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Rakuten, Mercari, Yahoo Shopping From Abroad: IP Setup

What the three platforms ask of the seller, and the narrow job a Japanese IP does once the account is eligible.

Eligibility comes first, and an IP does not change it

The three platforms decide who may sell by the legal entity, the documents and the screening, not by the address you connect from. Read each platform's own page before you pay for anything, because the rules differ and change.

Yahoo Shopping's FAQ answers a company run from abroad plainly: only a company registered in Japan can open a store. Rakuten screens every applicant and may decline. Mercari Shops asks sole proprietors for Japanese identity documents. None of this has anything to do with an IP.

What each platform names on its own page

What each platform names on its own page
ItemEntity rule on the official pageDocuments the page names
Yahoo! ShoppingCompany registered in Japan only; existing business, normally three months or moreCorporate registry certificate; for sole proprietors a business-start notification and identity documents
Rakuten IchibaEvery applicant is screened and may be declinedRegistry certificate on request; seal certificate, and for sole proprietors the person's own registered seal
Mercari ShopsSole proprietors verify identity with Japanese documentsDriver's licence, health insurance card, residence card, photo Juki card or recent resident record; not My Number card or passport

Note: Summarised from each platform's own page, read on 15 November 2026. The pages are in Japanese and change; confirm with the platform before you apply.

What is possible from overseas

Yahoo Shopping lets a Japan-registered company ship goods from abroad if it also keeps a customer-support base in Japan with a Japanese phone number, gives support in Japanese, sells at fixed yen prices, does not act as an import agent and is not a sole proprietor. A foreign seller who has no Japanese company is outside that route.

Mercari Shops has a different arrangement: partner cross-border companies buy from a shop for overseas shoppers, and the shop ships inside Japan. That is a way for a Japanese shop to reach overseas buyers; it is not a way for a foreign person to open a shop.

Where a Japanese IP helps

Once the seller is eligible, an IP has two honest jobs. The first is steady logins: the people who run the seller console from abroad can reach it from one fixed Japanese address instead of a changing one. The second is looking at the storefront as a shopper in Japan sees it, which is a short, public-page task.

If a platform asks for a verification step, complete it as asked. If verification keeps appearing or a page will not open, check the network and the IP itself first, then open a ticket with the order number.

Which Japanese IP for which task

Which Japanese IP for which task
ItemIPWhat to know
Seller console login, one IP per seller accountStatic residential (ISP) in JapanDoes not change during the lease; HTTP or SOCKS5 chosen at purchase; availability on the order page
Viewing storefronts and search results as a shopper in JapanRotating residential, Region set to JapanFrom US$1.50 per GB; the Premium line can pin one of 11 Japanese ISPs
Fast checks with no account behind themDatacenter in JapanRecognisable as datacenter, so not for logging in to an account

Note: From the Proxy302 product facts and the Japan page, checked on 15 November 2026.

Step 1: a checklist before you buy a Japanese IP

  1. Confirm eligibility on the platform's own page

    Read the entity and document rules for Yahoo Shopping, Rakuten or Mercari Shops, and ask the platform if your case is not covered.

  2. Decide who logs in from where

    List the people who will use the seller console. One IP belongs to one seller account and one person's browser profile.

  3. Rent one Japanese IP for one day

    Check that the exit shows JP on ipinfo.io and that the seller pages open at a usable speed.

  4. Move to a longer term

    A 30-day term is US$7.99 per IP. Keep the same IP for the same account.

Limits to keep in mind

No IP, in Japan or elsewhere, makes a seller eligible, speeds up screening or lifts a rejection. Do not give another person's identity documents, and do not use an address or company that is not yours. Follow each platform's terms and use one IP per seller account.

How to do it with Proxy302: steps

  1. Step 1

    Open the static ISP page, choose Japan, the term and the quantity (one IP for each seller account), and the protocol, HTTP or SOCKS5. The protocol is fixed for each IP when you buy it.

  2. Step 2

    Generate the IPs, then open My assets and copy HOST, PORT, USERNAME and PASSWORD for each one.

  3. Step 3

    Enter the details in the browser profile or phone used for that seller account, and label the IP with the seller account it belongs to.

  4. Step 4

    Check the exit with https://ipinfo.io/json through the proxy.

    Expected result The country field shows Japan, and the org field names the network of the exit.

Prices and limits

A static ISP IP costs US$0.50 for one day and US$7.99 for 30 days, about US$0.27 a day (7.99 ÷ 30), the same in every country. Availability changes daily and is shown on the order page. There is no free trial, and the smallest purchase is one IP for one day. A Japanese static ISP IP was in stock on the last stock check on 18 October 2026; the order page shows the current state.

FAQ

Can a foreigner open a store on Rakuten or Yahoo Shopping with a Japanese IP?

An IP is not part of the eligibility rules. Yahoo Shopping's FAQ says only a company registered in Japan can open a store, and Rakuten screens every applicant.

Can I sell on Mercari from overseas?

Mercari Shops asks sole proprietors for Japanese identity documents, and its cross-border sales feature is for overseas buyers, with the shop shipping inside Japan. Check Mercari's help pages for your own case.

Which Japanese IP for a seller account I log in to every day?

A static residential (ISP) IP in Japan, one per seller account, kept for the whole term.

Does this also cover Amazon Japan?

Amazon Japan has its own registration page and checks, which have their own guides on this site.

Reference links

6
  1. Yahoo! Shopping seller FAQ (LY Corporation)

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 15 November 2026: "海外で会社を経営しております。出店できますか？" is answered "日本に登記のある会社のみ出店が可能"; shipping from abroad is allowed only for a Japan-registered company that also keeps a customer-support base in Japan with a Japanese (non-forwarded) phone number, gives Japanese-language support, sells at fixed yen prices, does not act as an import agent, and is not a sole proprietor.

  2. Yahoo! Shopping: points to confirm before applying

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 15 November 2026: only businesses that already run an e-commerce site, a physical store or similar are accepted, normally with at least three months of operating history; the page lists a corporate registry certificate (登記簿謄本) for corporations and a business-start notification (開業届) with identity documents for sole proprietors.

  3. Rakuten Ichiba: store screening and cautions

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 15 November 2026: all businesses applying go through Rakuten's screening and may be declined; a corporate registry certificate may be requested; the application is accompanied by a seal certificate, and sole proprietors must use their own seal registered at a municipal office.

    The page does not describe an overseas-applicant route; ask Rakuten's application desk about that.

  4. Mercari Shops: identity documents for shop opening

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 15 November 2026: choosing sole proprietor (個人事業主) requires an identity document; driver's licence (front and back, not an international one), health insurance card, residence card, photo Juki card and a recent resident record are accepted, while My Number cards, passports and several others are not; name and address must match the document.

  5. Mercari Shops: cross-border sales announcement

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 15 November 2026 (announcement of 28 December 2023): cross-border e-commerce companies partnered with Mercari Shops buy from shops on behalf of overseas customers and handle shipping abroad and customs; the shop ships to a designated address inside Japan, and shops can choose not to accept such orders.

  6. Proxy302 product facts and price list

    Product observation · Confirmed on:

    Product facts file of the site, checked 15 November 2026 against the console, the backend and the price table: products, prices in US$ (1 PTC = US$1), lease terms, protocols and ports, countries, quantity limits, no free trial.

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