E493: 7 Simple Steps to Start Selling on Amazon Japan with Gary Huang

Choosing the right marketplace is just as important as choosing which product to sell on Amazon. But there’s one huge marketplace that US- and EU-based sellers may be sleeping on: Amazon Japan. 

Amazon.co.jp is one of the biggest marketplaces no one is talking about, with its over 600 million monthly visitors, domestic FBA services, and fewer competitors. 

Joining me for this episode is Gary Huang, who’s one of our favorite guests on the podcast and is currently dominating the Amazon Japan marketplace as we speak. He’ll give some valuable insights about the dos and don’ts of expanding to Japan as an established ecommerce seller, some actionable steps you can take to get started, and a lot of tips and tricks in between. 

If you’re on the lookout for a profitable Amazon marketplace to expand into, definitely listen in.

Timestamps: 

• 1:05 – Are Amazon sellers sleeping on Japan?
• 3:44 – Japan’s ecommerce market makeup—why it’s a great opportunity for sellers
• 5:55 – The perks of selling on Amazon in Japan 
• 8:37 – The right way to translate your listings to Japanese
• 9:25 – Why I’m pessimistic about continuing on the Amazon treadmill
• 11:37 – Differences between Amazon US and Amazon Japan
• 14:40 – How your costs are lower when selling on Amazon Japan
• 16:13 – Debunking some myths about selling on Amazon Japan
• 18:45 – Steps to get started selling on Amazon Japan
  • 18:56 – Step 1: Product-Market fit analysis and the right way to do it
  • 21:35 – Step 2: Checking Japan product regulations
  • 24:12 – Step 3: Being aware of compliance and licensing
  • 26:32 – Step 4: Transferring your Brand Registry to Japan
  • 27:19 – Step 5: Get your translations done; Offer japanese language customer support
  • 28:15 – Step 6: Localization
  • 29:18 – Step 7: Getting ready to sell
• 30:11 – How to price your products on Amazon Japan and other marketplaces
• 31:54 – The first ever Amazon seller summit in Japan 

I wanna thank Gary for giving us yet another value-packed episode. If you’re thinking about selling on Amazon Japan in the near future, be sure to check out the first-ever 7 Figure Seller Japan Mastermind in Tokyo this April 4-5 to listen in to some deep dives on Japan ecommerce from Amazon insiders, expert importers, and more. 

Use coupon code ECOMCREW for $300 off the ticket price! 

That’s it for this episode. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy all our content. Happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!