Rail Gallery Rokko

[mags_minibuilds]

Just curious, since I will be going to Japan in June and possibly visiting RGR too...can you order and pay for all the items beforehand to get tax-free? Then pick it up at the store?

[chadbag]

3 hours ago, mgar2112 said:

Thanks Lessigen. He was totally transparent about the sales tax and not being duty-free. He broke down his pricing for me and it's better than I can find on-line with shipping to the US. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do any train shopping in Tokyo before I visit his shop so I won't be able to compare.

 

You may want to ship your stuff from him now or whenever and visit his store to pick up any incidentals and stuff you may want.  That saves the hassle of having to carry it around and bring it back and saves the tax etc.  That's what I've done in the past.  Had the main stuff shipped and then visited and bought a few more things while I was there.

 

 

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, mags_minibuilds said:

Just curious, since I will be going to Japan in June and possibly visiting RGR too...can you order and pay for all the items beforehand to get tax-free? Then pick it up at the store?

Probably not but you could ask him.  I know in the US as a sales tax ID holder, (since I fall into the don't have to collect sales tax outside of my state as I don't due enough business), that if I hand the goods over inside my state I have to collect the tax, even if the recipient is from out of state.  I would guess other places have similar analogous laws.

 

[Lessigen]

Just received a package from Masaharu-san a few minutes ago (I will post the haul in the corresponding thread later 😉). I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about what he did this time around. I was waiting for details about paying through WISE as I had emailed him before his days off, and when he got back to me (Thursday morning), he sent me the necessary details and let me know that he was sending the order in advance of my payment. That kinda shocked me. I ended up paying this morning (Friday) once I got it transferred and converted into my WISE account and got the package already in my hands that afternoon. Fortunately Fedex didn't give me the runaround for an extra day this time. Unbelievably good guy and won over my lifetime loyalty for sure.

 

Thanks to @Yavianice for their work on getting WISE set up with him. Definitely the way to go for me and it saves us both money in the end. As a word of advice, the best method seems to be depositing your money into WISE as your local currency, and then converting to JPY (this way has less fees than depositing directly into JPY). If your bank offers free electronic funds transfers (EFT), initiate the transfer from them as Wise charges a little bit to do it themself. Make sure to account for WISE transfer fees when converting and also paying in JPY, by my calculations this was 0.46% (CAD > JPY) and 0.24% (JPY > RGR) of what I sent to Masaharu-san.

 

For reference, in case anyone searches this thread by keywords in the future, I asked him a few questions about some other vendors:

• He can order from Hobby Center KATO, offers up to 20% discount
• He can also order from KATO Kyoto Station, but does not offer any discount (only list price)
• TOMIX Tec Station is not wholesale, therefore you will have to pay Japan sales tax (10%). He will acquire it for you as a middleman at no profit.
• Popondetta pre-orders are offered at a 10% discount (seems to apply to WISE payments only)

 

Edited February 23 by Lessigen
addendum for popondetta

[Yavianice]

On 2/20/2025 at 9:09 PM, mags_minibuilds said:

Just curious, since I will be going to Japan in June and possibly visiting RGR too...can you order and pay for all the items beforehand to get tax-free? Then pick it up at the store?

RG-R has recently instituted a new policy:

Tax Free is only available for items that are verifiably exported/shipped overseas. This is a legal obligation from the Japanese Tax office.

 

Tax Free is not for purchases offered in person, or for pre-payment with Wise and pickup. Thus if you want an item Tax Free then you need to have it shipped overseas. If you pre-order then you will get the normal discount if you pay with WISE (below) or if you pick the item and pay with cash, however VAT will be calculated if you choose to pick it up.

I have updated my original explainer post with this policy and added the additional Popondetta Rolling Stock policy as well. (thanks to @Lessigen s post to remind me that I should add that). 

 

 

Edited February 24 by Yavianice

[Bigdog]

Just about to place a RGR order for the first time, just have a few questions. Do you ever get a shipping date? And do you get tracking or do you have to pay extra for that.

[railsquid]

For the record, I ordered something from RGR (from within Japan) for the first time ever, as they had an item I was after which was hard to find elsewhere.

• sent an enquiry late Saturday evening
• got a response midday Sunday
• placed the order shortly thereafter (Japanese bank transfer)
• they notified me about 4pm Sunday they'd shipped it
• received the item about 10am Monday morning

which is way faster than I was expecting, even for Japan.

 

No complaints, would order again.

[bill937ca]

A tracking number is a factor of the shipping method you use. I use EMS and, yes, I get a tracking number.

[Ekiben]

I placed a small order on Feb. 14 and chose to have it sent to Canada via Japan Post (Small Packet). Although I received a tracking number, the track ends at Osaka Int. on Feb. 16 accompanied by the words "Dispatch from outward office of exchange". Nothing since then, but I'm eagerly checking the mailbox every day. I'm unsure if the other shipping options have international tracking. I have order from RG Rokko previously (within Japan) and had great service. Likewise, the communication on this most recent order has been amazing, and I would absolutely recommend these guys.

[bill937ca]

From Hobby Search: SAL Small Packet and ePacket Light shipment, usually take around 2 weeks to 5 weeks but may take over 4 months to reach the client.

[Lessigen]

21 hours ago, Bigdog said:

Just about to place a RGR order for the first time, just have a few questions. Do you ever get a shipping date? And do you get tracking or do you have to pay extra for that.

 

Shipping date, not really. When you pay for it usually within 12-24 hours (unless he's unavailable or taking the day off) you get a notification it's been shipped and you get the tracking number. You get tracking by default on most shipping methods except maybe ocean shipments.

 

56 minutes ago, Ekiben said:

I placed a small order on Feb. 14 and chose to have it sent to Canada via Japan Post (Small Packet). Although I received a tracking number, the track ends at Osaka Int. on Feb. 16 accompanied by the words "Dispatch from outward office of exchange". Nothing since then, but I'm eagerly checking the mailbox every day. I'm unsure if the other shipping options have international tracking. I have order from RG Rokko previously (within Japan) and had great service. Likewise, the communication on this most recent order has been amazing, and I would absolutely recommend these guys.

 

Have you tried plugging the tracking number on Canada Post's website? Sometimes the original tracking number doesn't update when it leaves the origin country and if it's handled by Japan Post it gets handed off to Canada Post once it arrives in Canada. Alternatively 17track.net might help: https://www.17track.net/en

[UnfinishedKit]

6 hours ago, Ekiben said:

I placed a small order on Feb. 14 and chose to have it sent to Canada via Japan Post (Small Packet). Although I received a tracking number, the track ends at Osaka Int. on Feb. 16 accompanied by the words "Dispatch from outward office of exchange". Nothing since then, but I'm eagerly checking the mailbox every day. I'm unsure if the other shipping options have international tracking. I have order from RG Rokko previously (within Japan) and had great service. Likewise, the communication on this most recent order has been amazing, and I would absolutely recommend these guys.

This is totally normal for small packet. It really depends on your home country postal service as to whether you get tracking or not.  Over here the Australian post office has gone backward on tracking incoming international stuff and it’s now impossible to see anything. 
 

Not related to Japan but with sending an airmail parcel to my nephew for his birthday last year, it vaporized into the postal ether with the Australian post office saying it had left but royal mail not saying they had received it. It did eventually arrive but not till after I had travelled to the UK and back for Christmas and guiltily bought several extra Christmas presents. 
 

Your package will almost certainly get there but take its sweet time doing so. Unfortunately if you ha t guarantees you have to pay for EMS, DHL or FedEx

[Bigdog]

Just placed my order, was caught by surprise on how fast they shipped it. Got clear tracking number from DHL and a delivery date which is very soon considering its international. Great experience but is there any way to get a small air packet or cheaper shipping options? I find that express is to expensive to do on the regular.

[Lessigen]

7 hours ago, Bigdog said:

Just placed my order, was caught by surprise on how fast they shipped it. Got clear tracking number from DHL and a delivery date which is very soon considering its international. Great experience but is there any way to get a small air packet or cheaper shipping options? I find that express is to expensive to do on the regular.

 

You can ask Masaharu-san to use a specific shipping method when getting your order set up. I don't know if it's possible to do this on the website as I've only ordered through e-mail. He tends to choose the most efficient (best cost-value) shipping method to your country. The fee schedule for shipping methods can be found here: https://rg-rokko.com/shippingfee2 - imo it's still worth asking if you can get a slower speed delivery for some savings. It's what I'm planning on doing for my next order. That said, ocean shipping might be a good option given your proximity to Japan at the expense of no tracking.

[Ekiben]

13 hours ago, UnfinishedKit said:

Your package will almost certainly get there but take its sweet time doing so. Unfortunately if you ha t guarantees you have to pay for EMS, DHL or FedEx

 

The package arrived a few hours after my post on Monday. Two weeks to cross the Pacific from Kobe to my rural home in the woods on Canada's West Coast is totally fine by me. I don't have a problem with a lack of tracking once it leaves Japan. Some may like the peace of mind, but I prefer the cheaper option. 🤣 

 

@Lessigen I tried putting the JP Post tracking number in Canada Post's tracking system and received an error message. 

Edited March 5 by Ekiben

[chadbag]

On 3/3/2025 at 10:04 PM, Ekiben said:

I placed a small order on Feb. 14 and chose to have it sent to Canada via Japan Post (Small Packet). Although I received a tracking number, the track ends at Osaka Int. on Feb. 16 accompanied by the words "Dispatch from outward office of exchange". Nothing since then, but I'm eagerly checking the mailbox every day. I'm unsure if the other shipping options have international tracking. I have order from RG Rokko previously (within Japan) and had great service. Likewise, the communication on this most recent order has been amazing, and I would absolutely recommend these guys.

 

I was suggesting to try the Canada Post website as usps.com will show Japan sourced tracking numbers most of the time but then I read you tried that, and have also since gotten it.

 

Edited March 5 by chadbag

[bill937ca]

5 hours ago, Ekiben said:

 

@Lessigen I tried putting the JP Post tracking number in Canada Post's tracking system and received an error message. 

Tracking usually doesn't work until Canada Post has processed the item in their system.

[bc6]

I have another delivery from RG-ROKKO expected in a couple of days. I have to say I'm throughly happy with Masaharu san and his shop and his attention to detail considering how many customers he deals with. I just got my tracking information and rerouted it for pickup at an location other than home. My preoders should be in my hands in no time.

[Bigdog]

Is it just me or did the RG-Rokko Website get a redesign? Looks great!

[MrLinderman]

Looks like they switched to a much better CMS, allot cleaner and faster loading that's for sure.

[Lessigen]

It's very much better indeed. I do like that they put in the time and the business hours there now as well. Though I think they typo'd and put Thursday instead of Tuesday for days off, which is when I believe Masaharu-san takes a day off weekly. I sent him an email about it since I'm already replying to him about an order.

Edited March 24 by Lessigen

[Bigdog]

RG-Rokko doesn't sell track right? I'm in the need for some turnouts that are currently out of stock everywhere

 

[MrLinderman]

27 minutes ago, Bigdog said:

RG-Rokko doesn't sell track right? I'm in the need for some turnouts that are currently out of stock everywhere

 

 

The owners can obtain parts you need from other stores near by and then add it to your order, best to ask them via the contact form, they are very accommodating to their customers and I'm sure they could check Kato or Tomix to see if they have the turnouts you need.

[Lessigen]

3 hours ago, Bigdog said:

RG-Rokko doesn't sell track right? I'm in the need for some turnouts that are currently out of stock everywhere

 

He sells Unitrack, Finetrack and its corresponding accessories, though it's not listed on the international website. E-mail him with any track you want ordered, according to these lists on his JP site: 

https://www.railgallery-r.com/n-main_1/02_N_KATO_2b_Unit.html

https://railgallery-r.com/n-main_1/02_N_TOMIX_2b_FineTrack.html

Edited March 25 by Lessigen

[Yavianice]

Important PSA:

 

RGRs email has now changed!

 

It’s now rg.rokko200701@gmail.com

 

the old email adress is temporarily no longer working.

rg-rokko-b-180701@rg-rokko.com
rg-rokko-a-180701@rg-rokko.com

RG-R is currently working on restoring the system, but you may not be able to receive emails.

please use 

rg.rokko200701@gmail.com

 

for now.

UPDATE:

 

the old emails are restored again! Thanks!

Edited March 27 by Yavianice