[Updated on 10 Jan 2023] Green Okinawa (8) Buy sell and donate used clothes

Dear OISTers,

Buying pre-loved and second-hand items is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Check out this online tool to estimate your carbon footprint from clothing (link). In Okinawa, you can buy and donate to charities on the island that support good causes. The OIST POWER Club organises clothing drives to donate to these charities. We put together some information for you regarding buying, selling, and donating used clothes in Okinawa and Japan.

Charity shops and donating to charity

Oki Hands Oki Hearts is a charity shop that sells donated clothes, books, small housewares, toys and baby items. The proceeds go to the Ryukyu Office Service to support three Children’s Homes in Okinawa. You can donate your items and purchase items in their shop in Sunabe, Chatan.

Address, 1-516 Miyagi, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa 904-0113 https://www.facebook.com/Oki-Hands-Oki-Hearts-100190838051960/

 

Help OKI

It is a local organization where you can donate pretty much anything. They ask for a donation of at least 10 bags of items to arrange a pick up. Contact via their Facebook page to arrange a donation. Children’s clothes and toys that are donated are given to orphanages in Okinawa and money raised from sales goes towards purchasing materials needed to create the food bank and to buy food for those in need. https://www.helpoki.org/ HelpOki also has a thrift store in Misato. Their general website is: https://www.helpoki.org/

 

Donate to Salvation Army

You can donate used household items and clothes to the Salvation Army as long as they are all in good condition. You need to post the items to their collection points on the mainland in Tokyo. http://jintest.jinboom.com/english/system/mailing.html

 

Buying and selling used clothes

 

B’s Basic Total Reuse sells a wide range of second hand items, including clothes. They also buy your used items for re-sale.

Address, 1 Chome-2-3 Higashi, Okinawa, 904-2154, https://www.bookoff.co.jp/shop/shop53118.html

 

Manga Souko is another popular store for buying and selling second hand items, including clothes.

Address, 3 Chome-13-1 Yogi, Okinawa, 904-2174, http://mangasouko-okinawa.com/awase/
 

 

H&M stores are accepting bags of used and unwanted clothes of any brand, which they will pass on either for re-sale or textile recycling. In exchange for your bag of clothes you will receive a 500 ¥ coupon to redeem in store when you spend 3000 ¥ or more. Used shoes and accessories are not part of this recycling scheme. https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/ladies/shop-by-feature/16r-garment-collecting.html

 

Buying and selling used clothes online

 

Okinawa BooKoo is a website where people living in Okinawa can buy and sell secondhand goods, including clothes for adults and children.

The buyer and seller arrange a time and a place to meet. http://okinawa.bookoo.com/ 

 

Mottainai Japan It is a Japan-wide Facebook group where people can offer items that they no longer want free of charge. The receiver must arrange pickup or pay for postage. https://www.facebook.com/groups/199219816907550/

 

Mercari is becoming a very popular method to buy and sell used items within Japan. Users need to sign up to be a member. The person selling the items posts them to you and the listed price includes shipping. Most of the communication is in Japanese. https://www.mercari.com/jp/

 

Okinawa PCS Yard Sales is a Facebook group that helps the US military people who are transferring to another station and need to sell/give away their stuff before they move. You have to be a member of the group to buy, sell, or give away stuff here.

 

Yomitan Yard Sales is a Facebook group for the residents of Yomitan, Okinawa, to sell, buy or trade their personal items. You have to be a member of the group to buy, sell, or trade items there.

 

Okinawa Everything Baby, Maternity & Toddler, B/S/T is a Facebook page to buy, sell, or trade anything baby, toddler, teen, or maternity related. You have to be a member of the group to buy, sell, or trade items there.

 

Was this post helpful? Do you know of other stores or charities that buy and sell used clothes? Share your own tips/comments from the post link. Please let us know and we’ll update this post.

 

Read previous Green Okinawa tips here https://groups.oist.jp/resource-center/green-okinawa

 

This Green Okinawa post was developed in collaboration between Mai Barnes (OIST Resource Center), Yoshimasa Nakamura (OIST Resource Center), and Kate Whitfield.

 

Photo credit Oki Hands Oki Heart

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