Amazon Japan 2026 Fee Changes: FBA and Referral Update

From April 1, 2026, Amazon Japan will implement a new fee structure that will directly affect how sellers plan their pricing and profitability. The update combines a reduction in FBA fulfillment fees for standard-size items with an increase in several other cost components, including Amazon Japan referral fees and aged inventory surcharges. For sellers, especially those relying on cross-border fulfillment, understanding these Amazon Japan fee changes in detail is essential to maintaining margins and avoiding unnecessary cost overruns.

According to Amazon Japan's latest announcement, the most positive adjustment is the reduction in FBA fulfillment fees for standard-size products. Lower FBA fulfillment fees are intended to support sellers who depend on FBA to deliver fast, reliable shipping to Japanese consumers. This adjustment may create some room for sellers to improve their landed price, invest more in advertising, or simply protect their profit per unit, particularly in competitive categories where small cost differences determine the Buy Box.

At the same time, Amazon Japan will increase referral fees for higher-priced goods. For items with a sales price above 750 yen, Amazon Japan referral fees will rise by 0.4 percentage points. In addition, all media products—such as books and other media categories—will see a uniform 0.4% increase in referral fees, regardless of price level. These changes mean that while FBA fulfillment fees may decline, total selling costs could still rise for certain catalogs, especially for sellers focusing on higher-ticket or media products. It is therefore critical to re-evaluate pricing structures and contribution margins well before the new fee schedule takes effect.

Aged inventory charges will also be adjusted as part of these Amazon Japan fee changes. For non-media items stored in Amazon fulfillment centers for more than 365 days, a monthly aged inventory surcharge of 20 yen per unit will apply. For media products, the current aged inventory fee will increase from 10 yen to 20 yen per unit per month. This particular adjustment for media inventory is scheduled to come into effect on April 22, 2026. Sellers who rely on long-term storage must pay close attention to inventory turnover and avoid allowing slow-moving stock to accumulate in FBA warehouses.

To help sellers control these costs, Amazon recommends enabling the automated removal function for aged inventory. By setting clear rules for automatic removal or liquidation, sellers can use Amazon’s tools to reduce long-term storage exposure and keep overall FBA fulfillment fees and surcharges more manageable. In practice, this may require closer coordination between demand forecasting, replenishment planning, and promotional strategies, so that inventory levels are aligned with realistic sales velocity rather than optimistic projections.

In summary, the 2026 Amazon Japan fee changes form a mixed package for sellers: lower FBA fulfillment fees for standard-size items on one hand, but higher Amazon Japan referral fees and aged inventory charges on the other. To stay profitable, sellers should review their product mix, recalculate unit economics, and actively manage inventory health in the months leading up to April 2026.

As you adjust your strategy for the Japanese market, reliable logistics from China to Japan become even more important. Forest Shipping is an international freight forwarder specializing in cross-border e-commerce logistics, helping you ship goods from China to Japan efficiently and compliantly. By combining optimized transportation solutions with Amazon-focused know-how, Forest Shipping supports sellers in controlling end-to-end costs—so that even under the new Amazon Japan fee changes, your products can reach Japanese customers on time and with stable margins.