are you a scooter parts store?
no, i'm just one guy with a private, by-request shopping service... and who loves to spread japanese style around the world.

how does this work?
it's really simple: if you already know what you'd like from japan, just email me using the contact form and i'll quote you a price for the item and service fee, and (if necessary) shipping as well. if you have a pic or URL for the item you want, please send that too.

i'm not sure what i want yet...
if you don't know what you want yet, check out the other pages on this site to see what other items i've been sending out lately. also, there are links to japanese stores which can be searched by picture or (kind-of) translated via google. and if you have a question about anything else, whether it's availability or just a general question about japan, feel free to ask.

will you shop for anything at all?
within reason. this site is focused on scooter and rider related gear so that always takes priority. It all depends on how busy I am and how easy it is to get. i also prefer not to ship items over 7-8kg (15-17lb) in weight due mainly to the size and shipping cost. there's a minimum order of $100 if i need to make a special trip to a store i don't go to often (ie: anything that's not Tokyo Parts*).

do you do auction sites like Yahoo! Auctions Japan?
i’ve done a few in the past, but i’d recommend it only for something you’re absolutely desperate to have. since auction prices usually aren’t definite it’s hard to give a quote upfront. there are also extra fees like bank transfer fees and delivery within Japan.

how do you work out prices?
it can vary from item to item depending on its size and how easy/difficult it is to get. as a rough guide, i add 20-25% to the listed/retail price and then convert into the currency of your choice. Yahoo's currency converter can give you some idea of current market rates (but please be aware the real rates are usually a few cents different, as i go by the figure my bank gives me; which is never as good as the market :( shipping costs are based on the standard post office rates; i'm not looking to make a profit by overcharging on shipping.

how can i get the funds to you?
payment (at this stage) is by PayPal only. i always make sure we agree on a price before buying anything, and i'll go shopping for you once i've received payment.

how do you ship and how long does it take?
shipping is done via EMS airmail, which takes around 4 days to reach the USA from Japan, sometimes a couple days longer to other destinations. of course, additional time is required for me to do the actual shopping and sometimes goods need to be ordered in. if you have an urgent request, please let me know.

why is it taking so long?
usually it doesn't... but due to the popularity of some parts or size of the manufacturer's company, availability can sometimes be erratic. i'll try let you know if your request will take a long time, and please let me know if you think it's taking too long. i'll refund you in full if you want to cancel (unless you've ordered something particularly rare or customized to your bike... but to date this has never happened.)

argh! why is shipping so expensive?
hmm, you’ll have to ask Japan Post about that, but it’s probably due to the increasing cost of jet fuel, the unreliable value of the US dollar, and the fact that scooter parts are often made of solid metal. shipping individual parts by air really isn’t the most efficient way to do it, but unfortunately it’s the only way for some things. if a part is popular enough then a store in your country will buy them in bulk and sell them to you cheaper. but there are always limits on how many different items they can stock.

why do the prices change sometimes?
this is due to the current exchange rate between the japanese yen and other currencies.

are japanese bike parts legal in other countries?
it varies greatly from place to place, so please check your local regulations before ordering anything. many parts are for racing use only and japanese scooter helmets generally wouldn't meet safety requirements in some countries. please be careful.

who are you?
just someone who lives in tokyo and loves scooters, writing, electronic music and computers. when i'm not working i study and frequently mangle the japanese language.

are you an awesome scooter genius?
umm... not at all. while i do have access to a lot of hard-to-get japanese parts, i'm not necessarily an expert on technical matters & may have to research answers to tricky questions. if you're a ruckus/zoomer rider, of course the forums at TotalRuckus and Battlescooter's Ruckus Central are great sources of information. i have a couple of friends who are awesome scooter geniuses, though, who i constantly hassle for information.