Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

Heidi Nestler says: “Kai Gai Solutions, Inc. has launched an English version of its popular Kai Gai Shoppers personal import site. Our company, based in Portland, Oregon, has been providing Japanese-speaking consumers with transshipment and personal shopping services since 2007. There are over 1 million English-speaking foreign residents living in Japan. The advent of online shopping has been a godsend for many in the expatriate community; however, there are obstacles with buying from online merchants from overseas. For example, shipping—either the merchant doesn’t ship to Japan, or the shipping costs are exorbitant. Another issue facing consumers in Japan is that many merchants in the United States do not accept non-US-based credit cards. My main impetus for starting Kai Gai Solutions came out of my own experience living in Japan. There were things that I wanted to purchase from the US—things well within the guidelines of personal import—but it could be downright complicated to actually get these things to my doorstep in Kyoto. So it’s exciting to be launching this site for English speakers in Japan.”

Info: www.kaigaishoppers.com/en