Shipping stuff to Tokyo

[Yosh]

Hello my fellow roundeyes, I have a travel question for you.

Looking for a good recommendation on shipping stuff to Tokyo. I need to bring 3 computers, a bicycle and other medium to large items - anyone have any experience doing a big contents ship overseas? Coming from Canada if that makes any difference.

Any advice appreciated.

[hiroshima]

Hello my fellow roundeyes, I have a travel question for you.

Looking for a good recommendation on shipping stuff to Tokyo. I need to bring 3 computers, a bicycle and other medium to large items - anyone have any experience doing a big contents ship overseas? Coming from Canada if that makes any difference.

Any advice appreciated.

Ship it like you would anything else. Use an address, shop around, find the cheapest price, package it yourself, snail mail, and just wait. That's about as cheap as you can get it.

[Russell]

When I moved from the Netherlands to Japan more than two decades ago I erroneously agreed with my moving company to have my stuff (about 3 cubic meters) to be destined for the port in Japan, not an address in Japan. It took me quite a lot of money to get it from the port to my address. Part of this was inspection fees, part of this was transportation costs. Well, I guess the Yak friends of the custom officials also need an income...

A decade ago, after living in the US for one year, I moved my family's stuff back to Japan by check-in luggage and hand luggage. Check-in luggage was two big boxes of max 32 kg per adult and one such box for a baby. I only had to pay US$ 80 for the one box beyond my allowance. The cabin crew joked about my voluminous hand luggage, but I joked back by telling them "wait until you see my check-in luggage". In advance I arranged with some Takkyuubin company in Japan to take my luggage from their counter at the airport to my home for a reasonable price. I seem to remember that was 15,000 Yen in total. Figure that, two guys bringing all those heavy boxes all the way up to the 5th floor (no elevator) in hot weather. I gave them some cans of cool beer as gratitude, which were happily accepted.

[wuchan]

a good starting point would be origin. If you are in the US DO NOT use USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL. You will get raped. Unless you can fill 25% of a container these companies will force you to pay for air which will be expensive.

I used yamato transport to ship some stuff over a few years ago. It took six weeks but it didn't cost that much.

[matsuki]

A decade ago, after living in the US for one year, I moved my family's stuff back to Japan by check-in luggage and hand luggage. Check-in luggage was two big boxes of max 32 kg per adult and one such box for a baby. I only had to pay US$ 80 for the one box beyond my allowance. The cabin crew joked about my voluminous hand luggage, but I joked back by telling them "wait until you see my check-in luggage". In advance I arranged with some Takkyuubin company in Japan to take my luggage from their counter at the airport to my home for a reasonable price. I seem to remember that was 15,000 Yen in total. Figure that, two guys bringing all those heavy boxes all the way up to the 5th floor (no elevator) in hot weather. I gave them some cans of cool beer as gratitude, which were happily accepted.

THIS

I just brought a ton of stuff back with me from LA. I use Singapore Airlines as they seem to be happy to take the extra luggage for $86 per extra piece. On occasion I've got extra bags checked for free (gatecheck is awesome too!) The take oversized items as well...and many times they won't hit you with the oversized item fee.

ANA is 2x the cost and get all crazy with the fees....and they tend to deliver the items damaged.

As Russell said, once at Narita, you can Takyubin your luggage really cheaply to your place.

[Russell]

And the good thing is they sell carton boxes in the US that are just within the US-allowed size limits for check-in luggage.

[legion]

Hello my fellow roundeyes, I have a travel question for you.

Looking for a good recommendation on shipping stuff to Tokyo. I need to bring 3 computers, a bicycle and other medium to large items - anyone have any experience doing a big contents ship overseas? Coming from Canada if that makes any difference.

Any advice appreciated.

3 computers

Sell them and buy new ones here

a bicycle

sell it and buy a new one here

other items so important?

[Coligny]

3 computers

Sell them and buy new ones here

For some people... who actually do real stuff with their computers... the hardware value is near jack shit compared to the software setup and data/structure. I know, it's hard to understand in a microsoft world where the rule is "format C:" every 3-6 month... but it actually DO exist...

[legion]

3 computers

Sell them and buy new ones here

For some people... who actually do real stuff with their computers... the hardware value is near jack shit compared to the software setup and data/structure. I know, it's hard to understand in a microsoft world where the rule is "format C:" every 3-6 month... but it actually DO exist...

then just bring the hard drives over

[yanpa]

3 computers

Sell them and buy new ones here

For some people... who actually do real stuff with their computers... the hardware value is near jack shit compared to the software setup and data/structure. I know, it's hard to understand in a microsoft world where the rule is "format C:" every 3-6 month... but it actually DO exist...

then just bring the hard drives over

That worked for me. Mind you the PC in question was an obsolete self-built Linux box which needed replacing. If the hard disks are inside something iMac-esque from Apple, it's probably cheaper and easier to ship the whole computer.

[Coligny]

On mac, a time capsule backup can re-image several computer on any Mac hardware, putting back apps, settings and docs. Same procedure as if you wererestoring from a crash or just upgrading hardware.

It's on windows that shit usually tend to get real if you change too much hardware at the same time, efi bios, bios sata drive setting, windows activation... And on and on and bllleuuuuargggg (that's a vomit sound)...

[yanpa]

On mac, a time capsule backup can re-image several computer on any Mac hardware, putting back apps, settings and docs. Same procedure as if you wererestoring from a crash or just upgrading hardware.

Yeah I know, but the hardware itself is generally worth more than a generic PC box...

[legion]

That worked for me. Mind you the PC in question was an obsolete self-built Linux box which needed replacing. If the hard disks are inside something iMac-esque from Apple, it's probably cheaper and easier to ship the whole computer.

for a Mac for moving large quantities of data over any distance I prefer this option

http://www.lacie.jp/portable/lch-rg-tb3/index.html

anyway I thought modern computing was all about the intercloud and all we need is a USB port behind our ears

[Coligny]

On mac, a time capsule backup can re-image several computer on any Mac hardware, putting back apps, settings and docs. Same procedure as if you wererestoring from a crash or just upgrading hardware.

Yeah I know, but the hardware itself is generally worth more than a generic PC box...

Depends on the age of the devices... Plus it's quite awesome to think that you just need to take your time capsule when you bug out and can have everybody's computers back in business 10 minutes after the new ones are delivered, out of the box and plugged in...

[Yosh]

I have taken some advice - I stripped my old computers apart and gave them away to family members so they could have skype enabled machines - my aging aunt needed a way to keep in touch with me and that was the easiest. As for the bike and other things - during the last few days of the intense month of preperation I issued a massive Fuck It notice and left all my gear at home. In the end, I travelled with one suitcase and my laptop. I think I made the right choice - my fantastic yiynova drawing tablet arrived the day before I did and I'm already set up - how exciting! Todaimasu I say.