One Map by FROM JAPAN Review: Costs of Shipping to Hong Kong, Handling Fees and the 500 FJ Points Referral

FROM JAPAN, now known as One Map by FROM JAPAN, is a Japanese proxy shopping and bidding service: the user selects an item on a Japanese online shop, second-hand platform or auction site, FROM JAPAN purchases it, the seller ships it to FROM JAPAN's warehouse in Japan, and FROM JAPAN then forwards it to the user. Its sister service, FROM USA, handles American online shops. The service has operated since 2004 and states that it has delivered more than 17 million items from over 5,000 websites to customers in more than 190 countries and regions.

Users may paste an item URL or search by keyword across Mercari, JDirectItems Auction and Fleamarket, Rakuten, Rakuten Rakuma, Amazon, SNKRDUNK and anime and hobby specialists such as Surugaya, Mandarake and Lashinban; the website has a Traditional Chinese interface. The service is operated by FROM JAPAN Co., Ltd. and its group company ONE MAP INC. Under its terms, FROM JAPAN purchases the item and resells it to the user rather than acting as the user's agent, so refunds and compensation are handled by FROM JAPAN rather than the original shop.

Payment is made in two stages. Charge 1 is the item price, paid when the order is placed; where a listing excludes Japan's 10% consumption tax, it is added at cost. Charge 2 is collected once the item reaches the warehouse and the user has chosen a shipping method, and comprises Japanese domestic shipping at actual cost, the ¥500 handling fee per item, international shipping and any additional services, such as three photographs for ¥500 or repacking from ¥1,500.

Charge 2 must be paid within 30 days of issue, failing which FROM JAPAN may sell or dispose of the items. Before that point, the plan's 60 days of free storage are what make consolidation possible: once several orders have arrived they can be dispatched together, and international shipping is paid only once. Packages valued at more than ¥200,000 sent by Japan Post incur a ¥2,800 export clearance fee.

The handling fee is ¥500 per item, charged only once when several units of the same item are bought together. The fee constitutes the Product Protection Plan, which covers 60 days' free storage, consolidation, protection against loss or damage on both the journey to the warehouse and the journey to the user, and a check that the item received is correct and free of significant damage.

Claims are subject to conditions: damage or missing items must be reported to customer service within 7 days of the parcel's arrival; compensation is capped at the value stated on the delivery slip and is always refunded in FJ Points, irrespective of the original payment method. Shipping methods without tracking carry no compensation, and small-packet shipping is available only for items under ¥30,000.

Suppose three Mercari items totalling ¥10,000 are purchased, with the sellers bearing Japanese domestic shipping. Charge 1 is ¥10,000; Charge 2 adds ¥1,500 in handling fees and international shipping. At Japan Post's published EMS rate to Hong Kong, one consolidated parcel of up to 2 kg costs ¥4,550, bringing the order to ¥16,050, approximately HK$803 at the European Central Bank reference rate of 23 October 2026 (HK$1 = ¥19.99).

If sent as three separate 700 g parcels, EMS postage would be ¥7,200 and the order ¥18,700, approximately HK$935, so consolidation saves ¥2,650, approximately HK$133. FROM JAPAN's Fee Calculator lists the price of each shipping method and weight before an order is placed, and the least expensive method varies with parcel size, so it should be consulted rather than assuming EMS is always economical. Against these sums, the 500-point referral reward is worth approximately HK$25.

The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department states that Hong Kong is a free port that levies no customs tariff and has no value added or general services tax; dutiable commodities are limited to four types: liquor with an alcoholic strength above 30%, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. General collectibles, clothing and models therefore incur no further tax on arrival, and the cost of shipping to Hong Kong depends mainly on international postage.

Certain items cannot be dispatched, such as lithium batteries to some countries, so the list of prohibited items should be consulted before bidding; alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes are also prohibited from import into Hong Kong. Where payment is made by PayPal, items may be shipped only to the country or region registered on the PayPal account at the time of payment.

Register for One Map through this site's link and complete a purchase on FROM JAPAN to receive 500 FJ Points. Each point is worth ¥1 on FROM JAPAN, so the reward covers ¥500 of a later order, approximately HK$25, equivalent to the handling fee for one item or part of the shipping. Please open the link and complete registration in the same browser, as FROM JAPAN advises that the referral may otherwise not be recognised.

The points are issued 2 months after the items are dispatched from the warehouse, so they cannot reduce the cost of the first order. Purchases and auctions on FROM USA do not count, and the points cannot be used there. FROM JAPAN publishes no minimum spend or closing date for the programme, and the final decision on awarding points rests with it. FJ Points cannot be exchanged for cash, transferred or combined, are forfeited when the account is closed, and all lapse if no new transaction is made within a year.

Disclosure: the link on this page is this site's refer-a-friend link, and FROM JAPAN also issues FJ Points to this site once your first order is dispatched.

FROM JAPAN accepts Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Alipay, prepaid deposits and FJ Points, and charges no payment fees; JCB is accepted only for cards registered on or before 1 May 2021. FJ Points may pay all or part of Charge 1 and Charge 2. All prices are in yen, and when paying with a Hong Kong dollar credit card the issuer may charge a foreign currency transaction fee, so a card with a lower fee is preferable.

Auctions are subject to separate rules. JDirectItems Auction has a monthly bidding limit, beyond which only deposits or FJ Points may be used; if the chosen payment method fails after a winning bid, payment must be made within 48 hours. When bidding, allow for the cost of Charge 2 and bid only what you are prepared to bear.

The inspection service confirms only that the item received is correct and free of significant damage; it does not test functionality, check for subtle flaws or verify authenticity, and pre-existing stains, scratches or wear on second-hand items are not covered.

Trading cards bought from private sellers on JDirectItems Auction, Rakuma or Mercari that have been swapped, re-shrink-wrapped or opened are not covered, even where they differ from the listing. When buying high-value cards or branded goods, choose shops with a returns policy or sellers with a long feedback history, and save a screenshot of the listing before paying.

As at 24 October 2026, FROM JAPAN was rated 4.3 on Trustpilot from 2,135 reviews, 411 of them from the past year; 71% were five-star and 12% one-star. FROM JAPAN had replied to 86% of negative reviews, although Trustpilot notes that it has not recently invited customers to leave reviews. The service has no dedicated app to rate.

Positive reviews concentrate on responsive customer service, prompt dispatch, careful packing and clearly itemised charges. Common complaints include slow order placement causing sought-after or limited items to be missed, packing that either inflates shipping through oversized boxes or leaves parcels crushed through insufficient protection, damage and loss claims rejected or compensated only in part, high international shipping costs, and customer service replies that are slow or formulaic.

If you already intend to buy goods sold in Japan that are not shipped to Hong Kong, such as Mercari listings, collectibles from Surugaya or Mandarake, or auction lots, and expect to order again within a year so that the points can be used, registration is worthwhile. Consolidate your intended purchases into one parcel and obtain an estimate from the Fee Calculator first.

If the reward is the only attraction, registration is not advisable: ¥500 does not offset an order that carries international shipping. Exercise caution when buying high-value cards and branded goods from private sellers, as the inspection service does not verify authenticity; dutiable goods such as liquor also attract Hong Kong duty in addition.