Japanese Pokémon cards are generally cheaper mainly because they have a broader availability and lower production costs in Japan, where they are first released. The Japanese market for Pokémon cards is more saturated, leading to a larger supply and thus lower prices compared to international markets. Additionally, the rarity system and pack contents vary slightly, often allowing more rares per pack in Japanese sets, which gives better value for collectors buying in Japan. However, Japanese cards tend to be sought after mostly by collectors rather than competitive players outside Japan, which affects demand and pricing dynamics abroad. Key reasons for their lower price include:
- Higher supply due to Japan being the release origin and having more cards printed locally.
- Lower printing and distribution costs in Japan.
- Market dynamics where English language cards have higher demand globally, pushing their prices up relative to Japanese cards.
- Japanese packs might contain more rare cards on average, offering better value per pack.
Nevertheless, rare or exclusive Japanese promo cards can be very expensive, but these are exceptions rather than the norm. The lower cost mainly applies to standard Japanese packs and common cards.
