We are often asked about the dates printed on Japanese food and cosmetics. Here is what we can and cannot do.
๐ What we guarantee, and what we do not
We guarantee that you receive the exact item you ordered from the shop's product page, in the condition in which it reached our warehouse.
We do not check or guarantee best-before, use-by, or expiration dates. When your order arrives at our warehouse we carry out a simple visual check of the item's appearance and quantity before repacking it for international shipping โ we do not read, record, or select items by their date labels.
For this reason we are unable to tell you the date printed on an item, choose the freshest stock for you, or accept requests such as "please send one with at least six months remaining."
๐ฆ Why the remaining shelf life may be shorter than you expect
An international order takes time. Once you order, the shop has up to 23 days to deliver the item to our warehouse in Japan, and international shipping and customs clearance add more time, which varies widely by destination and season.
An item that was well within date when the shop shipped it may therefore reach you with only a short period left. If a date matters to you, we recommend checking the shop's product page for storage and date information before you order, and allowing plenty of margin.
๐งพ Many Japanese cosmetics carry no printed date
This is normal, not a sign of a problem. Under Japanese law, cosmetics that remain stable in quality for more than three years after manufacture under proper storage conditions are not required to show an expiration date. A date is required only for products that may change within three years, or that contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or enzymes.
So if you cannot find a date on a Japanese cosmetic item, it most likely means the product is in the "stable for over three years" category. For guidance on how long to use a product after opening, please refer to the shop's product page or the brand's own website.
โ ๏ธ If something is physically wrong with the item
Dates are one thing; damage is another. If a food item reaches you crushed, leaking, already opened, or moldy, that is treated as a damaged item and we will investigate.
Please contact us through the Inquiry Form within 7 calendar days of delivery, with the three photos we require for any after-delivery claim โ the outside of the shipping box, the packaging condition inside the box, and the item itself. Please keep the item and all packaging until our investigation is complete.
For issues found after delivery, our resolution is a refund. We are unable to offer replacements or reshipments.
โ ๏ธ Dates themselves are not covered
Because we do not inspect or guarantee date labels, we are unable to offer a refund, a return, or a cancellation on the basis of an item's best-before or expiration date, or of how much time is left on it. This is set out in our Terms of Use.