How to Sell Your Old Books in Japan (Bring Your ID) — Epoche B1
Selling Your Finished Books: Why the Shop Asks Who You Are In Japan, selling even one old paperback is a recorded transaction. Second-hand shops — books, games, cameras, clothes — operate under the Secondhand Dealer Law with a licence from the prefectural public safety commission, and the law's logic is simple: stolen goods have always been turned into cash through second-hand trade, so the trade keeps records. A dealer must confirm each seller's identity and note the transaction, so that if an item later matches a theft report, the police can trace who sold it. This is not the shop's policy. It is the condition of the shop's existence, and every step below follows from it. Step 1: Before leaving home Take photo identification showing your current address — a driving licence or residence card. No ID, no sale; the counter has no discretion. Flip through the books first. Receipts, letters and name seals used as bookmarks surface at the worst moment. Step 2: At the counter Expect a short form: name, address, occupation, date of birth — the items the law requires the dealer to record. Expect small money. A paperback from three years ago may bring 10 yen; a recent technical set, a few thousand. Step 3: The courier service, for heavy piles The same law follows the parcel: upload a photo of your ID when registering. Payment goes only to a bank account in your own name — that match is itself the identity check. The 10-yen price can feel like an insult. The form is the interesting part: the books leave, and the record of who sold them stays. References Kondo, M. (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Vermilion.