There are actually quite a few high-quality vintage furniture shops in Japan, however they are a bit hard to find at times! You can find retro Japanese, English, American, and Scandinavian furniture items for sale. The price of imported vintage furniture might be a bit higher than you are used to in your home country, but if you are in the market for some mid-century solid wood items, it might be worth it. So we’ve pulled together a nice selection of online used furniture shops that offer nation-wide shipping. Happy vintage hunting! Tag me if you get something good! 😉
What’s the Difference Between Antique and Vintage?
Antique usually refers to items 100 years old or older. Sometimes these items may be precious, delicate, or easily damaged.
Vintage will usually be between 20 and 100 years old. Vintage furniture may be a bit more durable for every-day use.
Second-hand and thrifted refer to goods from any time period, but usually refer to items that may have depreciated in value since they were first purchased.
Why Buy Used Furniture?
Oh so many great reasons!
- Keep products in the circular and re-use economy instead of on their way to the incinerator
- Enjoy time-tested quality instead of short-lifespan online products made from not-so-eco-friendly particle board, laminates, and plastics
- Discover craftsmanship and trade-centric traditions of furniture design ♡
And when in Japan, use the opportunity to embrace old Japanese furniture when you have the chance! American and Scandinavian midcentury is popular and will often be imported. By sticking with made-in-Japan furniture, you are skipping the emissions that go hand-in-hand with imports; embracing items with the lowest embodied carbon footprint.
In addition, there are many Japanese items from Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods that have a much higher supply than demand, so there may be cases where taking furniture off someone’s hands will be doing them a favor! There are hidden deals out there waiting for you. I promise!
14 Great Places Where You Can Buy Vintage and Antique Furniture Online in Japan
Arudoma Antiques
Beloved Furniture Tanuki
Blackboard by Karf Tsukuba
Connect-D
Donguri
Giraffes Craft
Kameya Antique Furniture
mumokuteki antique
R Antiques Kamakura
Second Street
Some Second Street furniture will be posted on their online shop. Most furniture items will be on the newer side and there might be some delivery limitations, but it’s worth taking a look!
Teilen
TIME HYPE Co.
Opening spring 2024.
YURA VINTAGE
Multi-Vendor Marketplaces
Etsy
There are many old Japanese furniture items including tansu (Japanese chest of drawers).
Mercari
Mercari is like the craigslist or facebook marketplace of Japan.
eBay
Minne
Minne is an online marketplace similar to Etsy. There are multiple antique and vintage furniture storefronts.
Happy Furniture Hunting!
