For the longest time, I’ve used ZenMarket as my sole proxy to buy stuff from Japan, but recently, I decided to take a leap of faith. I saw someone talking about other proxies, and I decided to try one, Neokyo, and compare…!

This is by no means a comprehensive guide or anything, I just wanted to ramble about the pros and cons of each experience.

Ease of Service and deals

I think both services are perfectly fine in getting items and honestly pretty comparable. The only thing I’d say is in terms of direct messaging, Neokyo got back to me a lot quicker than Zenmarket did, but both got back to me in approx one business day (Neokyo it was usually a matter of hours; Zenmarket it was like 6-12 hours). Part of the reason why I tried a new proxy too is because Zenmarket does block certain sites– I don’t know the exact reasoning, but they’ve blocked Puresound and Neokyo has not. (Sidenote: Puresound took forever to get it together, which at first I thought was a Neokyo issue, but given how fast they were about other things I bought from places such as Mercari, I definitely think it was a Puresound issue).

I also much prefer the deals given by Neokyo than Zenmarket. I think if you use Zenmarket enough, it’s probably worth it with the cashback… But I got 0 cashback because I haven’t used it in the 3-month period they factor in. I also think Neokyo runs deals that are more suited to what I use proxies for than Zenmarket.

Comparing fees and storage

I think this is a very obvious difference between the two. As of Feb 2025, Zenmarket’s fees are 500 yen per item, whereas Neokyo is 250 yen per item. Zenmarket used to be cheaper (I believe 300yen), but has raised their fee since I started using them. I think it’s obvious which is the better deal if you’re going solely by fees, but I think another important factor that goes hand-in-hand is storage.

For Neokyo, you have 45 days free storage, Zenmarket has 60 days free storage. For each, you can go over this, but you have to pay extra fees; For Zenmarket, it’s 50 yen per day per item. For Neokyo, it’s different rates based on size/dimension/packed or not (Most expensive, a large order, is approx 200 yen per day; A small order is 50 yen per day. These are non-shipped prices.). Obviously, if you’re someone who likes to wait long periods and send, Zenmarket is the better option. However– I did confirm one thing with this: Zenmarket will charge you if your items are in the packing stage for those storage days– even if they’re delayed. This becomes an issue if you assume it’ll be like 2-3 days of packing, but it takes over a week (which happened with my order, but luckily I was still under 60 days). Neokyo on the other hand did not charge me storage days for the days they were packing. Personally, I really liked not being nickeled and dimed for days that I was waiting for Neokyo’s service and I think that’s a more fair way to do it.

Shipping and handling

I think I learned a lesson here in box size really messing with shipping pricing here– but I don’t think it’s a result of the packing by either proxy. My box from Zenmarket was 35cm × 28cm × 20cm and 1014g; My Neokyo box was 25cm × 12cm × 34 and 1005g. However, the price to ship with Neokyo from UPS (used UPS for both) without a discount factored in was 2000 yen cheaper than Zenmarket (shipping to the USA). Again, let me state this is not on either proxy because I doubt Zenmarket is jacking up the price to ship like that, but this does factor into my point on shipping which is efficiency and safety of the package.

Without a doubt, Zenmarket’s packaging is incredibly secure, even without bonus reinforcement. Only twice have I requested previous packages be reinforced, but when they do, it’s like a brick. Even without reinforcement, Zenmarket’s packing is supreme. I’ve had my packages battered and seemingly kicked in from overseas but had everything inside perfectly in-tact because of the sheer amount of packing they do. This being said: it can also feel like too much. If you want to stock up on packing materials, order stuff from Zenmarket because you’ll be set. In fact, I have a whole box filled with bubble wrap I’ve gotten from them. I do feel like it gets a little wasteful and they can cut down on some of it though, especially comparing it to Neokyo. With Neokyo, it felt a lot slimmer, but I still felt my goods were taken care of and secured. I’d say it was average packing, fine enough. Would I feel as secure if my package got kicked in? Maybe, maybe not. However, normal packing with no kicking in? No issue with it.

On a similar note to shipping: Zenmarket, depending on the service, will not force you to sign for a package. Depending on the person– this can be good or bad. However, at least with UPS and Neokyo, I had to sign, 21+ adult signature, in person (the 21+ part was confusing lol. I’m used to 18+ only). UPS hasn’t made me sign when using Zenmarket in the past either. I don’t know if for every service with Neokyo if they make you sign in person, but it’s something I’d definitely want to inquire about when I buy stuff in the future.

All in all: I do think it’s a matter of preference. I definitely will keep using Neokyo, but that’s not to say I think I’ll never use ZM again either, depending on the purchase.

4:30pm .. .. // 02.20.2025