Shipping & Returns
Last updated: August 2026
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The war of invasion against Ukraine by Russia
Due to the war of invasion against Ukraine by Russia , some countries are not able to ship products from Japan.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
It may be possible for us to handle this matter on an individual basis.
If your country does not appear in the checkout page as a shipping destination, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We hope that the world will soon be at peace.
CONTACT US >>
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Section 1 — General Terms and Acceptance
By placing an order on this store, you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms below. Please read the full policy before ordering — it explains what you are responsible for and what we are responsible for.
This policy is originally written in English. Where this policy is translated or displayed in a language other than English (including Japanese), that translation is provided for your convenience only. If there is any discrepancy between a translation and the English original, the English original controls.
This policy applies only to orders placed directly through the-worlds-oldest-inkstick.jp.
Section 2 — All Sales Are Final
We work directly with Japanese artisans, including Kobaien, to offer their work at the lowest possible price. To keep prices low, we do not accept cancellations, refunds, or exchanges once an order has been placed, except in the specific situations described in Sections 7 and 8 below.
Section 3 — Handmade Goods: Timelines Are Estimates, Not Promises
Every item is handmade using traditional methods. Production and shipping times shown on this site are estimates only. Delays can happen for reasons outside our control (material supply, artisan schedules, quality checks, seasonal workload, customs processing, and similar).
A delay, by itself, is not grounds for cancellation or a refund. Your order remains valid regardless of how long production or shipping takes.
Section 4 — Product Variation
Handmade items vary naturally in color, shape, size, and texture. What you receive may look slightly different from the product photos. This is expected and is not a defect. We do not offer refunds, returns, or exchanges based on natural variation between the photo and the item you receive.
Section 5 — Intended Use and Liability
Our products (inksticks, liquid ink, brushes, inkstones, paper, and related items) are sold for one purpose only: traditional Japanese calligraphy and ink painting on paper.
Any other use is entirely at your own risk, including but not limited to: application to skin or hair; tattooing; cosmetic use; food or ingestion; use on textiles, fabric, or clothing; use on wood, ceramics, or other craft surfaces; or any surface or material other than paper. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive — if a use is not "traditional calligraphy or ink painting on paper," it is outside the intended use of the product regardless of how similar it may seem.
If we publish educational content (blog posts, FAQs, guides) that discusses a non-traditional use, this is provided for information only. It is not a recommendation, endorsement, or safety guarantee, and it does not change this liability limitation.
ICHI Inc. and Kobaien are not liable for any injury, damage, or loss resulting from use of our products for any purpose other than their traditional purpose.
Section 6 — Import Duties, Taxes, and Customs
You are the importer of record in your own country. This means:
- You are responsible for any import duty, tax, customs fee, or handling charge your country's customs authority charges on your package.
- You are responsible for confirming, *before you order*, that the products you're buying may legally be imported into your country (this includes checking any restrictions on animal-hair brushes, liquid inks, or other regulated materials).
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We are not obligated to calculate, quote, or notify you of your expected duty amount before shipping. Estimating and arranging payment of duties in advance is your responsibility. Any duty information we publish (blog posts, guides, this page) is general reference only, not a quote for your specific order.
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Rates change and vary by country — we do not quote a fixed percentage. Please check your own country's customs website before ordering (for the US: cbp.gov (https://www.cbp.gov/)). If a customs authority requests a commercial invoice or supporting document, contact us and we will issue it directly — this document can only come from us, not from a courier's local office.
Section 7 — Shipping, Loss, and Damage
- Once a package is handed to the carrier (primarily Japan Post; depending on the destination or circumstances, other carriers may be used), we are not responsible for delivery delays, lost packages, or damage in transit.
- Some shipping methods (see the rate table below) include carrier-provided compensation for loss or damage — for example, Japan Post EMS insurance. This compensation is a service of the carrier, based on the carrier's own rules and claims process — it is not a payment or guarantee made by us. We will help you file a claim with the carrier, but the carrier decides the outcome and pays the claim, not us.
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While a carrier claim is in progress, we do not provide an independent refund, reshipment, or store credit for the same issue. We will act once the carrier's claim process has concluded. Filing a claim with the carrier does not entitle you to separate or simultaneous compensation from us.
- Tracking numbers are provided for every shipment. Depending on the shipping method and destination, in-person delivery is not always guaranteed — some methods deliver to a mailbox or may leave a package unattended. Check the details of each shipping method below before choosing one.
Section 8 — Undeliverable or Returned Packages
This section covers what happens if a package cannot be delivered and is returned to us, or must be reshipped.
8-1 — Caused by the customer.
If a package is returned or cannot be delivered because of something on your end — for example, an incorrect or incomplete address, refusal to accept delivery, or refusal to pay customs duties — you are responsible for the full cost of reshipping
We determine, at our discretion, whether a return or delivery failure is attributable to the customer or to us, based on our own shipping records (the address and recipient information as submitted at checkout, the shipping label issued, carrier delivery/return records, and any customs correspondence). Our determination is final.
We will hold the returned order for **up to 60 days** from the date it is returned to us. A reshipment will only be prepared once the full reshipping cost has been received; partial or incomplete payment does not extend this 60-day period or count as payment. After 30 days, if full payment has not been received, we will treat the order as abandoned. We may cancel it and issue a refund calculated as follows:
> Order value, minus (a) the outbound shipping cost we incurred, (b) the return shipping cost we incurred, (c) any customs or clearance costs we already paid, and (d) a fixed handling fee of ¥4,000 (JPY is the controlling currency; this is converted to your payment currency at the exchange rate on the day of refund).
If this calculation results in zero or a negative amount, no refund will be issued, and we will not request any additional payment from you. We may dispose of unclaimed items once this process is complete. We are not obligated to store an undeliverable order indefinitely.
Repeated occurrences. If the same customer or shipping address experiences repeated delivery failures attributable to the customer, we reserve the right to refuse future orders to that customer or address, or to require prepayment of estimated duties and a non-refundable shipping deposit before accepting further orders.
8-2 — Caused by us.
If the package is returned or misdelivered due to an error on our part (for example, we entered the wrong address), we will cover the full cost of reshipping at no charge to you.
Section 9 — Shipping Restrictions by Destination Country
Some products cannot legally be shipped to certain countries (for example, due to material restrictions on ink or brush components). It is your responsibility to check your own country's import rules before ordering. We do not inspect every order against every country's regulations at the time of packing.
If we become aware — during order review, before the package is dispatched — that part of an order cannot be legally shipped to your address, we will contact you to explain the situation. The decision of whether to ship the remaining eligible items (with a partial refund for the excluded item(s)) or to cancel the entire order (with a full refund) is made at our sole discretion, based on what is practical for that shipment, and is final. We do not split a single package into multiple shipments after it has already been prepared, and we do not accept returns of correctly-shipped items on the grounds that you would have preferred the other option.
If a country does not appear as a shipping destination at checkout, contact us — we will let you know if shipping there is possible on a case-by-case basis.
Section 10 — Force Majeure
We are not responsible for delays or failure to ship caused by events outside our reasonable control, including but not limited to: war, armed conflict, trade sanctions, government export or import restrictions, natural disasters, pandemics, strikes, or disruptions to postal and courier networks. If such an event affects a destination country, we will notify customers where possible and work with you individually to find a solution where one exists.
Section 11 — Shipping Weight
Shipping weight shown at checkout includes protective packaging materials, not just the product itself.
Section 12 — Additional Information by Country
Depending on the destination country or region, additional notes on shipping methods or customs handling may apply. Customers ordering to the countries below should review the relevant section.
United States
- Shipping to the US is currently handled via Japan Post for the international leg; once the package arrives in the US, final delivery is handed off to USPS (United States Postal Service).
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Tracking: while your package is in Japan and during international transit, use Japan Post's tracking. Once USPS takes over in the US, use USPS tracking. The tracking number we email you works for both, but the two carriers' systems update at different points in the journey.
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Customs duties are handled on a DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) basis. Import duties and taxes are included in your payment at checkout and are paid in advance of shipping. You will not be charged separately for duties at the time of delivery. As described in Section 6 above, these costs remain your ultimate responsibility as the importer of record — under DDP, they are simply collected as part of your order rather than at delivery.
- Import duty rates change based on current US trade policy and the product's tariff classification, and can be higher than a simple "standard rate" would suggest. We do not display a fixed percentage here because it changes; please check current rates at cbp.gov(https://www.cbp.gov/) before ordering, or contact us if you'd like help estimating the cost for a specific order.
Section 13 — Shipping Methods and Rates
We offer the following shipping methods depending on destination. Availability, delivery time, and included compensation differ by method — please check the details for your destination below before ordering.
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Approximate time from order to shipment.
We employ the least expensive means of preparing shipments in Japan. Therefore, it takes approximately 3-7 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the time your order is placed to the time it is shipped. As we handle products handmade by artisans, it may sometimes take longer to fulfill orders.
We can send itemss to the following countries and with the following shipping costs.
Every package we ship to you comes with a tracking number. The tracking number will be emailed to you after shipment.
Our shipping methods are as follows;
1) Express Mail Service, Fastest and Safe. Recommended
- EMS, Top priority Mail Service by Air, which is the fastest and registered international mail service run by Japan Post.
- Delivery in 2-3 weeks ( It depends on the postal situation in your area. ) .
- Tracking / Signature required on delivery.
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The full value of your order is covered by insurance for damage in case of shipping accidents( up to 2,00,000JPY) . In this case, "shipping accidents" are those certified as "shipping accidents" by the local post office in your country.
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Fore more to read;
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html
2) International Air Packet
- Delivery in 3- 5 weeks ( It depends on the postal situation in your area. )
- Tracking number, Slower than Express Mail Service, No insurance. No compensation for product damage or loss resulting from accidents during delivery.
- Delivery is to the mailbox at the address specified by the recipient. We do not guarantee in-person delivery.
- Fore more to read;
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/epacketlight_en.html
If your country is not on this list, please let us know. We will work with you to solve the problem.
g: gram
¥: Japanese Yen
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Japan Domestic
Flat rate ¥700
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Taiwan ( 台灣 ) ,South Korea, Mainland China ( 中華人民共和国 )
EMS ( Express Mail Service )
0 g - 500g ¥2450
501g–600g ¥2600
601g–700g ¥2750
701g–800g ¥2900
801g–900g ¥3050
901g–1,000g ¥3200
1,001 g - 1,250 g ¥3500
1,251 g - 1,500 g ¥3800
1521 g - 1,750 g ¥4100
1,751 g - 2,000 g ¥4400
2,001 g - 2,500 g ¥4900
2,501 g - 3,000 g ¥5400
3,001g - 3,500g ¥5900
3,501 g - 4,000g ¥6400
4001g - 4,500g ¥ 6900
4501g - 5000g ¥ 7400
5001g - 5500g ¥ 7900
5501g - 6000g ¥ 8400
6001g - 7000g ¥ 9200
7001g - 8000g ¥ 10000
8001g - 9000g ¥ 10800
9001g - 10000g ¥ 11600
International Air Packet
0 g - 100g ¥1720
101g–200g ¥1820
201g–300g ¥1920
301g–400g ¥2020
401g–500g ¥2120
501g–600g ¥2220
601g–700g ¥2320
701g–800g ¥2420
801g–900g ¥2520
901g–1,000g ¥2620
1,001 g - 1,100 g ¥ 2720
1,101 g - 1,200 g ¥ 2820
1,201 g - 1,300 g ¥ 2920
1,301 g - 1,400 g ¥ 3020
1,401 g - 1,500 g ¥ 3120
1,501 g - 1,600 g ¥ 3220
1,601 g - 1,700 g ¥ 3320
1,701 g - 1,800 g ¥ 3420
1,801 g - 1,900 g ¥ 3520
1,901 g - 2,000 g ¥ 3620
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Indonesia, Philippines, India, Thai, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong ( 香港 ), Makau ( 澳門 )
EMS ( Express Mail Service )
0 g - 500g ¥2900
501g–600g ¥3150
601g–700g ¥3400
701g–800g ¥3650
801g–900g ¥3900
901g–1,000g ¥4150
1,001 g - 1,250 g ¥4500
1,251 g - 1,500 g ¥4850
1521 g - 1,750 g ¥5200
1,751 g - 2,000 g ¥5550
2,001 g - 2,500 g ¥6150
2,501 g - 3,000 g ¥6750
3,001g - 3,500g ¥7350
3,501 g - 4,000g ¥7950
4001g - 4,500g ¥8550
4501g - 5000g ¥9150
5001g - 5500g ¥9750
5501g - 6000g ¥10350
6001g - 7000g ¥11350
7001g - 8000g ¥12350
8001g - 9000g ¥13350
9001g - 10000g ¥14350
International Air Packet
0 g - 100g ¥1750
101g–200g ¥1870
201g–300g ¥1990
301g–400g ¥2110
401g–500g ¥2230
501g–600g ¥2350
601g–700g ¥2470
701g–800g ¥2590
801g–900g ¥2710
901g–1,000g ¥2830
1,001 g - 1,100 g ¥2950
1,101 g - 1,200 g ¥3070
1,201 g - 1,300 g ¥3190
1,301 g - 1,400 g ¥3310
1,401 g - 1,500 g ¥3430
1,501 g - 1,600 g ¥3550
1,601 g - 1,700 g ¥3670
1,701 g - 1,800 g ¥3790
1,801 g - 1,900 g ¥3910
1,901 g - 2,000 g ¥4030
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USA
EMS ( Express Mail Service )
0 g - 500g ¥5700
501g–600g ¥5980
601g–700g ¥6260
701g–800g ¥6540
801g–900g ¥6820
901g–1,000g ¥7100
1,001 g - 1,250 g ¥7790
1,251 g - 1,500 g ¥8400
1521 g - 1,750 g ¥9090
1,751 g - 2,000 g ¥9700
2,001 g - 2,500 g ¥10900
2,501 g - 3,000 g ¥12100
3,001g - 3,500g ¥13300
3,501 g - 4,000g ¥14500
4001g - 4,500g ¥15700
4501g - 5000g ¥16900
5001g - 5500g ¥18100
5501g - 6000g ¥19300
6001g - 7000g ¥21700
7001g - 8000g ¥24100
8001g - 9000g ¥26500
9001g - 10000g ¥28900
International Air Packet
0 g - 100g ¥3000
101g–200g ¥3210
201g–300g ¥3420
301g–400g ¥3630
401g–500g ¥3840
501g–600g ¥4050
601g–700g ¥4260
701g–800g ¥4470
801g–900g ¥4680
901g–1,000g ¥4890
1,001 g - 1,100 g ¥5100
1,101 g - 1,200 g ¥ 5310
1,201 g - 1,300 g ¥ 5520
1,301 g - 1,400 g ¥ 5730
1,401 g - 1,500 g ¥ 5940
1,501 g - 1,600 g ¥ 6150
1,601 g - 1,700 g ¥ 6360
1,701 g - 1,800 g ¥ 6570
1,801 g - 1,900 g ¥ 6780
1,901 g - 2,000 g ¥ 6990
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Europe, Middle East, Canada, South America
UK, Netherlands, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, France, Liechtenstein, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Kuwait, Germany, Finland, Canada, Monaco, Austria, Checo, Israel( Not deliverable to GAZA(Zip code: P840-P899), KHAN YUNIS(P930-P969), NORTH GAZA(P800-P839), RAFAH(P970-P999)), Argentina, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, Belarus ( Only Registered Standard Air Mail, up to 1,9kg as total. If exceeded, we will cancel your order.)
EMS ( Express Mail Service )
0 g - 500g ¥4150
501g–600g ¥4400
601g–700g ¥4650
701g–800g ¥4900
801g–900g ¥5150
901g–1,000g ¥5400
1,001 g - 1,250 g ¥6000
1,251 g - 1,500 g ¥6550
1521 g - 1,750 g ¥7150
1,751 g - 2,000 g ¥7700
2,001 g - 2,500 g ¥8750
2,501 g - 3,000 g ¥9800
3,001g - 3,500g ¥10850
3,501 g - 4,000g ¥11900
4001g - 4,500g ¥12950
4501g - 5000g ¥14000
5001g - 5500g ¥15050
5501g - 6000g ¥16100
6001g - 7000g ¥18200
7001g - 8000g ¥20300
8001g - 9000g ¥22400
9001g - 10000g ¥24500
International Air Packet
0 g - 100g ¥1880
101g–200g ¥2060
201g–300g ¥2240
301g–400g ¥2420
401g–500g ¥2600
501g–600g ¥2780
601g–700g ¥2960
701g–800g ¥3140
801g–900g ¥3320
901g–1,000g ¥3500
1,001 g - 1,100 g ¥3680
1,101 g - 1,200 g ¥3860
1,201 g - 1,300 g ¥4040
1,301 g - 1,400 g ¥4220
1,401 g - 1,500 g ¥4400
1,501 g - 1,600 g ¥4580
1,601 g - 1,700 g ¥4760
1,701 g - 1,800 g ¥4940
1,801 g - 1,900 g ¥5120
1,901 g - 2,000 g ¥5300
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Africa
South Africa, Egypt
EMS ( Express Mail Service )
0 g - 500g ¥4600
501g–600g ¥4900
601g–700g ¥5200
701g–800g ¥5500
801g–900g ¥5800
901g–1,000g ¥6100
1,001 g - 1,250 g ¥6850
1,251 g - 1,500 g ¥7600
1521 g - 1,750 g ¥8350
1,751 g - 2,000 g ¥9100
2,001 g - 2,500 g ¥10600
2,501 g - 3,000 g ¥12100
3,001g - 3,500g ¥13600
3,501 g - 4,000g ¥15100
4001g - 4,500g ¥16600
4501g - 5000g ¥18100
5001g - 5500g ¥19600
5501g - 6000g ¥21100
6001g - 7000g ¥23500
7001g - 8000g ¥25900
8001g - 9000g ¥28300
9001g - 10000g ¥30700
International Air Packet
0 g - 100g ¥1920
101g–200g ¥2180
201g–300g ¥2440
301g–400g ¥2700
401g–500g ¥2960
501g–600g ¥3220
601g–700g ¥3480
701g–800g ¥3740
801g–900g ¥4000
901g–1,000g ¥4260
1,001 g - 1,100 g ¥4520
1,101 g - 1,200 g ¥ 4780
1,201 g - 1,300 g ¥ 5040
1,301 g - 1,400 g ¥ 5300
1,401 g - 1,500 g ¥ 5560
1,501 g - 1,600 g ¥ 5820
1,601 g - 1,700 g ¥ 6080
1,701 g - 1,800 g ¥ 6340
1,801 g - 1,900 g ¥ 6600
1,901 g - 2,000 g ¥ 6860
