Shipping policy

At Japan Pantry, all orders are carefully inspected, packed, and shipped directly from our facility in Fukuoka, Japan, to your doorstep in the United States.

1. Order Processing Time We normally process and dispatch orders within 2 to 5 business days after payment is confirmed, excluding weekends and Japanese national holidays. We will email your tracking information when your order ships.

If we cannot dispatch your order within this processing period, we will email you with a revised dispatch date and the option to cancel the unshipped order for a full refund.

2. Shipping Rates & Delivery Estimates We ship to the United States with FedEx. Transit is estimated at 5 to 8 business days after dispatch. Together with the processing time above, the overall estimate is approximately 7 to 13 business days after payment confirmation, excluding carrier or customs delays. These are estimates, not guaranteed arrival dates.

We offer a tiered flat-rate shipping structure based on your total order value:

  • Orders under $100.00: $29.99 USD

  • Orders $100.00 – $149.99: $19.99 USD

  • Orders $150.00 and above: FREE SHIPPING

Weather, carrier volume, and customs clearance can affect delivery. Section 6 describes a separate Joy Points credit for eligible late deliveries; it is not a guaranteed delivery date.

3. Customs Duties and Import Taxes Applicable U.S. customs duties and import taxes, if any, are calculated and collected at checkout along with the shipping charge. You should not be asked to pay those duties or import taxes again when the original shipment arrives. If a carrier requests an additional customs payment, please contact us before paying it so we can investigate and resolve the charge.

4. How Do I Check the Status of My Order? When your order has shipped, you will receive an email notification from us which will include a FedEx tracking number you can use to check its status. Please allow 24-48 hours for the tracking information to become available in the FedEx system.

5. Shipping Address Requirements & Restrictions Please check your shipping address carefully at checkout. A physical street address is required; we cannot ship to PO Box, APO, FPO, or military addresses. If delivery fails or a package is returned solely because you refuse delivery, provide an inaccurate, incomplete, or ineligible address, or do not collect the package, neither the merchandise price nor the original shipping charge is refundable, except where required by applicable law. This also applies if the package is returned to Japan; we cannot guarantee its receipt or recovery. This does not apply when the delivery issue was caused by our error or the carrier. Please also see our Refund policy.

6. Late Delivery Joy Points Credit For an order with a latest estimated delivery date saved with the order, if FedEx marks the package as delivered after that date, you may request a late-delivery credit. The date saved with your order, which you can check using the order-number-and-email lookup below, is used to determine eligibility for this credit rather than the general processing and transit-time ranges above. Delivery dates remain estimates, not guaranteed arrival dates.

To request a review, contact us within 7 calendar days after FedEx marks the package as delivered. Include your order number and the email address used at checkout so we can verify the saved estimated latest delivery date and the FedEx delivery date.

Once approved, we will issue 500 Joy Points (equivalent to $5) to the Joy account associated with your order. These points can be used on a future purchase and expire one year after the date they are issued. Only one credit will be issued per order. Joy Points cannot be redeemed for cash.

Exceptions: This credit does not apply to delays caused by:

  • An inspection, examination, or regulatory hold by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
  • FedEx holiday service disruptions or peak-season congestion during the annual U.S. holiday shipping period, from Thanksgiving week through January 2.

The Joy Points credit in Section 6 is an additional benefit and does not replace any cancellation or refund rights that apply to your order.