Musical Instruments from Japan

Which musical instruments are worth buying from Japan?

Japanese-made guitars and basses, Japanese electronics, and the used stock of Japanese players. Fender Japan (built by Fujigen from 1982 to 1997), Ibanez from Hoshino Gakki, ESP, Tokai, Greco and the 1970s and 1980s Japanese copies that collectors call ジャパンヴィンテージ (Japan vintage), the acoustic makers K.Yairi, Morris and Takamine, and the pedals and keyboards of Boss, Roland, Korg, Yamaha and Zoom are all sold most fully at home, with 日本製 (made in Japan) stated in listings. Japanese instrument shops and marketplaces deliver inside Japan only; OneMall supplies the Japanese address and yen payment and forwards from our Japan warehouse.

What do ネック反り and フレット残り mean on a used guitar listing?

Neck relief and remaining fret height — the two facts that decide whether a used guitar is playable as sold. ネック反り (neck bow) is stated as 順反り (forward), 逆反り (back) or ほぼストレート (near straight); フレット残り is the remaining fret height, usually as a percentage such as フレット残り8割; and 電装系 covers the electronics. Sellers also state modifications (改造) and whether the parts are original (純正).

• ネック反り / 順反り / 逆反り / ほぼストレート — neck bow / forward / back / near straight
• フレット残り8割 — about eighty percent fret height remaining
• 電装系 良好 — electronics fine
• 純正 / 改造 / パーツ交換 — original / modified / parts replaced
• ハードケース付 / ソフトケース付 — hard case / gig bag included
• 打痕 / 塗装剥がれ — dents / finish wear

Where are instruments sold in Japan?

New from Japanese instrument retailers on Rakuten and Amazon Japan and from the shops' own online stores; used from those shops with grades, from Digimart, the Japanese used-instrument marketplace whose product pages can be pasted as links, and from Yahoo Auctions and Mercari for private sales. Pedals and small electronics are common on Mercari; guitars and basses on Digimart and Yahoo Auctions.

Can a guitar be shipped from Japan, and what does it cost?

Yes, as a long parcel, and the length is what to check. A guitar in a hard case is longer than the size limits of some shipping methods, so the methods offered at our Japan warehouse for a guitar are fewer than for a pedal, and the cost is set by the parcel's dimensions as much as its weight. At order time you pay the yen price, OneMall's service fee, shown before you confirm, and the seller's domestic shipping if charged; after arrival you choose among the methods that accept the parcel and pay for it. Pedals and small electronics are light and consolidate well; keyboards are heavy and long. Import duty, if your country charges it, is collected on delivery.

Estimate shipping with the OneMall calculator →

Do Japanese electronic instruments work abroad?

Yes for anything powered by USB or a universal adapter; check the power supply for anything else. Japanese keyboards and pedals ship with 100 V adapters, and many use external adapters that can be replaced with a local one of the same specification, while some have internal power supplies built for 100 V and need a transformer. Menus and manuals may be Japanese-only on domestic models, and manufacturer warranties are valid inside Japan only.

• ACアダプター付 — adapter included, 100 V
• 電源内蔵 — internal power supply; check the voltage
• 日本語マニュアル / 日本語表示 — Japanese manual / Japanese display
• メーカー保証は国内のみ — warranty valid in Japan only

Which Japanese search terms find instrument listings?

Maker plus model, then 日本製 or ジャパンヴィンテージ for Japanese-made pieces; pedals by model number.

• フェンダージャパン / アイバニーズ / トーカイ / グレコ — makers
• 日本製 / MIJ / ジャパンヴィンテージ — Japanese-made
• アコギ / エレキ / ベース — acoustic / electric / bass
• エフェクター / BOSS + model — pedals
• ハードケース付 / ネック反りなし — case included / no neck bow