All products in Japan has one of 3 types of product pricing: Print Price, Open Price, and No Print Price.

Print Price - Its price is printed right on the packaging. It is clearly provided in their website as well. Retailers are not allowed to make price adjustments.

What you see printed is what you have to pay but every now and then, it may go on sale (it is determined by the manufacturer, not the store). Pricing is standard throughout the country. This is the most common type of pricing in Japan.

Open Price - Price is not printed on the packaging. There is generally a  suggested retail price (which may or may not be provided) but the retailers are allow to price the item at their discretion… so anything goes.

You’ll find a huge range of price for the same product depending on which store you’re buying it from. Generally speaking, you should not need to pay the suggested retail price (if there is one) since it is always available for much cheaper. Pricing will vary greatly store to store.

No Print Price – Price is not printed on the packaging or provided to the consumer by the manufacturer but its price has been preset by the manufacturer already.  Retailers are not allowed to make price adjustments.

The most annoying type of pricing. They don’t tell you the price so you’re forced to find out on your own by either going to the store or check for the publisher’s listing price (by going through magazines). Pricing is standard throughout the country. No Print Price product never goes on sale so if you see it discounted, it means that it is being discontinued, reformulated, or repackaged. In addition, it is not sold or distributed online (private auction sites not included) in Japan.

Unless noted, the price you see listed on RatzillaCosme is the Print Price with 5% Japan Consumption Tax included. Retailers are required to include the consumption tax in the prices shown.