Delivering packages

8 comments

1. I’m curious about this too. My plan right now is to buy a larger sized luggage on my last day stuff it with stuff I bought and check it in on our flight home.

2. John Daub’s (Only In Japan) latest YouTube video talks about this and the shipping delays. At about the 35 minute mark.

3. We did this when we visited for a month back in 2018 so I’m not sure how things are post-pandemic.

   We bought boxes at the post office (typically the largest size they offered) as then we knew they would accept them. You should grab a bunch of the slips there too – I can’t remember what exactly it said on the slip but it was carbon paper with 3 copies. If you tell them where you’re shipping to (we shipped to Canada) they will be able to give you the right form.

   We packed the box where we were staying and filled out the form in advance. Do NOT tape up your box, they go through it to make sure there is nothing that can’t be shipped and that everything is listed correctly (you need to list all items on the form that are in the box). Once that’s all good, they’ll tape up the box, attach the form, and you pay and off it goes.

   Over the course of the month we shipped about 5 of their largest boxes back and the total shipping cost was about $350 CDN (which we expected and were fine with, this was our honeymoon so planned to buy way more than we could ever bring back in suitcases). They arrived home before we even got back and only 1 item got damaged (we’re pretty sure on the Canada Post side).

4. If you are staying at a hotel you can usually talk with bell service they will have boxes and all the paper work you need to fill out. If you goto JP post you’ll need to pack the boxes yourself but afterwards they will give you the forms you need to fill out. In addition to the shipping address they will ask you to fill out some customs declaration form with a itemized list of all items you’re shipping.

   Note that along with shipping delays, shipping has gotten much more expensive. I haven’t done any international shipping recently so not sure if the prices have come down.

5. There’s a new, electronic declaration and address writer. Enter all the details, go to the counter, pay the postage and they print out an address label for you. Worst part, post is taking weeks to deliver (at least to Australia).

6. Last time (2018) I bought a box and shipped some stuff home a few days before I travelled back. It ended up taking about 6 weeks (I think it was because I did it via land/sea mail or something) but everything arrived intact!

   This time, gonna pack a little lighter and buy a second case – thank you ANA for your two checked cases!

7. without speaking and possibly writing japanese dealing with Yamato is between a pain in the butt and wholy dependent on someone working there REALLY caring to help you

   (source: had to deal with receiving and shipping items due to lost luggage last time i was in japan)

   Seeing how shipping aint cheap, and can cause headache with customs, it is not really advisable if you can solve the issue with a luggage and the flight home.

   your mileage will vary depending on what you ship and where to and what the airline will take. but, in general, its really hard to make shipping be the better choice. and it certinly will be the harder one

8. I’ve never sent anything from Japan but when I shipped things from Thailand it was more expensive than I expected and took a while (I went with the slower option because of cost). Like others said, you’re better off just bringing some sort of extra luggage. You can always take an empty suitcase and leave it in the lockers at the airport or luggage check at a hotel (especially if your trip is a couple of weeks or less). If you don’t want a large suitcase then look into collapsible duffle bags or bags used for things like transporting hiking equipment. Unless you plan to buy a lot I doubt you’ll have to pay the airline more than the post office