Japan Country Exclusive Inks - Proxy that is willing to ship by courier

[SashK]

Hi there Inkers!

 

I do my best to make this short

 

I've been trying to get inks from Japan, but most if not all the proxy companies can't be bothered to ship something as perfectly harmless as Sailor fountain pen ink. 

 

What gives? I've been reading about fellow importers having no issues going though Japan Rabbit (formerly White Rabbit Express), but I've been going around with them and while they are willing to ship, it can't be more than 2-3 ink bottles per package via FedEx. Is that the norm? Every package is a separate import and shipping cost, making it much more than the cost of the ink itself. 

 

Shops like Bungubox that DHL it directly are expensive on the shipping front, but it is one package and 6 inks aren't split into two to three packages, which doubles and triples shipping and import costs. 

 

I'm reaching out to other agencies I've found online, and most have replied that all liquids are just not allowed. 

 

If this is the norm say it is so and I'll leave it alone for always. If it isn't...haaaalp!  

 

[Karmachanic]

My approach is to pay the price and get the ink.  Or not.  Quite often there is a less costly ink that is close enough for rock and roll.  After one's accrued 65 blue inks the realization slowly creeps in that the perfect hue will always be the next bottle.  Then comes the understanding that what I have on hand will do just fine.  Ruth and Amber aside

[SashK]

I do agree, but they won't even let me pay the price!  

 

[XYZZY]

On 6/25/2023 at 6:15 AM, SashK said:

Hi there Inkers!

 

I do my best to make this short

 

I've been trying to get inks from Japan, but most if not all the proxy companies can't be bothered to ship something as perfectly harmless as Sailor fountain pen ink. 

 

What gives? I've been reading about fellow importers having no issues going though Japan Rabbit (formerly White Rabbit Express), but I've been going around with them and while they are willing to ship, it can't be more than 2-3 ink bottles per package via FedEx. Is that the norm? Every package is a separate import and shipping cost, making it much more than the cost of the ink itself. 

 

Shops like Bungubox that DHL it directly are expensive on the shipping front, but it is one package and 6 inks aren't split into two to three packages, which doubles and triples shipping and import costs. 

 

I'm reaching out to other agencies I've found online, and most have replied that all liquids are just not allowed. 

 

If this is the norm say it is so and I'll leave it alone for always. If it isn't...haaaalp!  

 

 

Have you asked them why?  That's the only proxy service I have used (and not for ink), but they were very helpful, and their command of English makes me suspect that they company as run by English speaking expats who have setting in Japan.  So I'm sure they could do a good job of explaining the reason, assuming they were so inclined.  Of course, the reason might boil down to nothing more than "Because FedEx places that restriction and we don't know why".  They should also be able to ship by JapanPost or DHL, does that change the restrictions?  Because, as you said, Bungubox ships more inks than that in a single package via DHL.

 

On 6/25/2023 at 7:45 AM, SashK said:

I do agree, but they won't even let me pay the price!  

 

 

Your first post implied that you could ship ship ink, but painfully.  This comment sounds like you cannot ship it at all.

[SashK]

@XYZZY Yes you are right on both fronts. 

 

I've reached a resolution with them, after they went through the SDS file. Courier has agreed to ship as one, so hopefully this is fully concluded. 

 

The issue as it stands is "liquid" and all are banned outright. Strangely enough the movement of fountain pen ink is not restricted in any way, but being so niche there is a lot of explaining yourself, and that only works if they listen. In this case, DHL accepted the file I provided, proxy kept the ticket open. The story is more longwinded than that but I'll just update once I see those Kingdom Note inks are in the air. Until then, fingers crossed that nothing changes between now and then. 

 

Thanks everyone!

[inkstainedruth]

On 6/25/2023 at 9:48 AM, Karmachanic said:

Then comes the understanding that what I have on hand will do just fine.  Ruth and Amber aside

HEY! 

Okay, I resemble that remark, since I've now got 7 bottles of ink on order from Cult Pens....   Including one that's exclusive to them and two others that are difficult to impossible to find in the US....  (The rest were to get me to the threshold of free shipping, plus a pen that caught my eye and a converter for it; the inks were all slightly less expensive than from US retailers -- but interestingly enough one of the ones I DIDN'T get is actually cheaper here in the US -- and were priced the same at the other places, since I was comparison shopping for who had what; I'm guessing that since it was the same price at all three of my go-to retailers, it's a case of "US distributor" pricing.)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[SashK]

To provide an update to this ongoing situation: 

 

Japan Rabbit has a 3 ink bottle limit, shipping ONLY via FedEx. Buying more will result in orders being split. No other options. Several years ago I had resolved this issue with the correct paperwork but we are passed this point now, they are not willing to for the time being. 

 

Other proxies are not bothering at all with ink bottles. Outright ban. One such is Neokyo. Orders will be cancelled. Buyee is the same. For these proxy companies, I understand that pens are also banned, because they have the ability to hold liquid. Although some have successfully had Kingdom Note inks shipped with no issues on occassion as well...

 

In short it's all pretty fanatical. By law and reality there is nothing wrong or illegal or banned when shipping harmless fountain pen inks, locally or abroad. 

 

It may be worth it to reach out and speak to these companies directly, properly, in order to resolve this. I'm happy to field any and all suggestions. 

 

I've had people try and convince me the ink is a hazardous flammable liquid, which simply cannot be shipped, period. OK....but....

 

Honestly this thread and our collected info should perhaps be put into a little FAQ or something so we can all have the correct info. Happy to have the conversation either way, as long as it can be helpful to ink collecting FPNrs 

 

[A Smug Dill]

On 11/26/2025 at 11:29 PM, SashK said:

Japan Rabbit has a 3 ink bottle limit, shipping ONLY via FedEx.

 

Ergo, it is possible not impossible as a US-based consumer to make it happen. Only the individual's willingness to pay the price, based on personal assessment in whether the pursuit is “worth it”, is being tested.

 

On 11/26/2025 at 11:29 PM, SashK said:

In short it's all pretty fanatical. By law and reality there is nothing wrong or illegal or banned when shipping harmless fountain pen inks, locally or abroad.

 

Commercial businesses are free to decide on their own policies, without trying to do or offer everything possible allowed by law. At worst, it misses out on some custom and revenue (but also spares itself some work and hassle). I don't think their putting it “in the too-hard basket” is fanatical, any more than pen manufacturers declining to use cellulose nitrate as pen body material could be considered fanatical, or stationery stores declining to carry carbon paper (even if the odd retail customer may want it) in their stock or product catalogues could be considered fanatical, when neither of those things are actually prohibited by law.

 

You can argue with companies as to the legality and feasibility of doing something, but I don't like your chances of convincing them it is smart and/or profitable business to do what you want as a consumer who would prospectively engage them for the odd bit of retail purchase.

 

On 11/26/2025 at 11:29 PM, SashK said:

It may be worth it to reach out and speak to these companies directly, properly, in order to resolve this.

 

There is really nothing to resolve, if their position is simply, ”No, we're not interested,” after all the valid or doubtful reasons are given.

I've already tried that as far as the first half of 2019, when Rakuten Global Express — which has successfully shipped both pens and bottled inks to me from Japan in January that very year without incident or challenges, issues or difficulties — started refusing to ship inks and then pens. The conjunction of “I want it” and ”it's legal to do” does not force acceptance on the part of some other actor, especially if they have not already entered into a contract with a customer and taken payment to ship certain items in a given instance. It's ultimately a waste of time and energy, and only compounds the frustration of not getting one's hands on the desired retail products with the frustration of not being able to get the service provider to bend to one's will.

 

I stopped giving RGX my custom and my dollars after those incidents, and that was that.

[SamCapote]

On 6/26/2023 at 3:36 PM, inkstainedruth said:

HEY! 

Okay, I resemble that remark, since I've now got 7 bottles of ink on order from Cult Pens....   Including one that's exclusive to them and two others that are difficult to impossible to find in the US....  (The rest were to get me to the threshold of free shipping, plus a pen that caught my eye and a converter for it; the inks were all slightly less expensive than from US retailers -- but interestingly enough one of the ones I DIDN'T get is actually cheaper here in the US -- and were priced the same at the other places, since I was comparison shopping for who had what; I'm guessing that since it was the same price at all three of my go-to retailers, it's a case of "US distributor" pricing.)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

One can never have enough ink

[inkstainedruth]

You're one of the people about whom I told my husband a number of years ago that I don't have as much ink as SOME people (the other being Amberlea Davis) and his response was, "This is NOT supposed to be a competition!"

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth