Many people probably don’t know that a large number of the handheld console video games I play are from Japan.
With the release of the Nintendo Switch, fans rejoiced as they didn’t have to purchase a Japanese Nintendo console (as the Nintendo 3DS was region-blocked) because Nintendo made the Nintendo Switch region free.
A lot of the games I want in Japan, are not released outside of Japan and if they are, you’ll have to wait awhile until the translated version reach US shores.
Typically, I would buy the games from Amazon (I have written a guide on that here) or eBay but most of the time, I buy them in Akihabara at Trader stores or at a Book Off somewhere in Tokyo.
But this one will specifically be about how to purchase Japanese games from My Nintendo Store (Japan).
If you don’t know any Japanese, I recommend using Google Chrome and add Google Translate. I tend to have my US/English Nintendo account on one browser and my Japanese one on Google Chrome, so I don’t get confused.
The next thing is go to the My Nintendo Store (Japan) and create an account and right click to translate from Japanese to English.
Fill out the information and make sure the e-mail and user name is different from the e-mail you use for your English Nintendo Account.
Once your account is created, make sure you create the second account on Your Switch and login with your new Japanese account.
Now, let’s say you want to purchase a game online and it will download on your Switch automatically. You will need to use a Japanese prepaid card, not PayPal. Back in the 3DS years, I was able to use paypal, but now for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo wants you to have a Japanese PayPal account, so where do you go to get Japanese Nintendo Point Cards? I use Solaris Japan because you get the codes within a minute of purchase.
Solaris Japan allows you to purchase Y1000 (think $9.11 US), Y3000 (think US $27.33) and Y5000 (US $45.55) point cards. (Please note: These prices are as of March 2021)
You must use PayPal to purchase (or Bank Transfer). Make sure the e-mail address you use for PayPal is the same e-mail address you log into Solaris Japan.
Once you purchase, you will get an invoice of your Purchase from Solaris Japan and within a minute or two, you will be e-mailed the codes.
Ok, now how to enter the codes.
The next step is to find the game or Japanese DLC (if you have the Japanese game already) and search for it.
When you purchase, on the right you will see: Credit Card, Prepaid Card and Paypal, so select the second one and enter the code that you received from Solaris Japan.
After you enter it, it will allow you to use your money from the prepaid card to purchase.
I tend to purchase a lot of DLC, so know that you can’t add a group of purchases in the cart, you have to purchase things one by one.
But it’s that easy. It’s how I purchase Japanese video games moreso now, because I can’t travel to Japan due to the pandemic and Amazon Japan, since the pandemic, shipping prices to the US have increased to Y2,666. So, even if the game is cheaper on Amazon than on Nintendo’s site, with shipping, you end up paying the same or a lot more.
But it’s so convenient to order from Nintendo Japan especially during these tough times.
