No, not really.
I simply happen to have a friend that lives in Tokyo that is just as big a TurboGrafx freak as I am and is happy to be my eyes and ears in Akihabara when he finds good deals.
The difference is he's not out to make money off me like the jackass eBay stores are. Sure, the $65 I paid for my PC-FX includes a buck or two to make his trip into town worthwhile but beyond that I pay the street price for my stuff, and the actual shipping cost. Contrary to what they want you to believe, shipping from Japan to the US is relatively cheap. If you live in China, it should be pocket change, I would imagine.
If you have to resort to eBay, the key is patience. Don't necessarily jump at the first deal you see. Either way, it won't be the last, and a better deal is bound to pop along sooner or later. Another key is to try searching for slight, less common, spelling variations on your items. I've gotten some great deals that way.