Rakuten Global Express: How to Shop Japan's Largest Marketplace and Ship Internationally (2026 Update)

By Elena · Published 2026-09-02 · Updated 2026-09-18 · How we check prices

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This article contains an affiliate link to Rakuten Ichiba via Moshimo, a Japanese affiliate network. If you follow that link and complete a purchase on Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Travel (excluding car rental), Rakuten Books, Rakuten GORA, or Rakuten Fashion, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Registering for Rakuten Global Express and the forwarding fees earn us nothing. We have no affiliate relationship with Amazon Japan, AmazonGlobal, or any third-party forwarding service mentioned in this article. It does not change what we recommend.

Rakuten Global Express (RGX) is Rakuten's own international forwarding service. It gives you a personal Japanese warehouse address, accepts packages from Rakuten and other Japanese stores, and ships them to your door across 88 countries and regions. Whether it is the right route comes down to one question: are you mainly shopping on Rakuten Ichiba or Rakuten Books?

On 4 August 2026, RGX revised its Economy Air rates upward. The US and some other countries are unaffected — Economy Air was never available there — and Standard Express and sea mail rates were not part of the revision.

This guide covers:

• How the service works and who it suits
• Current rates after the August 2026 revision, with worked examples for the US and Australia
• Items RGX cannot forward
• Payment options and how Rakuten Points work
• When AmazonGlobal or a third-party forwarder is the better choice

What Is Rakuten Global Express?

RGX gives you a personal Japanese warehouse address in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. You ship anything you order on Rakuten — or from other Japanese online stores — to that address. When packages arrive at the warehouse, you log in, choose a shipping method, pay the international fee, and RGX sends them to your home.

Because RGX is run by Rakuten, orders placed on Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Books are automatically tracked in your account dashboard. That removes one manual step that users of third-party forwarding services must handle. Consolidating multiple packages into one outbound shipment costs nothing extra.

RGX does not place orders on your behalf. You browse and buy as usual; RGX handles only the warehouse address and the international shipping leg.

Who Should Use Rakuten Global Express?

RGX makes sense if all of the following are true for you:

You want to shop on Rakuten Ichiba or Rakuten Books, and the items you want do not ship internationally from the seller. Many Rakuten sellers ship domestically only; RGX gives them a Japanese destination to deliver to, and handles the international leg from there.

You are comfortable with a two-stage process — a domestic delivery to the Kawasaki warehouse, then a separate international shipment — and you are not in a rush.

You shop in multiple orders at once. Consolidating several packages costs nothing extra, which can make the per-item shipping cost considerably lower than sending each parcel separately.

You already have a Rakuten account or are willing to create one. Registration is free. You will need to complete identity verification, required under Japanese anti-money laundering law for international users.

You live in one of the 88 countries and regions RGX covers. These include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and major markets across Asia and Latin America.

Who Should NOT Use Rakuten Global Express?

Use a different route if any of the following applies.

You mainly shop outside Rakuten. RGX technically accepts packages from any Japanese sender — including stores on Yahoo! Auctions Japan, individual brand sites, and specialty retailers — but you lose automatic tracking integration. You will need to enter tracking numbers manually, and not every Japanese store is familiar with forwarding to a Kawasaki warehouse address.

Your items are on the prohibited list. The list is broad: nail polish, perfume, spray cans, mobile power banks, alcohol over 25% ABV, and anything refrigerated are all excluded. Shoppers who mainly buy beauty or wellness products will find that a significant portion of their orders cannot be forwarded.

Your destination is not among the 88 countries and regions RGX covers. There is no workaround for out-of-range destinations.

Your US-bound order is below ¥410,000 in declared value. Economy Air is not available to the US. Since 24 July 2026, both Standard Express and sea mail require a declared value above ¥410,000 (approximately USD 2,500) per parcel — a restriction introduced in response to US customs authority rule changes. For most casual purchases, neither of those methods can be selected; only Super Express remains available. Check the US fee page for current Super Express rates before placing a low-value order destined for the US.

You want to buy on Amazon Japan. Check AmazonGlobal first — it may already offer direct international shipping on the item you want, with no forwarding step needed.

How to Use Rakuten Global Express: Step by Step

There are six stages from registration to delivery. This guide covers personal purchases you forward to yourself; Rakuten Global Express is a personal forwarding service and is not intended for resale.

1. Log in with your Rakuten ID. If you already shop on Rakuten, use the same account. If not, create a free Rakuten membership. The registration pages are in Japanese; enable automatic translation in your browser.

2. Complete identity verification. Japanese law requires identity verification for international forwarding. Go to My Page and follow the prompts. Have your passport or national ID ready. The process is entirely online.

3. Get your personal forwarding address from My Page. After verification, your personal warehouse address appears in My Page — a Kawasaki address unique to your account. Use this address as the shipping destination whenever you order from a Japanese store. Do not share it; packages that arrive there are tied to your account.

4. Order from Rakuten (or another Japanese store) using your forwarding address. Rakuten Ichiba is where you place the order for most purchases in this guide. Shop normally on Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Books, or any other Japanese online store. Enter your RGX warehouse address at checkout. For Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Books orders, tracking information appears in your RGX My Page automatically once the seller ships.

5. Wait for packages to arrive, then instruct RGX to ship. When packages reach the Kawasaki warehouse, they appear in My Page. Wait for several packages to arrive and consolidate them into one outbound shipment at no extra charge. When ready, select a shipping method and destination, review the estimated cost, and confirm.

6. Pay and wait for delivery. Pay the international shipping fee. Accepted payment methods are described in the payment section below. Your package then leaves Japan by the route you selected.

Shipping Costs After the August 2026 Fee Revision

What Changed on 4 August 2026

On 10 July 2026, Rakuten announced a revision to Economy Air rates, citing rising international shipping costs. The change took effect on 4 August 2026 for all shipments dispatched from that date onward. Only Economy Air rates were revised; Standard Express, Super Express, and sea mail rates were not part of the announcement.

The rates below are current as of 2 September 2026. A before-and-after comparison is not possible: Rakuten removed the previous Economy Air rates from its official pages and published no comparison table alongside the announcement.

RGX publishes a fee estimator and country-specific rate pages on its official site. Rates vary by destination, so check the page for your country before placing orders.

Four Shipping Methods

Super Express arrives in approximately one day. It is the fastest and most expensive option. The shipping fee does not include consumption tax.

Standard Express takes approximately two to six days and is the main option for most international destinations. Consumption tax does not apply to the shipping fee.

Economy Air takes approximately five to ten days, or ten to fifteen days for some destinations. It is not available to all countries; the United States is one where Economy Air cannot be used.

Sea mail takes approximately 25 to 66 days and is the cheapest option for heavy shipments. For US-bound parcels, sea mail requires a declared value above ¥410,000 (approximately USD 2,500) — the same threshold that applies to Standard Express for US destinations.

Current Standard Express Rates to the United States

Economy Air is not available to the US. Since 24 July 2026, both Standard Express and sea mail are available only for parcels with a declared value above ¥410,000 (approximately USD 2,500). If your declared value exceeds that threshold, the following Standard Express rates apply (source: globalexpress.rakuten.co.jp, US country fee page, confirmed 2 September 2026):

Sources: Rakuten Global Express US-specific rates³. Checked 2026-09-02.

Sea mail to the US starts at ¥3,830 for 100 g and approximately ¥5,170 for 1 kg, but also requires the ¥410,000 declared-value minimum. For orders below ¥410,000, only Super Express is available; check the US fee page for current Super Express rates.

Current Rates to Australia (Economy Air and Standard Express)

Australia is one destination where Economy Air is available after the 4 August 2026 revision. Rates confirmed 2 September 2026:

Sources: Rakuten Global Express Australia-specific rates⁴. Checked 2026-09-02.

Sea mail to Australia starts at ¥3,740 for 100 g and ¥7,420 for 5 kg.

Worked Example: Shipping a High-Value Order to the US and a General Order to Australia

For US-bound shipments, Standard Express and sea mail are only available when the declared value of the parcel exceeds ¥410,000. A ¥3,000 snack order, for example, does not meet this threshold; Standard Express cannot be selected for that shipment. Only Super Express would be available, and its rates are not confirmed in the source data for this article — check the US fee page before placing a low-value US order.

For an order above the ¥410,000 threshold — such as electronics or other high-value goods from Rakuten Ichiba — Standard Express is an option. A 1 kg parcel at that declared value costs ¥6,350 to ship via Standard Express (confirmed rate as of 2 September 2026).

For the same 1 kg parcel to Australia, Economy Air would cost approximately ¥4,820. This is interpolated from the ¥2,780 (100 g) and ¥10,410 (5 kg) rates on the Australia page; the exact 1 kg rate is marked as approximate in the source data. Australia does not carry the ¥410,000 declared-value restriction.

Items You Cannot Send Through Rakuten Global Express

Import rules and aviation safety restrictions apply to all forwarded shipments. The prohibited items list on the official RGX help pages includes:

Alcohol: Beverages with an alcohol content of 25% or higher cannot be sent.

Temperature-controlled goods: Refrigerated or frozen products are not accepted at the warehouse.

Cosmetics and beauty items: Nail polish, gel nail products, perfume, room fragrance, hair dye, and hair growth products are prohibited. This restriction covers more of the Japanese cosmetics market than most shoppers expect.

Spray cans: All aerosol products are prohibited, including cosmetic and hair care sprays.

Batteries and lithium battery devices: Standalone mobile power banks cannot be sent. Devices using lithium batteries — including fully wireless earphones, e-cigarettes, and gaming consoles that exceed specified thresholds — are restricted. The limits are: combined batteries not exceeding 100 Wh, single batteries not exceeding 20 Wh, and a maximum of two batteries per package.

Alcohol-based products: Alcohol-based hand sanitisers and alcohol-containing wet wipes are prohibited.

General hazardous materials: Explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids, toxins, radioactive materials, and corrosive substances are not accepted.

If you regularly buy cosmetics, spray-application skincare products, or electronics with lithium batteries, check the prohibited items list before building your order. Items that cannot be forwarded will sit in the warehouse with no resolution path.

Your own country's import rules apply separately from RGX's prohibited list. Even if RGX can send an item, your customs authority may not permit it to enter.

How Payment Works

The international shipping fee is paid when you instruct RGX to dispatch your parcel. Payment options are:

Credit card: The card registered to your Rakuten account. Available in all shipping scenarios.

PayPal: Accepted, but not when you have enabled auto-shipping — an optional setting that dispatches packages automatically on arrival. If auto-shipping is on, PayPal cannot be used.

Rakuten Points: Points accumulated on your Rakuten account can be applied to the shipping fee, but not when auto-shipping is active.

Paying with a Rakuten Card or Taiwan Rakuten Card earns an additional 1% in limited-time points on the shipping fee. All RGX shipments earn 1% in regular Rakuten Points on the shipping fee, regardless of payment method.

PayPay is not listed as an accepted payment method on the RGX payment help page.

Rakuten Points for International Shoppers

RGX offers overseas shoppers two ways to earn Rakuten Points. Every shipment earns 1% of the shipping fee as regular Rakuten Points. Paying with a Rakuten Card adds another 1% in limited-time points.

Points can be used toward a future shipping fee, as long as auto-shipping is not active at the time.

The benefit is modest but real for frequent shippers. A ¥6,350 Standard Express shipment to the US earns ¥63 in regular points, or ¥127 with a Rakuten Card. Over several shipments, that adds up to a small discount on future shipping.

Points earned through Rakuten Ichiba purchases are separate and subject to Rakuten's standard points terms. The RGX point accrual described here applies only to the shipping fee, not to the goods themselves.

Two Alternatives to Rakuten Global Express

AmazonGlobal: When Your Item Ships Directly from Amazon Japan

If the item you want is listed on Amazon.co.jp and the seller participates in AmazonGlobal, international shipping may already be available directly — no forwarding step needed. On the Amazon Japan product page, check the shipping section for international delivery eligibility. When AmazonGlobal is an option, you get one delivery, one shipping charge, and one tracking number: simpler than the two-leg RGX process.

AmazonGlobal's limitation is coverage. Many third-party sellers on Amazon Japan do not opt in, and certain product categories are restricted. If the item you want comes only from a domestic-only seller, AmazonGlobal will not help, and RGX is the next step.

Choose AmazonGlobal when the item is sold by Amazon Japan or an eligible seller and you want the simplicity of a single-step purchase.

Third-Party Forwarding Services: When You Shop Outside Rakuten

If you want to buy from stores not on Rakuten — individual brand websites, specialty retailers, or Yahoo! Auctions Japan — a third-party forwarding service may suit you better than RGX. Like RGX, these services give you a Japanese warehouse address and handle international shipping, but they are not tied to any single platform. They work across a wider range of Japanese stores.

The trade-off: you lose the automatic order tracking that RGX provides for Rakuten purchases, and you pay the provider's fees, which vary widely. If you are already a Rakuten user who shops mainly on Rakuten Ichiba, there is no meaningful advantage to using a third-party service for those purchases.

Choose a third-party forwarding service if most of what you want is on sites outside Rakuten's marketplace. Compare fees and destination coverage before signing up.

Summary

Rakuten Global Express is Rakuten's own international forwarding service. It issues a Kawasaki warehouse address through My Page after identity verification and ships packages from Japan to 88 countries and regions. Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Books orders are tracked automatically in your dashboard. Consolidation is free. Payment options are credit card, PayPal, and Rakuten Points.

The current fee structure reflects Economy Air rates revised on 4 August 2026. Economy Air is not available to the United States. Since 24 July 2026, both Standard Express and sea mail for US-bound parcels require a declared value above ¥410,000 (approximately USD 2,500); for orders below this threshold, only Super Express is available — check the US fee page for its rates. For qualifying high-value orders, Standard Express starts at ¥4,560 for 100 grams. Australia and many other destinations can use Economy Air without a declared-value restriction.

The prohibited items list is significant. Cosmetics with spray applicators, most standalone perfumes, mobile power banks, and alcohol over 25% ABV cannot be forwarded. Shoppers who mainly buy beauty and personal care products should review the list before building a cart.

RGX works well for Rakuten-focused shoppers who want to consolidate several orders and ship abroad without a third-party service. If you mainly shop on Amazon Japan, check AmazonGlobal first. If you want to shop across many Japanese platforms, a third-party forwarder may give you more flexibility.