Japan Overseas Shopping｜Rakuten Consolidated Shipping for Taiwan｜Buy from Rakuten & Amazon
Taiwan shoppers struggle with direct Japan purchases; learn how to use Rakuten consolidation to buy from Rakuten and Amazon, ensuring smooth delivery and saving costs with a step-by-step guide featuring Horie titanium cup.
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Table of Contents
How to Shop from Japan and Ship to Taiwan — Using Rakuten Shipping to Buy Rakuten Market and Amazon Products (Horie Titanium Cup) with Delivery in as Fast as 4 Days
Buying what you want yourself: A record and guide for using Rakuten Shipping to purchase Japanese products and ship them back to Taiwan, using the Horie titanium cup as an example.
Horie Titanium Cup
The main features of the Horie titanium cup that impressed me during my last trip to Japan:
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Exclusive oxidation coloring pattern technology, offering vibrant and brilliant colors with multiple options
Exclusive double-layer insulation structure keeps drinks cold without condensation and hot without burning hands
Exclusive special inner cup surface design that automatically creates long-lasting dense foam when drinking beer
Narrow cup opening that won’t scratch your lips
Made of pure titanium, very light, antibacterial, and odor-free
What attracted me the most were the first three exclusive technologies ＋ it is a thermos cup. Besides, I don’t have any titanium cups yet, and I’m troubled by the lingering smell problem of thermos cups, so I really want to buy one to try.
Product to Purchase:
Brand: Horie Titanium Cup
Model: Kiln-made Booster / 400ml
Style: G4B
Official price ¥19,800 yen (about NT $4,080 TWD), free shipping within Japan.
I checked the prices in Taiwan, and whether on e-commerce platforms or from individual sellers, they are around NT $5,500. Occasionally, group buys or exhibition events can lower the price to about NT $4,200, which is a good deal to buy.
Total Time and Cost for Rakuten Forwarding Consolidation Shipping to Taiwan
The result is stated upfront.
Because I needed engraving, it took 7–10 days to produce. Also, I bought magazines, so I had to wait for them to arrive at the Rakuten forwarding center.
Looking at the transit time alone, it took only 1 day for the transfer station to receive the goods, and just 3 days from packing to delivery—truly very fast!
Total cost including shipping: NT $4,744. (See details in the article; shipping is higher due to the small purchase.)
Rakuten Global Express
Since I was already buying from Japan’s Rakuten Ichiba, I decided to try Rakuten’s forwarding/consolidation service. Of course, Rakuten forwarding is not limited to Rakuten purchases; other e-commerce platforms like Amazon JP, Yahoo Shopping / Yahoo Auctions Japan, Mercari, Biccamera, and more can also be shipped.
- You can earn Rakuten points and use them for payment!
Special Protection When Using Rakuten Shipping to Purchase Rakuten Products
In addition to providing forwarding/consolidation services, using Rakuten forwarding to purchase items from Rakuten Ichiba also offers the following guarantees:
Compensation Service: Paid but Item Not Delivered
Compensation Service: Product Damage (Please obtain a damage report issued by the logistics company)
Compensation Service: For receiving products that are clearly different from the product description or defective items
Compensation Service: If the received branded product is a counterfeit, infringing trademark rights (covered under the Safe Shopping Guarantee for over 1,000 brands)
Compensation amount: up to 300,000 yen
No handling fees or annual fees
For details, please refer to the official instructions.
Purchase Protection for Non-Rakuten Items
If the purchased item is not from Rakuten Ichiba, basic forwarding shipping protection is provided:
Compensation Service: Paid but Item Not Delivered
Compensation Service: Product Damage (Please obtain a damage report issued by the logistics company)
For details, please refer to the official instructions.
Shipping Cost Calculation and Quotation
You can use the official tool to estimate the shipping cost.
https://globalexpress.rakuten.co.jp/estimate/?l-id=top_estimate
Shipping Methods and Taiwan Shipping Rates
https://globalexpress.rakuten.co.jp/help/delivery
https://globalexpress.rakuten.co.jp/help/country/fee?country=TW
Please note that the size and weight here are the final figures after consolidation.
Registering a Rakuten Japan Account
Go to the Registration Page:
Enter your email address, password, and English name, then submit to complete the registration.
Here is a random website issue found: If a server error keeps appearing on the Rakuten site, try switching the language to Japanese, and it should work properly. (Possibly a multilingual error)
First, complete the real-name verification on Rakuten Shipping
After registering on Rakuten, you will be automatically logged in when you go to Rakuten Forwarding.
First, click the language option and switch to Traditional Chinese for easier operation.
Click My Page to activate the forwarding service
Go to your inbox to retrieve the verification code and complete the email verification.
Next, fill in your name information.
Surname (Kanji), Given Name (Kanji): Enter your Chinese name
Surname (Katakana), Given Name (Katakana): Fill in your name in Katakana. You can use this website for translation, or use a nickname, for example: リー, ハリー.
Activate Rakuten Forwarding Address and Complete Real-Name Verification
Step 1: Agree to the user terms. Some items, such as flammable goods, sprays, and fresh food, are prohibited from shipping.
Step 2: Enter your personal information. Be sure to input your real passport name in English and your date of birth.
Obtain Your Exclusive Rakuten Forwarding Address
Be sure to enter the full forwarding warehouse address, including the final
白石町6–1 RGXセンター XXXXXXXwith the English letters and numbers, as this is your unique identification address.You can click “Add Now” to directly add the address to your Rakuten account.
With this address and phone number, you can shop and ship from major Japanese e-commerce sites! However, to ensure your package is safely forwarded to you, please complete the “identity verification process” before shopping and shipping items.
Continue with the identity verification process
- Prepare your original ID card and mobile phone, then complete the verification through facial recognition. The entire process is self-service and available online 24/7.
However, my ID photo was quite different from my current appearance, so the online verification failed and automatically switched to manual review. I received the official notification that the manual review was completed the next day.
My Page
Click the “My Page” or “Top of My Page” above to go to the My Page homepage:
If the verification process is not completed, the following warning message will appear:
Please complete the verification before making any purchases.
Your Exclusive Shipping Address and Information
Your personalized information will be displayed at the bottom right of the page.
Prohibited Items for Shipping to Taiwan
Please confirm whether the item is prohibited before purchasing and shipping it back to Taiwan.
https://globalexpress.rakuten.co.jp/help/country/detail?country=TW
Different shipping methods have different restrictions. Please read carefully.
If you want to buy alcohol, cigarettes, or similar items, be sure to check online tutorials first. From what I’ve seen, after the items arrive in Taiwan, you need to present a notification letter and pay additional taxes before the goods are released.
Shopping on Rakuten Ichiba — Horie Titanium Cup Order Tutorial
High insulation titanium double-walled tumbler made in a 1055℃ kiln. Allergy-free, hygienic, rust-resistant, lightweight, durable, and long-lasting. Perfect as a gift for loved ones or a reward for yourself. [Free gift wrapping available] HORIE official shop / kiln-made, personalized pure titanium double-walled tumbler horie titanium tumbler for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Respect for the Aged Day, gifts, beer glass, Horie, Tsubame-Sanjo, birthday presents, farewell gifts, retirement celebrations, thank-you gifts, wedding gifts, SDGs, Christmas
Free shipping for 13,200 to 19,800 yen
Go to Product Page ：
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This is the product page for the Kiln Creation series. To choose other series, you can visit the HORIE store homepage.
Scroll to the bottom to select the product specifications (商品詳細を選択).
Shape/Size: Choose the style you want (please refer to the product page images; options include wide-mouth, narrow-mouth, and various capacities)
Color: Choose the style you want (please refer to the product page images)
I bought: Kiln-made Booster/400ml & G4B:
Name Engraving Option: Whether to engrave a name (online store exclusive, free engraving), requires 7–10 business days:
Wrapping Options: Wrapping paper style, A or B or no style.
Choice of Paulownia Box Design: Packaging box style, WakuWaku Surprise Edition (left, limited single pack) or Regular Edition (right)
Paulownia Wood Box for 2 Sets (※Check only if ordering 2 or more and needed): Check this if buying two or more cups to pack them in the same box (see bottom right in the image).
Skip if buying only one.
Combination for 2 sets (Example: Premium and Light) (※Please specify if ordering 2 sets or more): How to combine the boxes when buying two or more sets. If it’s troublesome, it’s faster to add them separately to the cart.
You can skip this if buying only one.
Name Engraving Type ※If ordering 2 or more single name-engraved items, please add them to the cart one by one: No engraving needed (skip the fields below). If engraving is required, please select the style and fill in each line of text according to the product page images:
Name engraving line 1
Name engraving second line
Name engraving, third line
Name engraving line 4
Please note that if you want engraving, add each item to the cart separately. Do not write the engraving details in the engraving content field.
I chose engraving style B (see image at the end).
Gift Wrapping and Greeting Card Styles, Content:
Noshi content: Type of congratulatory message, such as “Goshūgi” (celebration), “Shukujū” (birthday wishes), etc. If not needed, select “No noshi.”
Type of Noshi: Gift tag style, as shown in the image below. If not needed, select “No Noshi.”
Types of Noshi Mizuhiki: Styles of decorative cords for gift wrapping, as shown in the image below. If not needed, select “No Noshi.”
Name to be written on the gift wrapping (sender) ※For joint names, please insert “・” between names. If you want furigana for occasions like thank-you gifts, please also enter furigana. If over 20 characters, please write in the remarks column: Please fill in the sender’s name to be printed on the gift wrapping (noshi). For multiple senders, insert “・” between names; leave blank if not applicable.
Add to Cart and Complete Checkout
After filling in all the specifications, click “かごに追加” to add to the cart. For the delivery address, select our Rakuten forwarding service’s “Kanagawa Prefecture.” Below, the estimated delivery time to Rakuten forwarding and free shipping will be shown. Once everything is set, click the cart icon above to proceed to checkout:
After confirming the product specifications are correct, click “Proceed to Purchase” on the right.
Delivery Address: You can directly select the newly added Rakuten forwarding address or manually add a forwarding address (make sure to enter the full forwarding address including the final number).
Payment Method: I paid by credit card directly (considered a purchase from Japan, so check which banks offer promotions).
After confirming everything is correct, click “注文を確定する” to complete the order.
HORIE Engraving Confirmation
If you choose to have engraving, HORIE will send you a confirmation after receiving the order. If everything is fine, you can reply with “ご送付いただいたレイアウトを確認しました。問題ございませんので製作を進めてください。” to let them start production.
He will also send a message to notify the shipping time.
Seller Shipment and Rakuten Forwarding Arrival Notification
After receiving the HORIE shipping notification, the package usually arrives at the Rakuten forwarding warehouse within 1–3 days.
Shipping from Amazon JP to Rakuten Forwarding
This time, besides buying the HORIE titanium cup, I also purchased a magazine from Amazon JP in Japan, planning to ship them together back to Taiwan.
On the shopping site, simply remember to fill in the shipping address and contact phone number with your Rakuten forwarding information.
(Non-Rakuten Market Shopping) Pre-Registration for Package Arrival
For items not purchased directly from Rakuten, it is recommended to register them after placing the order before shipping to the forwarding address.
Click “Cargo List” → “Register/Confirm”
Enter store, product information, and amount purchased from other platforms.
Amazon JP Purchase - Rakuten Shipping Arrival Notification
After completing the order, wait for the seller to ship the item. You will receive a notification once the package arrives at the Rakuten forwarding warehouse.
Rakuten Forwarding to Taiwan
Rakuten Global Express offers free storage for up to 30 days. Once all items have arrived and are consolidated, you can request packaging and shipping.
Delivered items: a total of three.
Click “Cargo List”:
Click “Submit Packaging Request”
Confirm the contents of the consolidated package for shipping. Once verified, click “Confirm Shipment Package.”
Click “Select other paid packaging services.”
You can choose the packaging service: (Click the “i” for illustrated instructions)
Remove packaging boxes, shoe boxes, flyers, catalogs, delivery slips, etc. to reduce weight and volume, saving on shipping costs.
Package Waterproofing
Using the reinforced box for international shipping: I selected this option, which basically means using a large cardboard box plus cushioning paper to protect your items.
Packaging Request (Choose Shipping Location)
Enter the shipping address:
- Passport English name, English address, your phone number (remove the leading 0 and replace with 886)
After submission, the status will change to: Packaging in progress. Please wait for the process to complete before making payment and shipping.
I received the packaging completion notification the next morning.
Pay Transfer Shipping Fee and Request Shipment
Status: Awaiting payment.
Click “Cargo List” → “Pending Payment” cargo → “Proceed to Payment”.
Final size and weight: 2,330 g, 38 x 30 x 21 cm
Confirm the package contents and recipient information. If correct, click “Select Shipping Method.”
You can choose:
DHL Express (Super Express Air): 1–3 days, 9,100 JPY
According to a friend’s advice, if you use DHL, remember to apply for tax payment before release to avoid extra handling fees if customs inspects and charges additional taxes.EMS Express Air Shipping: 3–8 days, 6,550 JPY (I chose this, actually received in 2 days, very fast)
ECMS Economy Air Shipping: 6–11 days, 6,280 JPY
Sea shipping: 20–40 days, 5,620 JPY
The price is about the same as the Cost Estimation Tool.
Next, enter your credit card or PayPal to complete the payment:
Shipping fees also earn Rakuten points (1%)!
Shipping Request Completed
Status will change to: Shipping in progress.
Complete EZWay Registration
If you have no experience buying items from overseas, be sure to complete EZWay real-name verification by downloading the EZWay App, registering, and completing the verification.
Rakuten Shipping
After Rakuten completes the shipment, you will also receive a notification with a tracking number to check the status of your package.
The initial shipping location may not be found; please check again later and it should appear.
Waiting for delivery!
So far, registration on the Japanese Rakuten site, using Rakuten forwarding, placing orders, shipping, sending back to Taiwan, and EZWay are all done. Now, just wait for the goods to arrive!
Rakuten Forwarding, Horie Titanium Cup Unboxing
10/14 Requested shipment from Rakuten forwarding, received on 10/16!
The two cups plus one magazine actually fit into a small box.
Cover with Japanese-style warning stickers.
The reinforced box for international shipping includes this cardboard box plus shockproof paper packaging around the sides and bottom.
The above is a magazine bought from Amazon (the paper packaging was torn during shipping, but the contents are intact). Below is the Horie titanium cup.
The Horie titanium cup’s original sealed box is placed intact inside the Rakuten forwarding box.
It seems you can choose to remove the original packaging during forwarding to reduce volume and weight, saving on shipping costs.
Contents: 2 titanium cups.
Horie Titanium Cup
The overall colors, patterns, and gradients are very vivid and magical, creating an unreal beauty.
Open a bottle of draft beer immediately and add ice to test. The ice retention is indeed good, the beer has a creamy foam, tastes great, and it really doesn’t sweat.
Final Cost Calculation
Horie Titanium Cup Kiln-made Booster / 400ml ¥19,800 — NT $4,079
Shipping cost per person: NT$665
Customs Duty: Not Charged
Total: NT $4,744 spent.
Because titanium cups are very light, it’s a good idea to find a few people to buy together and share the shipping cost. This can reduce the price to about NT4,200. I only bought two, so the shipping cost felt a bit high.
Of course, the best deal is to buy directly at a Japanese department store and get a tax refund! The estimated price is around NT$ 3,600.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact me.
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