On Shoppywhere you can buy any original Pokémon product from 3 different countries. You choose the origin based on language, price and exclusivity. A local operator physically purchases for you. Tracked shipping in maximum 20 days. Refund guaranteed if something goes wrong.
| Category | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇮🇹 Italy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collectible cards | Japanese language Exclusive sets, sealed boxes |
Korean language Same cards, lower price |
English language Sealed and original products |
| Retro video games | GameBoy, GBA, DS, 3DS Japanese edition |
Not available at the moment | Not available at the moment |
| Pokémon Center | Widest selection Plush, mugs, clothes, keychains |
Limited selection Exclusive Korean editions |
No physical Pokémon Center |
| Detail | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇮🇹 Italy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Japanese — original, most sought after by collectors | Korean — same design, text in Korean | English |
| Exclusive sets | Pokémon 151, VSTAR Universe, Shiny Treasure ex, Terastal Festival | Same as Japanese, often with slight delay | Scarlet & Violet, Paldean Fates and other international sets |
| Avg. sealed box price | $100 | $40 | $120 |
| Print quality | Best in the world | Good, similar to international version | Standard international |
| Why buy | Only ones with original Japanese text, most stable market value, most sought after by collectors and investors | Lower price, less collectible value, rare in Europe and America | Understandable language, second best for collectible value after Japanese |
Which Pokémon cards are ONLY found in Japan?
Sets released 3-4 months ahead of European, Korean or American releases. Exclusive Japanese promotional cards with no Italian/English release.
Are Korean cards the same as Japanese ones?
Same design, same Korean print quality (slight texture difference). Only the language changes. They are 40-50% cheaper.
Is it worth buying sealed boxes from Korea?
Yes for those looking to save money. Not suitable for those who collect exclusively Japanese. Korean cards have a smaller secondary market in Europe and America.
Can I play a Japanese Pokémon game on an foreign console?
Yes. GameBoy and GBA have NO region lock. An foreign console reads the Japanese game perfectly. Only the text will be in Japanese.
Which version is more expensive as a collectible?
European versions are more expensive than Japanese ones, but for those who want to start collecting from scratch, Japanese versions are perfect as they are more affordable.
Do saves work?
For GameBoy/GBA: the internal batteries may be dead (won't save). We CANNOT replace them before shipping on request.
Does the Japanese Pokémon Center ship worldwide directly?
No. The official Japanese Pokémon Center website requires a Japanese address and Japanese credit card. Shoppywhere solves this problem: an operator buys for you in the physical or online Japanese store.
Can I request specific products not in the list?
Yes, if you have subscribed to Shoppywhere TURBO (variable price based on where you live) you can send us photos of the product and we will quote it within 24 hours maximum.
| Product | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇰🇷 Korea | 🇮🇹 Italy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cards (language) | Japanese | Korean | English |
| Cards (box price) | $100 | $50 | $120 |
| Retro games (language) | Japanese | Not available | Not available |
| Games (average price) | $20 | — | — |
| Pokémon Center | Wide selection | Limited | None |
| Shipping times | 3–20 days | 3–20 days | 3–20 days |
| Console region lock | No (region-free) | No | No |
Shoppywhere for Pokémon: we buy cards (Japanese, Korean, English), retro video games (GameBoy and GBA) and Pokémon Center merchandise from Japan and Korea. Original language of the country. Tracked shipping in 10-20 days. Guaranteed refund. Japanese and Korean Pokémon Centers do not ship outside their country — we buy for you.