Getting Started
Because riichi mahjong originated in Japan, it is not surprising that most rare and interesting sets can only be found in Japan and on Japanese resale sites. For this reason, American players will need to jump through some hoops in order to acquire one of these beauties for themselves.
First, you’ll need to learn your way around some different marketplaces.
The friendliest to English speakers is Mercari.jp. Mercari does not require an account to browse, and has an option to turn the interface to English and to display prices in USD. Just click the button on the upper right and select the settings you want.
There next best is Yahoo! Auctions JP, because yes, that is a site people in Japan still use. Go with it.
Finally, Rakuten.jp is an option, although they tend to be only new/modern sets. Vintage sets are more readily found on the other two.
A lot of players swear by TaoBao, which also has in-app translation on the mobile app, but requires an account to browse. I have not used it myself, so I can’t comment on it.
Finally, if you’re looking for a vintage set that was widely manufactured in the past, there is a chance you could find it on regular Ebay, but this can sometimes be a bait. Most sellers of genuinely rare/vintage sets will be in Japan anyway, but US Ebay is not as well integrated into step two of the buying process…
Proxy Services
In order to place your order internationally, you’ll need someone on the ground to communicate with the seller and shepherd your purchase through the trials of international shipping. This is where services like Buyee and Japan Rabbit come in.
Japan Rabbit has been the go-to proxy service for US otaku for a long time, and I believe that with them you do get a high level of customer service. Most people I know have had good experiences with them, and a lot of communication about delays and pricing. However, you have to locate the items you want to buy first, and then copy/paste the link to the listing into Japan Rabbit.
Buyee on the other hand is more seamless. If you are shopping on Mercari or Rekuten, many listings will detect your location and automatically replace the normal buy button with a “Buy with Buyee” button, which is neat. However, the real magic is in their new aggregating search engine. If you go to Buyee.jp, you can see the listings of all JP second hand sites with one search. Very cool.
Whichever you choose, this is the part where you will pay and put in your final delivery address. Be aware that proxy buyers are NOT affiliated with the sellers or the selling websites. If the seller in Japan does not respond or send the item, they will refund you. But if an item was shipped, and it was sent to the correct address, the proxy service will not refund you, even if it isn’t what you thought you were ordering. Responsibility for the sale is on the seller/resale site.
Due to the language barrier, you are unlikely to get any money back from the sellers either. So, know before you buy that you are taking a risk.
There is no sure fire way to detect a fraud, but check the seller’s rating and history before buying, and don’t buy anything that is suspiciously over or under priced. Vintage sets in fair or worse condition can be quite cheap, but a legit set will never be less than $50.
Also keep in mind that the price you see at checkout does not include shipping or tariffs, which are both very expensive in 2025. As soon as you commit to buy, you commit to paying the fees, so be sure you have enough in reserve for customs charges.
Many banks will also flag any international purchase as fraud, so be sure to clear the website with your bank and check your email regularly in case the charge is declined. You don’t want to lose your auction because of a fraud detection snafu.
Other than that, congrats! You just bought a super cool, uncommon mahjong set. Now you just have to stay sane while you wait six weeks for it to get to you.
Thanks for visiting and good luck!
Buckle V.
Founder of Mass Riichi
Massachusetts Riichi Mahjong Society 