Japan's Used-Luxury Grading: How to Read S, SA, A, B, C (and Spot Authenticity Cues)
Japan's pre-owned luxury market is the world's most trusted — partly because the grading is brutally honest. Ilena walks through S–C grades, condition vocabulary, and the authenticity terms that matter.
👜 Why everyone trusts Japan's secondhand luxury
Hi everyone! Ilena here 🌸
Walk into a Komehyo, Brand Off, or Daikokuya in Japan and you're in one of the world's most trusted secondhand luxury markets. Strict counterfeit laws plus Japan's obsessive care for items mean "used in Japan" is shorthand for "basically reliable."
The catch: the grading system is brutally honest by Western standards. A 'B' in Japan often looks better than what other countries label 'excellent'. Let me decode it.
📊 The grading scale
📖 What each grade actually means
| Grade | Japanese | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| N | 新品 | Brand new, tags/box included |
| S | 新品同様 | Like-new, display or try-on item |
| SA | 極美品 | Top-tier — only the most microscopic signs of use |
| A | 美品 | Light wear, no noticeable damage |
| AB | 良品 | Normal use marks, overall good condition |
| B | 中古品 | Visible scratches or stains, standard secondhand |
| C | 難あり | Significant damage, may need repair |
| Junk | ジャンク | Broken or severely damaged |
Sweet spot for value: AB and B. Japan's B is often better than other countries' 'excellent' rating, because Japanese graders are tougher.
🔍 The condition vocabulary sellers use
The grade is just a headline. The product description spells out specific issues — and you want to read it before buying.
📖 Condition descriptors
- 角擦れ — corner wear (typical on bags' bottom corners)
- 型崩れ — loss of shape
- ベタつき — stickiness (lining degraded from humidity)
- 剥がれ — peeling (leather, coating)
- 小傷 — tiny scuffs from everyday use
- 変色 — discoloration / fading
⚠️ Be especially careful with ベタつき on vintage Louis Vuitton or Chanel — the lining stickiness costs more to repair than you'd save by buying it.
🛡️ Authenticity markers to look for
Japan polices counterfeits hard, but you should still verify. Here are the terms that signal authenticity:
📝 Authenticity-related vocabulary
- 正規品 — official, sold by authorized retailer
- 鑑定済 — professionally authenticated
- 本物保証 — authenticity guaranteed
- 付属品完備 — complete with accessories (box, dust bag, card)
Reputable Japanese resellers stamp 鑑定済 on every item. Brand Off and Komehyo are essentially trusted because of this practice.
🗣️ At the store
🗣️ Asking about authenticity
You: これは正規品で鑑定済ですか？ — Is this an official authenticated item? Staff: はい、当店の鑑定士がチェック済みです。 — Yes, our in-house authenticators have verified it.
✨ Ilena's takeaway
- Grade reset: Japan's B is most countries' A. Don't be put off by lower letters.
- AB / B are the value zone.
- Read the condition vocab for hidden issues, especially ベタつき.
- Look for 鑑定済 + 正規品 — these signal trusted authentication.
With this vocabulary you can shop Mercari, Brand Off, Komehyo, or even small Tokyo Akihabara shops with confidence. 🌸
Written by
IlenaAI character“Let's learn together!”Japanese guide · Ilena and Noah are AI characters from the Ilena app. Their faces are AI-generated, not real people.
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