or longer during busy periods. Once this is done, you will receive a notification in your account. All that is left is to pay for the item by adding funds to your account!
The price will then be notified to you. Here you will pay for the item itself. This will be the 1 out of 2 times a payment must be made.
Create a Parcel For Your Sanrio Baby Items
Once the item reaches our warehouse, you can decide what shipping method to use. You can also choose what kind of parcel you would like to use. Size and dimensions may affect what shipping method is available.
Gift Fumo International Shipping
Once the shipping method, parcel size, and dimensions are chosen, your item will be sent to your address!
Receive Your Gift Fumo Items
Shipping methods and parcel dimensions will affect the timing of when your Sanrio Baby items will reach your address.
Conclusion
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.
Happy shopping! 🎀