Why are Japanese Blu-ray's so expensive? - Blu-ray Forum

Sagacious Koreo · 07-06-2009, 11:32 PM

Everywhere I go online it seems impossible to find reasonably priced Japanese blurays. Why are they so expensive? And I'm talking about regular movies. Animes are a whole different ballpark. Animes are way WAAAYYY expensive on bluray.

OrlandoEastwood · 07-06-2009, 11:35 PM

Yen to USD conversion.

Be happy though, Blu-Rays are selling cheaper online than DVDs are. The Godzilla Blu-Rays are $50, whereas the DVDs are going for $63.

JimShaw · 07-06-2009, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrlandoEastwood

Yen to USD conversion.

I don't think its the exchange rate only. 100 yen is about $1.00. I just purchased a Japanese Blu for 4400 yen roughly $44.00. They are expensive in Japan also.

.

xage · 07-06-2009, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimShaw

I don't think its the exchange rate only. 100 yen is about $1.00. I just purchased a Japanese Blu for 4400 yen roughly $44.00. They are expensive in Japan also.
.

Being an American, anything bought from Japan is = Expensive

ryoohki · 07-07-2009, 12:40 AM

Basically japanese use the 'Rental' rate that was there in the time of VHS. A Rental VHS only was about 45$US (if you bought it from a Rental Outlet with a contact) than 4-6 month later it would come out on the street for much cheaper.

Japan kept that pricing with DVD and now with Blu-ray. Not everything is $$$ in Japan. I'am in a RC Car hobby and most of the time it cost about the same from the US and Japan and a lot of time on Ebay it cost less to buy from Japan to Canada than Us to Canada (US Ebay seller are crazy for the shipping prices)

Sagacious Koreo · 07-07-2009, 02:52 AM

So as far as online goes. Where's the best place to go to get Japanese Bluray's? CDJapan?

JimShaw · 07-07-2009, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

So as far as online goes. Where's the best place to go to get Japanese Bluray's? CDJapan?

I just ordered one from CDJapan. There were the cheapest even after I looked at Amazon Japan

.

kpkelley · 07-07-2009, 02:34 PM

It also has to do with shipping. There are laws in Japan that require international shipments to use priority shipping which is much more expensive. For instance, I've only bought a few discs from Japan(Almost Famous and Phantom of The Opera), the disc were each below $20usd, but the shipping was nearly as much as the two discs combined.

Azyiu · 07-07-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpkelley

There are laws in Japan that require international shipments to use priority shipping which is much more expensive.

I don't think they have this said law, or if there is, I don't think they really enforced it at all. I order from CdJapan quite often, and I always ship via regular airmail.

Brandon · 07-07-2009, 10:44 PM

It's not just the shipping though, when I lived in Japan, regular DVDs were like $30 and CDs were $25. That's in USD.

Sagacious Koreo · 07-07-2009, 11:14 PM

I've been wanting to get Swing Girls and Waterboys for a while now, but that $50 dollar price tag isn't very appealing.

FourToedStatue · 07-08-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

I've been wanting to get Swing Girls and Waterboys for a while now, but that $50 dollar price tag isn't very appealing.

There 12 to 15 Japanese blu rays I am interested but that would be like... what? 800 dollars or more to import. I would love to find a place that sells them used. Hell if I could just get the discs for a cheaper price I'd just put them in cases with custom art.

tsetse27 · 07-09-2009, 03:57 PM

If the past pricing history of DVD and laser-disc used as reference, it will be *years* before the average pricing of BR will fell to similar level as US counter-part.

Azyiu · 07-10-2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsetse27

If the past pricing history of DVD and laser-disc used as reference, it will be *years* before the average pricing of BR will fell to similar level as US counter-part.

Very true.

Besides, about the only way you could find "cheaper" Japanese BDs would be buying used at stores in Japan! I recall prices are as low as half price. But you have to be very lucky to find everything you wanted for sure.

Mughi · 07-11-2009, 10:04 PM

My Google-fu skills are failing me here, but what I also remember hearing over the years is that Japan has (a) price protections in place for new merchandise which prevents deep discounting, and (b) an incredibly baroque system of product distribution which can involve a dozen or more layers of individuals, companies, yakuza and whatever all getting their slice of the MSRP pie. So it's not a good system, but unfortunately it's the one we have to deal with.

Jeff Kleist · 07-11-2009, 11:23 PM

Japan is a rental market, not sell-through

DetroitSportsFan · 07-12-2009, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Japan is a rental market, not sell-through

Really? I wasn't aware of that. I guess that explains a lot.

Azyiu · 07-12-2009, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Really? I wasn't aware of that. I guess that explains a lot.

Indeed. You can rent pretty much anything in Japan, especially in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, from cds/dvds/blus to even pet dogs/ cats for the weekend!!!

drobswim13 · 07-12-2009, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Japan is a rental market, not sell-through

That does explain quite a bit. I want to get some blus from Japan but there is no way, with my budget, that I can afford those prices.

Azyiu · 07-12-2009, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drobswim13

That does explain quite a bit. I want to get some blus from Japan but there is no way, with my budget, that I can afford those prices.

Say, is that Anita Mui in your avatar?

07-06-2009, 11:32 PM	#1
Sagacious Koreo Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:May 2009 Blu-ray collection:685 Trading Score:3	Why are Japanese Blu-ray's so expensive? Everywhere I go online it seems impossible to find reasonably priced Japanese blurays. Why are they so expensive? And I'm talking about regular movies. Animes are a whole different ballpark. Animes are way WAAAYYY expensive on bluray.

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07-06-2009, 11:35 PM	#2
OrlandoEastwood Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:R-Point Blu-ray reviews:86 Trading Score:24	Yen to USD conversion. Be happy though, Blu-Rays are selling cheaper online than DVDs are. The Godzilla Blu-Rays are $50, whereas the DVDs are going for $63.

07-07-2009, 12:40 AM	#5
ryoohki Blu-ray Samurai Member since:May 2007 Home Theater Gallery:6 Blu-ray collection:6 Blu-ray reviews:8 Trading Score:5	Basically japanese use the 'Rental' rate that was there in the time of VHS. A Rental VHS only was about 45$US (if you bought it from a Rental Outlet with a contact) than 4-6 month later it would come out on the street for much cheaper. Japan kept that pricing with DVD and now with Blu-ray. Not everything is $$$ in Japan. I'am in a RC Car hobby and most of the time it cost about the same from the US and Japan and a lot of time on Ebay it cost less to buy from Japan to Canada than Us to Canada (US Ebay seller are crazy for the shipping prices)

07-07-2009, 02:52 AM	#6
Sagacious Koreo Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:May 2009 Blu-ray collection:685 Trading Score:3	So as far as online goes. Where's the best place to go to get Japanese Bluray's? CDJapan?

07-07-2009, 02:34 PM	#8
kpkelley Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Framingham, MA 4K collection:385 Blu-ray collection:2478 Digital collection:113 Blu-ray reviews: 152	It also has to do with shipping. There are laws in Japan that require international shipments to use priority shipping which is much more expensive. For instance, I've only bought a few discs from Japan(Almost Famous and Phantom of The Opera), the disc were each below $20usd, but the shipping was nearly as much as the two discs combined.

07-07-2009, 10:44 PM	#10
Brandon Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jul 2008 Blu-ray collection:41 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:8	It's not just the shipping though, when I lived in Japan, regular DVDs were like $30 and CDs were $25. That's in USD.

07-07-2009, 11:14 PM	#11
Sagacious Koreo Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:May 2009 Blu-ray collection:685 Trading Score:3	I've been wanting to get Swing Girls and Waterboys for a while now, but that $50 dollar price tag isn't very appealing.

07-09-2009, 03:57 PM	#13
tsetse27 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Deep South Blu-ray collection:297 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:31	If the past pricing history of DVD and laser-disc used as reference, it will be years before the average pricing of BR will fell to similar level as US counter-part.

07-11-2009, 10:04 PM	#15
Mughi Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 4K collection:33 Blu-ray collection:408	My Google-fu skills are failing me here, but what I also remember hearing over the years is that Japan has (a) price protections in place for new merchandise which prevents deep discounting, and (b) an incredibly baroque system of product distribution which can involve a dozen or more layers of individuals, companies, yakuza and whatever all getting their slice of the MSRP pie. So it's not a good system, but unfortunately it's the one we have to deal with.

07-11-2009, 11:23 PM	#16
Jeff Kleist The Digital Bits Member since:Jul 2008 Trading Score:1	Japan is a rental market, not sell-through

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