| Category | What it covers | What each service says |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable liquid | Model paint, lacquer thinner, nail polish, perfume, alcohol-based liquids | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: No · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Aerosol / pressurised can | Spray paint, matte topcoat, air duster, spray deodorant | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: No · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Contains a lithium battery | LED or sound figures, handheld consoles, electronics, power banks | FROM JAPAN: With conditions · Buyee: Not stated · ZenMarket: With conditions · Neokyo: With conditions · Doorzo: With conditions |
| Airsoft / model gun | Anything shaped like a real firearm, including toys | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: With conditions · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Lighter | Zippo and other lighters, refill gas, matches | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: No · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Food or drink | Character snacks, prize sweets, instant food, tea | FROM JAPAN: With conditions · Buyee: Not stated · ZenMarket: Not stated · Neokyo: Yes · Doorzo: With conditions |
| Adult (R18) material | Doujinshi, games and goods with adult content | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: With conditions · ZenMarket: With conditions · Neokyo: Yes · Doorzo: No |
| Blade / replica sword | Katana replicas, knives, sharp props | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: Not stated · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Perfume or fragrance | Perfume, cologne, body mist, aroma oil | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: No · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Skincare or make-up | Lotions, creams, masks and make-up (not sprays, nail polish or perfume) | FROM JAPAN: With conditions · Buyee: Not stated · ZenMarket: Not stated · Neokyo: With conditions · Doorzo: With conditions |
| Medicine (over the counter) | Medicine sold without a prescription in Japan | FROM JAPAN: With conditions · Buyee: Not stated · ZenMarket: Not stated · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
| Plants or seeds | Seeds, bulbs, bonsai, potted plants | FROM JAPAN: No · Buyee: No · ZenMarket: No · Neokyo: No · Doorzo: No |
“Not stated” is not the same as allowed
Where a company publishes no rule for a category we mark it Not stated rather than assuming it is fine. It means the decision is made at the warehouse, after you have paid. Japan Post rules still apply on top of whatever the proxy says, and those depend on the destination. Lithium batteries, for instance, cannot be posted to Germany at all, and only go to the United Kingdom by sea mail.
Two separate rules have to pass, not one
Whether a parcel can leave Japan is decided twice. The proxy applies its own policy, which differs between companies and is a commercial decision. One of the five publishes a handling procedure for model guns where the others simply refuse them. Then Japan Post applies the rules for the country you are sending to, and those apply to everyone equally. A company being willing to take your money does not mean the post office will take the box.
This is why the pages here check both, and why the answer for the same item can differ by destination. Changing proxy gets you past a company policy; nothing gets you past a postal restriction except a private courier, which is a different price list altogether.
It is not the item that is restricted, but a property of it
The categories above are written as attributes rather than product types on purpose. A scale figure is ordinarily unrestricted, but the same figure with an illuminated base contains a lithium battery and is judged on that. A plastic model kit ships freely; the same kit bundled with a pot of paint is a flammable liquid. Buying “a figure” tells you nothing. What is in the box does.
If you are unsure, assume the stricter reading. The cost of being wrong is not a delay: it is the item, the domestic postage and the service fee, none of which is refunded.