It really depends on three things:
How much stuff you have to send?
How long you want to wait to receive them ?
How much you want to spend?
Shipping is cheaper as price is determined by volume or size, but does take longer to reach your destination. Air is very quick but the price is determined by the weight and it can be quite expensive for a larger consignment.
If it is just a few boxes you wish to send then a courier service like TNT or FedEx would be the quickest and least expensive option. If it is more than a few boxes and quite heavy then the best option would be via a groupage/consolidated shipment. This is the least expensive option as you actually share a container rather than use your own for the shipment and therefore only pay for the space you take up in the shared container.
Unfortunately groupage/consolidated shipments are not always available and the only alternative is an LCL (Less than Container Load) shipment. These are more expensive as your consignment needs to be crated up and sent via a shared container. If you have a full household to send then you will most likely need your own Sole Use Container. Generally the contents of a 3 bedroom home will fit into a 20` Container. This is the most expensive option but you have piece of mind as you are not sharing a container and you can determine the arrival date that best suits you.
How To Import a Car from Japan and Save $$$!
Hello. I found your blog from a comment you left on Blue Lotus. I look forward to exploring it in more detail later, but this post caught my eye because we may be needing this information a bit down the track. Can you recommend any shipping companies in Melbourne that handle international removals,specifically to Japan? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Clare,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
I can highly recommend an International Removalist called OSS World Wide Movers based in Dandenong South. They specialize in international moves and are a fantastic company. Their website is http://www.ossworldwidemovers.com/
Hello. I'm wondering if you have any information on moving from Japan to Perth, Australia? And if there is option on charging by per box/cubic meter rather than per Kg in weight? Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteThe method charged will depend on the type of service you use. For example, air or courier will be charged per kg and sea will be based on size or volume. How much are you looking to send? How many boxes do you have?
ReplyDeleteThis has been a very significant blog indeed. I’ve acquired a lot of helpful information from your article. Thank you for sharing such relevant topic with us. I really love all the great stuff you provide. Thanks again and keep it coming
ReplyDeleteIf you want to cut down on shipping costs and still have your item arrive on time at its destination, you may want to get your shipment to the shipping company in advance. Some shipping routes take a while to cover, and sending your package in advance will give you the leeway you might need for your package to arrive on time. And the good thing about that is you don’t pay any extra cost for your item to be specially delivered, which means reduced cost.
ReplyDeleteThanks Valentina, This is a great idea for a groupage/consolidated shipment. The key is to be prepared in advance to ensure your are ready for the shipment.
ReplyDeleteMOVING HOUSEHOLD AND CAR
ReplyDeleteVery interesting blog, thank you.
My situation: moving part of my household from Brisbane Australia to Sapporo Japan.
Would also like to take my car.
It would all fit into a 20" container. Any suggestions ? How difficult is it to import a cat into Japan ?
Hi Anon, I have imported a car from Japan back to Australia and it was quite a long and complicated process. I haven't done it the other way around as cars are so cheap in Japan compared to Oz. When we moved back to Japan from Australia recently we didn't send any furniture or large goods as there is quite a high tax on things. We used Nittsu to send around 20 boxes and it cost about $1400 all up.
DeleteHi again Japan-Australia,
ReplyDeleteand thanks for the info. Are you saying there is tax payable on my own, used furniture as well?
Also: can you suggest a website for ars to look at?
Thanks Paul
PS: it was a car NOT A CAT I wanted to take.
Hi Anon, as far as I know there is, but you should look into personally yourself.
ReplyDeleteI can recommend both
OSS World Wide Movers http://www.ossworldwidemovers.com/ and
Nittsu http://www.nittsu.com.au/
I hope this helps
Cheers
John
Hi Japan Australia, I have some customers from japan. I want to know the cheapest postage to japan from australia?
ReplyDeleteThankyou very much
Hello, That really depends on what you want to send. You can check out the Australian Post website for details on small packages. If its something larger then I would recommend a company like Nittsu who specialize in freight to Japan. Hope this helps and good luck.
DeleteHey John,
ReplyDeleteYou say you imported a car back to Oz. Besides being complicated and drawn out, in the end was it worth it financially? Could you give me an idea of how much you ended up spending?
TIA
Hello, In the end it probably wasn't worth it with all the paperwork, time and cost involved. I really wanted to do it as the car was a special limited edition and not available in Australia.
DeleteHi there.
ReplyDeleteDo you know any shipping company which can pick up the boxes from where I live and have door-to-door service, hopefully at reasonable price?
I was thinking of CubeIt, but now I found that I need to pay extra $750 for the boxes to be collected (about 320km away from Melbourne).
Hello Ayumi, Thanks for the comment. Most companies will charge you extra if you are outside the Melbourne Metro Area. I looked at Cubeit but decided to use Nittsu. They are a Japanese company and did a fantastic job helping us when we moved back to Japan.
ReplyDeleteI purchased a motorcycle shock absorber in Japan and need to ship it to Australia. I can not ship this by air as it is classed as a dangerous good because of the compressed nitrogen inside it. Any advice on getting this to Australia as cheap as possible would be appreciated.. Brian
ReplyDeleteHi Anon, We recently used a Japanese company called Nittsu. They ship from Japan to Australia and vice-versa. Check them out at http://www.nipponexpress.com/
DeleteI want to send my car from Kyushu island of Japan tp western Australia next march. Can anyone recommend cheaper shipping company?
DeleteThanks
Rony
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog you got here and interesting article about shipping! I have a query and it would be great if you could help! I'm wanting to ship a couple of baby's furniture to overseas, items like baby beds, stroller and a high chair. These items are relatively small in comparision to the items described above. I did think about SAL by Post but am worried they might not accept this kind of shipment?
Thanks for your advice in advance!
Hi Anon,
ReplyDeleteAre you looking to ship to Japan? If so, maybe try a courier service like Nittsu (Nippon Express). We used them to ship a few items overseas. Here is their website http://www.nipponexpress.com/
Hi, sorry I meant shipping from Japan to overseas. Thanks!
DeleteI still recommend a courier service such as Nittsu mentioned above or Kuro neko (black cat). Relatively cheap and very efficient!
DeleteThanks for you advice!
DeleteYou're Welcome :)
DeleteHi there, I'm moving back to Perth at the end of the year. I took the advice given here and contacted Nittsu, and for comparison also Yamato, but both have returned very expensive quotes (2 m3 worth 250K-300K yen). and for Australia they only do door to door, the most expensive option. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about a mob called MovingJapan and another called Shipmates. The former sent me an estimate that is a bit cheaper than the big companies above but their website has been returning an error message recently, which is a bit worrying. Any tips would be appreciated. Cheers, ghiath
ReplyDeleteHi Anon, I can't say that I have heard of those companies before. I had a bad experience shipping a car back to Australia many years ago using a smaller company. The car arrived safely but I didn't get all that I paid for. That experience has turned me off the smaller companies so I tend to stick to companies with a good reputation and name. If you are after a good Aussie company, maybe try contacting a mob called OSS World Wide Movers. They specialize in larger shipments and have fantastic service and staff.
DeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI hope you guys can help me. I'm currently in Osaka and wish to send some of my clothes home. Do you guys know where can i get a box to put those clothes in? Or is fed ex and dhl can give me one?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Anon, You can pick up boxes from the post office or any home center. We used Nittsu www.nipponexpress.com/ to send stuff home and they provided boxes as part of the service.
DeleteI have a lactose intolerance so this is something I'm definitely interested in as well. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm traveling to Tokyo in September & am planning on spending up Big on boots & sneakers especially & clothing as well. What is the cheapest method to send my stuff back from Tokyo to melbourne? I don't mind waiting, cheapest price & user friendly service are my priorities.
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance
Hello, I would try using the post office here in Japan. If you ship the stuff home it will be the cheapest for you. You can buy boxes at any home center or even at the post office to pack your stuff in. Good luck and enjoy your time in Japan.
DeleteAny idea how much I would need to pay roughly? Excess baggage on the airplane is around $10 per kilo Per Destination.
ReplyDeleteNot sure mate! Really depends on how much stuff you have and the volume/weight. Check out the website here for more info http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/
DeleteLas Vegas Nevada to Gifu Japan. Whats your suggestion on shipping some boxes of clothes
ReplyDeleteHi Semisi, I recommend a courier service like Nittsu (Nippon Express) http://www.nipponexpress.com/
DeleteI have used them several times in the past for small shipments and they provide amazing service. Good luck with the move to Gifu and maybe we will bump into each other one day.
Hi I want to buy a 300kg engine that will be strapped to a pallet from Japan and have it shipped to Perth do you have any idea how much it would cost for shipment and customs??
ReplyDeleteHi Anon, I would try contacting a shipping company to find out. I have only shipped personal effects to and from Japan.
DeleteHello . I have a motorcycle tank to ship from Japan to Perth done any one have a container coming to Australia I can catch a ride in ??
ReplyDeleteHello Anon. I'm not a shipping company, so I would recommend contacting a shipping company or freight forwarder and asking them.
DeleteHi, We are intending to relocate to Japan in late 2017. As most of our furniture is not suited to the new house, we intend to buy new gear in Australia including: Beds, Bedding, Couches, Rugs, Dining Table/chairs, kitchenware etc.
ReplyDeleteThe question is what duty, tax, or customs fees will we be subjected to when shipping inbound to Japan ? These items are new (not owned for 12mths).
The main reason is the high cost of quality furniture in Japan, and limited range in the provence we are moving to.
Thanks in advance for any response.
Hi Anon! Thank you for your comment. You best bet would be to contact an International relocation company, such as OSS World Wide Movers in Australia. They should be able to answer your questions and give you a quote if you are looking at prices.
DeleteCheers
John
Many Tx John.
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome :)
DeleteWondering if anyone can suggest how I could ship a couple of boxes of stuff probably less than 25kg each or even a suitcase or two to Japan that doesn't cost more than an airline ticket. The quotes I have received so far have been absolutely rediculous and can't seem to find much via google one quote up at $1800 aud. Any suggestions and/or links greatly appreciated. Otherwise looks like I will be buying surplus luggage as it seems to be cheaper than anything I can find.
ReplyDeleteHello, Have you tried a courier service like Nittsu (Nippon Express) http://www.nipponexpress.com/
DeleteI have used them several times in the past for small shipments to Japan and they provide amazing service.
Any idea the best way to send a surfboard from Australia to Japan?
ReplyDeleteHi Unknown, try a courier service like Nittsu (Nippon Express)http://www.nipponexpress.com/ We have used them for small shipments from Australia to Japan.
Delete