There are two kinds of people in Japan right now. Type A are those who have stocked up on all daily necessities and are preparing themselves for a self-induced cocoon state (AKA hikikomori 引きこもり) as COVID-19 continues its global domination. Then there’s Type B like me who didn’t panic at first, but now are beginning to worry. And it’s not necessarily because of the coronavirus. It’s because of all those Type A people who went and bought up all the face masks and toilet paper they could get their hands on.

My friend (who shall remain anonymous) said he’s synchronized his bodily excretions with his work schedule and bragged he won’t be needing to purchase toilet paper any time soon. I thought it was funny at the time, but now I’m devising my own strategy. I may have even considered borrowing some toilet paper from work to bring home (for a split second), but then I came across a savior in Yamato Transport.

Kuro Neko is like the Japanese UPS and FedEx Right?

Yes, Yamato Transport (AKA Kuro Neko, what a cute logo) specializes in home delivery services. They are the unknown soldier who ring your doorbell when you aren’t home and leave you that little slip so you can call them back any time you’d like.

I recently witnessed the compassion of a Kuro Neko deliveryman who returned to my apartment building at 10 pm to hand over my…well some silly late-night online purchase.

Anyway, besides picking up and delivering packages, apparently Yamato Transport also has an online marketplace called Kuro Neko Market.

What can I buy from Kuro Neko Market?

Kuro Neko Market sells the obvious cardboard boxes and envelopes in various sizes, as well as covers to keep suitcases or golf clubs safe during transport.

But what I recently discovered was they also sell daily essentials. You guessed it, toilet paper. Honestly, I’m not sure how long they’ve had toilet paper in their inventory, but now’s a good time to find out it’s available. Especially if you are one of those Type A persons I mentioned earlier who have gone into isolation due to COVID-19.

Kuro Neko Toilet Paper Details

You can buy the packaging products from their website here. However, to purchase toilet paper, you need to call to make an order. At this time, a disclaimer on their website states customers may only order one pack at a time. Orders cannot be guaranteed at this time (due to inventory I would guess) and delivery will take time (more than usual).

Perhaps ordering toilet paper through Yamato seems a bit uncertain and even strange, but these are indeed sensitive times as well.

Here is their phone number if you’d like to place an order ASAP: 0120-01-9625


By - Mujo.