Like Steez said, weaker yen at the moment and the lack of warrenty when you import. The consistently cheapest place to purchase from is Rakuten, which is like a JP amazon. That site can be confusing at first but once you figure it out, its pretty straight forward. Order from that site with confidence. Japantackle and samuraitackle are top notch sellers but you will pay a premium price thru both...

Also, with reels, import fees are hit or miss but if you order a rod, expect an import fee of $45-$60 every single time.

I used to deal in the Japanese reels and always dealt with Japan Tackle The fellow who ran it then started having some medical problems so his son was taking over when I switched brands. I never once had a problem with them the shipping was prompt and I never got a bad reel.

I recently ordered a Tranx from JapanTackle and would've never thought this was possible but I got the reel just around two days later. Unbelievable... especially since shipping was free.

Purchased a Metanium from Japan Tackle(free shipping) for alot less than Tackle Warehouse.
Received it in 2 days, I was shocked!! The shipping address was from Taiwan.
However the schematic and all paper work was in Japanese

I looked at revos a few minutes ago and it's hard to tell if it's a good deal. None are offered in the states. I did however learn the yen to dollar conversion.

tackle warehouse has all the JDM Abu Garcias. Around the mid to upper $200 range to the $380's. ALT, MGX, LTX, etc. all Revos. I think.

Tackle warehouse under "JDM tackle".

Your correct guess I should pay closer attention.

Well I just ordered 5 Metaniums from Japan, I will let y'all know how it goes, so far so good. WAAAAAAAYYYY cheaper than US tackle shops.

The dollar is much stronger against the yen than it has been in the past. About 20% stronger. Also, Japanese retailers do not have to abide by an MSRP policy like American dealers do, so they will sell the product at a lower price and take less profit.

You don't get a warranty and sometimes you will get hit with an import tax. Once the yen rebounds, the prices will be a lot closer again.

My son just sent me a Shimano Vanquish c3000 spinning reel from Okinawa. Excellent reel for a fraction of the cost.

dang. You're a lucky dude. Is your son in the military. That's a cool gift.

thank you, I was about to do the same. I can't beleive the nonsense people speak out of their mouths sometimes without knowing the facts.

I am surprised by the large amount on World Economist that post in this section

WHAT DO YOU DO THAT YOU CAN AFFORD THAT??? actually screw it, can I get a job with you lol... or do you have any interest in adopting.

Hell, they were cheaper than 1 power pole!