Guide

Bringing the work to you.

HERCULES LABO welcomes you at our store with a café, and online. From choosing a work — in store or online — through payment, preparation and delivery: a quiet, assured path befitting a one-of-a-kind piece.

  1. Choose a work

    Browse Collections or Specimens and settle on the piece that speaks to you. Every piece is one of a kind. Specimen artworks carry their own serial and a Certificate of Authenticity (COA); a bare specimen, with no art applied, carries its serial only and no Certificate of Authenticity is issued for it. Every piece offers either “Add to cart” or “Inquire.” We are glad to advise on your choice.

  2. Inquire or add to cart

    Once decided, proceed to checkout or contact us via “Contact & Reserve.” For works marked “Inquire,” we will arrange a private consultation. If you are looking for a live Hercules beetle instead, we sell those on our other site, insect.herculeslabo.com.

  3. Payment

    The payment methods we accept are below.

    • Credit card — available at checkout.
      Charged at order confirmation, after which we arrange delivery.
    • Bank transfer — available at checkout.
      For high-value and “Inquire” works we issue an invoice or quotation.
    • PayPal — available at checkout.
      You can pay from your PayPal balance, a linked bank account, or a card.
      PayPal fees are borne by us; nothing is added to your total.
    • Payment in person — pay in cash at our Hachioji gallery when you collect the work.
    • By arrangement (Inquire) — no price is shown; after a consultation we advise the payment method individually. Please ask.

  4. Preparation & shipping

    After acquisition, a specimen artwork receives its COA, engraved serial and wax seal, is placed in its dedicated case, and the case opening is closed with a wax seal. A bare specimen comes with no certificate, no wax seal and no dedicated case; it is carefully packed as the specimen itself. We share an estimated timeline before dispatch.

  5. Arrival

    A specimen artwork arrives with its Certificate of Authenticity; a bare specimen arrives as the specimen itself. From the moment you open it, that singular piece is yours. For any questions on handling or care, we remain at your service.

Shipping

On delivery

Shipping and handling differ by category.

Art (within Japan)
Domestic shipping is borne by the customer.
Where the subtotal of the works is under 300,000 yen, we charge 1,480–2,480 yen (tax included) by region at checkout.
At 300,000 yen or above, the work is sent within Japan by specialist fine-art transport with insurance, and we charge 25,000–42,000 yen (tax included) by region, likewise at checkout.
Handover in person is also possible.
Specimens (non-art)
Shipping by region (1,480–2,480 yen, tax included). Insured delivery. Where the specimen subtotal is 300,000 yen or more, the specimen is sent within Japan by specialist fine-art transport with insurance, at 25,000–42,000 yen (tax included) by region, collected at checkout.
International
We deliver to the 27 countries and regions listed under “Shipping destinations” in our Legal Notice.
A country or region not on that list cannot be selected at checkout.
Where the subtotal of the works is under 300,000 yen, we charge 19,000 yen (tax included) at checkout.
Works in this band can be bought online from overseas as they are.
At 300,000 yen or above, checkout cannot be completed for an overseas address: the work is sent by specialist fine-art transport and we provide an individual quotation that includes shipping.
Import VAT, duties and clearance fees are the customer’s responsibility (DDU).
We send you an estimated landed cost for your country before dispatch and ship only after you confirm it.

Domestic shipping for works under 300,000 yen (tax included, per order)

Tokyo
1,480 yen
Tohoku, Kanto, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai (excl. Tokyo)
1,650 yen
Kinki (Kansai)
1,780 yen
Chugoku & Shikoku
1,960 yen
Hokkaido & Kyushu
2,220 yen
Okinawa Prefecture (incl. remote islands)
2,480 yen

Domestic shipping for works at 300,000 yen or above (specialist fine-art transport, insured, tax included, per order)

Tokyo
25,000 yen
Tohoku, Kanto, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai (excl. Tokyo)
27,000 yen
Kinki (Kansai)
27,000 yen
Chugoku & Shikoku
36,000 yen
Hokkaido & Kyushu
37,000 yen
Okinawa Prefecture (incl. remote islands)
42,000 yen

In both bands, shipping is confirmed at checkout. Enter your delivery address and the figure for that region is shown.

Shipping Worldwide

On cross-border delivery

Bare specimens and specimen artworks can both be delivered overseas. We deliver to the 27 countries and regions listed under “Shipping destinations” in our Legal Notice; a country or region not on that list cannot be selected at checkout. Works priced under 300,000 yen can be bought online from overseas as they are. Works priced at 300,000 yen or above are sent by specialist fine-art transport, so for those we provide an individual quotation that includes shipping. Import taxes are borne by the recipient under the destination country’s rules (DDU). We send you an estimated landed cost for your country before dispatch and ship only after you confirm it.

Import VAT & Duties (DDU)

Import duties & taxes (please read before ordering). Prices and shipping do not include import VAT, customs duties, or clearance fees charged by your destination country. As the importer, you are responsible for these charges, which your carrier or customs office will collect before delivery.

For fine-art pieces, most countries charge little or no customs duty (for specimen-based decorative art this is not yet settled) but do apply import VAT (e.g. UK 5%, France 5.5%, Italy 5%, Germany 7%). We will send you an estimated landed cost for your country before we ship — your order proceeds only after you confirm. Refusing delivery does not waive these charges. Questions? Contact us before purchasing.

A country-by-country import VAT reference is listed in our FAQ.

Visit

See the work, in stillness.

Our store, with its café, stands in Hachioji, Tokyo, and opened on Thursday, 13 August 2026, and is now open. Hours are 10:00–19:00, closed Wednesdays. Works can be handed over at the gallery, where payment in person is accepted. If you would like an unhurried consultation, contact us in advance and we will set aside time for you.

Contact & Reserve

We never kill for art.