Create an online store for free in Japan – the options, the limits and the next step

Free ways to create an online store in Japan

There are four common routes. Each lets you open for free or close to it, but they differ in when you start paying and how much freedom you get.

• BASE: a plan with no monthly fee, quick sign-up and an app store for extra features. A popular first shop for individuals and small brands
• STORES: free and paid plans with a simple admin panel. Worth a look if you also need bookings or a POS register for a physical store
• Shopify: a paid platform with a free trial, so you can set up and test before paying. Very flexible on design and features, and strong for selling abroad
• WordPress + WooCommerce: the software is free, but hosting, a domain and ongoing maintenance are on you. A good fit if you already run a WordPress site

Other services such as Color Me Shop also have free plans. Plans and fees change from time to time, so check each platform's official pricing page before you sign up. For more on BASE in particular, see opening a shop on BASE.

What a free shop really costs, and where it hits limits

Free plans usually make money through a payment fee and a service fee taken from each sale. That is light while sales are small and grows with every order. Once your monthly sales are steady, compare your total fees with the price of a paid monthly plan.

Beyond fees, free shops tend to run into these limits:

• Design: templates make many shops look alike
• Address: a URL with the platform's name in it is harder to remember as a brand
• Features: subscriptions, bundle discounts, member pricing and detailed shipping rules often need a paid plan or add-on apps
• Traffic: opening a shop brings no visitors by itself – you need social media, search or ads
• Moving later: transferring products, customer data and URLs to another platform takes work

A free plan is a great way to test whether your products sell. Decide early what would make you move on – a sales level, a feature you need – so the limits do not catch you by surprise.

What to prepare before you open

Whichever platform you pick, selling online in Japan needs the same groundwork. With these ready, the shop setup itself can take just a few days.

• Tokushoho notice: Japan's Act on Specified Commercial Transactions requires online sellers to show their name, address, contact details, prices, shipping, payment methods and return terms
• Photos and descriptions: several well-lit photos per product, plus size, material and how to use it
• Shipping: flat or regional rates, the free-shipping threshold and how soon you ship
• Payments: the methods you want (cards, convenience store payment and so on) and a bank account for payouts
• Shop policies: returns and exchanges, gift wrapping, how customers can reach you
• Licenses: secondhand goods need a kobutsusho license; food and cosmetics have their own permits and labeling rules

Rules depend on the product and are updated over time, so check the latest official guidance for your category. Our guide to starting an online shop in Japan covers registration and the money side.

How to set up a free online store, step by step

Setting up a shop on a free plan usually goes like this:

• Choose a platform: narrow it to two based on product count, product type, a physical store and plans to sell abroad
• Create the account: sign up and enter your shop name and business details
• Style the shop: pick a template and apply your logo, colors and main image
• Add products: start with your top 5–10 items – photos, prices, stock and descriptions
• Set up payments and shipping: apply for payments, set shipping rates and publish the Tokushoho page
• Place a test order: order on your phone and check emails, payment and stock
• Launch and promote: announce on social media, work on search visibility and plan ads if needed

Most people get stuck on styling and on getting visitors after launch. A template works, but consistent photos and colors change how a shop feels. Open your domain, payment and ad accounts in your own name so you keep control if you switch platforms later.

When to move beyond the free plan

These are signs it is time for a paid plan or a fuller shop on a flexible platform such as Shopify:

• Your monthly fees now exceed the price of a paid plan
• You want subscriptions, bundles or member pricing your plan cannot do
• You want your brand site and shop together on your own domain
• Stockists or press keep asking for your official website
• You want to sell to customers abroad in English

We compare platforms and the build process in online shop creation. Whenever you move, keeping your product data in a spreadsheet makes the switch much easier.

UNANOBO's free demo store: see a real shop first

Before you commit, UNANOBO builds a free demo of your online shop around your brand and products. We pick the platform that suits your range and way of selling – BASE, Shopify or WooCommerce – and show you a working home page and product pages. If you already run a free shop, its URL is enough to start.

The process: free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, so you have one contact from the first demo to marketing after launch. Everything runs by message, in Japanese or English. If your free shop is ready to grow, this is an easy, no-cost way to see what comes next.