Message from Adam
I used Craigslist a lot in America, but I think I use JMTY in Japan far more than I ever used Craigslist. I love JMTY! Though I have gotten most of my camping gear from Mercari and Yahoo Auction. Using JMTY to promote my eikaiwa and my workshops has really helped me make money in Japan and it has been useful in finding groups to join and events to go to. I want to share more information about the sites I use...the craigslist Japan!
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Craigslist Japan
(the Japanese Craigslist)
Craigslist of Japan Alternative #1: JMTY
JMTY is very useful!
JMTY is on top of this list because it closely resembles Craigslist. It is the best Craigslist Japan option. It categorizes everything in a similar fashion and offers almost everything that Craigslist does. Choose a city and then choose a category. It will then list all of the items in that category (and city) for you to scroll through.
The items for sale are separated into a number of categories. Electronics, sporting goods, clothes, auto, bikes and instruments are some of these categories. Once you find something that you want to buy, simply email the person who made the post and make the deal.
Most times the payments are made in person. Through email, you decide upon a place to meet and make the transaction. Of course, it all depends on the seller and what they want to do. Usually you will meet them in person, but things can be sent through the mail as well.
JMTY is more than just a place to buy used and new items. They have categories for different groups looking for new members, meetups, jobs, services, a free section and a bulletin board posting just about everything. Here are some of the things available for free in different parts of Japan:
It is also a great place to put an advertisement for your private English classes or your workshops. It’s a good place to meet people in your area with similar interests as well. If you like snowboarding but don’t have anyone to go with, look on JMTY and you can find a snowboarding group to join. Or you can find a volleyball team looking for new members. JMTY has it all! And it is my favorite Japanese Craigslist option.
The Downside
The major downside to this site is that you will need pretty good Japanese to use this site. The site itself is in Japanese and if you want to buy something from someone, you will have to email them in Japanese.
It’s possible to navigate the site with minimal Japanese, but if you want to contact someone, it might be a good idea to get a friend who can write Japanese to help you send the email.
JMTY is an excellent site that offers just about anything that you want to find. It is a great place to find cheap, used items and here in Japan, used items are usually still in great condition!
For the convenience, selection and the chance for saving a lot of money, I highly recommend this site.
Craigslist of Japan Alternative #2: Mercari
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Mercari is a fantastic place to find good deals on just about any product. It is the next best Craigslist Japan option. They market themselves as an online flea market and they have different sites for the United States, England and Japan.
On this “Japanese Craigslist” there are a TON of products being sold and almost all of it is being sold cheaper than you could find it anywhere else. Whether its fashion, sporting goods, auto parts, toys, event tickets or school supplies, it can be found on Mercari. Many items are used, but there are also many new items for sale.
One of the biggest differences between Mercari and JMTY is that you don’t search by city. When you search on Mercari, you are searching all of Japan.
When you want to make a purchase, you first send an email to the seller. Then you make a payment and then the seller sends your item to you through the mail.
Payments are usually paid at a convenience store, ATM or bank transfers. It’s rare, but sometimes payments can be paid with credit card.
The Downside
As with JMTY, the major downside to this site is that Japanese is required. Its possible to search the site using English, but using Japanese to search will yield more results. And emailing the seller should be done in Japanese.
Remember that they have different sites for the UK and the US, so if you live in Japan you should use the Japanese site. Using the Japanese site will allow you to find sellers from Japan.
Perhaps using this site will be a good way to practice your Japanese, while saving money! Win win!
Craigslist of Japan Alternative #3: GaijinPot
GaijinPot is one of the best known Craigslist Japan options. It doesn’t really resemble Craigslist, but they do have a decent classified section and that is why it made this list. Here you can find used goods from other foreigners, groups to join, places to live and job offers.
Make sure to look for the Sayonara sales! These are the sales when people are moving back to their own countries and are selling off all their possessions in Japan. These are great places to get good deals on appliances for you house, bikes, sporting goods, textbooks and just about anything else a foreigner might have in their house.
The best part is that it is all in English!
Whether you like GaijinPot or not, it is probably a site that you will use a few times while you’re here in Japan. Check it out and look at the classifieds or just read some articles about living in Japan.
GaijinPot is a good source of information about Japan and there are enough articles and blog posts to keep you reading for months.
It makes for a pretty decent Japanese Craigslist option.
