Selection criteria
Three filters: (1) a visible EN/JP spread of at least 40% on the raw card, (2) sufficient trading volume in both markets (we ignore cards with fewer than 10 sold comps in 30 days on either side), and (3) a graded PSA 10 premium that makes grading optional rather than required. Cards that only pay if you grade successfully carry too much variance to recommend.
All prices quoted are approximate as of 2026 — always confirm current sold comps before buying.
Set 151 — still the backbone
Japanese Charizard ex SAR: roughly $180 raw in Japan vs $320 in English markets. The spread on the PSA 10 is even wider.
Master Ball reverse holos (Mew, Mewtwo, Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise): uniquely Japanese-only pattern. No direct English comparable. Prices range from $60 (common Pokemon Master Balls) to $400+ (Charizard Master Ball).
Japanese 151 booster box: $110 at retail in Japan, $180+ landed in English markets. Sealed play.
Shiny Treasure ex (sv4a)
Shiny Charizard ex SAR: $55 raw in Japan, $150 English, consistent 20%+ ROI on graded submissions.
Shiny Rayquaza ex SAR: similar spread; stronger collector demand means faster sell-through.
Terastal Festival ex (sv8a)
All three starter SAR cards (Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly lines): raw singles $25–40 in Japan, $70–95 in English markets.
Miraidon ex and Koraidon ex SAR: chase cards with spreads near 100%.
Wild Force / Cyber Judge
Iron Valiant ex SAR and Roaring Moon ex SAR: still trade at 25–35% discount to English six months post-release. Competitive meta relevance keeps demand firm.
Walking Wake ex SAR: smaller spread now but worth watching if it comes down.
CoroCoro and event promos
The CoroCoro Pikachu promos from 2024–2025 anniversary issues: pop counts still settling, PSA 10s trade at 4× the raw Japanese price into the English market.
Champions Festival Japan participation promos: niche but durable. Supply never grows, demand compounds.
Sealed product plays
Japanese Booster Box of 151: still one of the best sealed holds in the hobby. Pokemon Japan has been reprinting, but English 151 has been printed even more heavily, which widens the spread.
Japanese Terastal Festival box: newer, thinner supply, stronger appreciation trajectory.
Cards we are NOT recommending right now
Anything from sv5 onwards where the English version released simultaneously or within 2 months — the spread is too thin and the market adjusts too quickly for structural profit.
Japanese promos with pop counts over 10,000 — most of these cards settle at 1.2× Japanese price, not enough to cover shipping and fees.
Graded CGC Japanese cards for resale into Japan: Japanese buyers discount CGC relative to PSA more aggressively than English buyers. Graded play here should be PSA only if the exit is Japanese.
Card spreads move. The specific prices above are accurate as of 2026 but will shift within months. Verify sold comps on both sides before buying. The most profitable flippers recompute their target list monthly, not yearly.
This article is part of the Japanese Arbitrage section of PokemonCardProfit. Use our free Grading ROI and Flip Profit calculators to run the numbers on any card before you buy.