What is doujinshi?

Doujinshi is the Japanese term for self-published, unofficial, fanworks that can be manga, novels, magazines, etc. It's a portmanteau of the word “doujin”, meaning "same person", and “shi”, short for “zasshi”, which means magazine. Usually, these works are inspired by popular manga, anime, or video games. There are so many doujinshi published in Japan that chances are, if you can think of fanfictions, they are already out there!

Many of these creators work in groups together called “サークル” or “circles” when translated into English. Sometimes they may be referred to as “coterie” as well. Each circle has its specific interests and distinctive art style.

Why use a proxy buying service to get doujinshi from Japan?

With all the doujinshi published each year, there are thousands of them to choose from. However, buying doujinshi is hard when you don’t live in Japan. Indeed, most Japanese online stores don’t accept foreign payment methods and don’t ship abroad. Many of these websites are also only in Japanese, so it can be difficult to navigate through them. Moreover, registering as a member can be challenging because these sites usually require a Japanese address or phone number.

A proxy buying service will be able to bypass all the obstacles international buyers face so this is why we recommend using a service like Japan Rabbit to get doujinshi from Japan.

What are the most popular doujin sites?

There are so many places to buy doujinshi online that it may seem overwhelming to look for them all. But, we've created a list of the most popular doujin sites that people use in Japan to help you find the fanfics you are looking for!

Melonbooks

Melonbooks is a specialized doujinshi retailer and is one of the most popular bookstore chains in Japan. They sell anything from manga, light novels, dakimakura, to digital media, and more! If you want to learn more about this bookstore, we’ve created a guide on how to shop at Melonbooks.

Comic Toranoana

Toranoana is one of the largest doujinshi shops in Japan. They sell many kinds of doujin there, such as manga, video games, figures, and more. If you’d like to buy from this site or just would like to learn more about it, check out our guide to how to shop at Comic Toranoana.

Pixiv Booth

Owned by the art site Pixiv, Booth is a special website where many creators have their own shops. It is a similar concept to western websites such as Tictail or Etsy, except that Booth is used specifically by Japanese circles to sell their doujin! You can preorder upcoming doujin directly from the creators on this website.

Where to buy second-hand doujinshi?

Besides all the new releases, there are many doujinshi that have already been released. You may be wondering where you can find doujinshi that have been published years ago. This is where second-hand retailers come in!

Mandarake

Mandarake is a famous chain of stores in Japan that sells second-hand products specifically related to manga, anime, and video games. They have several physical locations in Japan and buy back goods from fans who no longer want them. Many of Mandarake’s branches put some of their inventory online on the website for sale. Mandarake has many doujinshi available for sale on their website. We have written a guide on how to order from Mandarake.

Suruga-ya

Suruga-ya is another great place to buy second-hand doujinshi. They are one of the top online and retail stores in Japan that sell Japanese pop culture products. The doujinshi collection in the Suruga-ya online store is huge but they don’t ship abroad. If you’d like to buy from them, we are able to help. Check out our guide on buying from Suruga-ya here!

Mercari

Mercari Japan is an online flea market for many Japanese users that are looking to sell their items. You can find many rare doujinshi for sale on this website because, unlike a second-hand reseller, many of these items come from a seller’s personal collection and they may have held onto a rarer doujinshi to sell them. To buy from Mercari, not only will you need to be able to communicate in Japanese with the seller, but international buyers cannot register for Mercari Japan unless they have a Japanese address. For international buyers who aren’t able to overcome these barriers, we recommend asking a proxy buying service like Japan Rabbit to help purchase from sellers on Mercari, as we are one of the few proxy buying services that can buy from there. We have a guide for anyone who would like to buy from Mercari Japan.

Yahoo! Japan Auctions

Yahoo! Japan Auctions is the largest web auction site in Japan. There are many rare second-hand goods that are put up for auction here, including doujinshi! However, it is hard to bid on Yahoo Auctions if you do not live in Japan. Using a proxy buying service is the best way to bid on the auctions. If you would like more information, Japan Rabbit has a guide for buying and bidding on Yahoo Japan.

r/doujinshi, get the latest news about doujinshi on Reddit

r/doujinshi on Reddit is updated with the latest news about, you guessed it, doujinshi. This subreddit is in English and users can request to know more information about a specific doujinshi in the stickied request thread for this subreddit.

FAQs

Can Japan Rabbit send digital material?

Yes, Japan Rabbit is able to download digital material and send them to you via email!

Why are there so many hentai doujinshi?

Due to the fact that doujinshi are publications that are not restricted by official publishing houses, creators are able to write their favorite character(s) into situations that are not seen in official material. There is a high demand for hentai doujinshi because it allows creators and fans to explore the idea of their favorite characters in a more intimate setting. These situations will be categorized as “Adult only” or (18+). However, if this kind of content is not your style, there are still many doujinshi that aren’t hentai doujinshi!