Shipping from Japan to the USA: Services and Tips

As a foreigner living in Japan, it's inevitable: eventually, you’ll have to deal with international shipping.

If you’re wondering what’s the cheapest option for shipping from Japan to the USA, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’ll explain the most affordable and secure ways to send your packages home safely. 

I’ll also explain the restrictions regarding parcel shipments between Japan and the USA and discuss some customs-related issues you should be aware of before packing your items.

Let’s start by addressing the cheapest shipping methods. 

Cheapest Shipping From Japan to USA

The cheapest way to ship your packages to the USA is using the country’s national parcel service, Japan Post. Despite being the cheapest option, Japan Post maintains high service quality.

As a foreigner, you’ll be glad to know that Japan Post’s services are available in English. The website has an English language option, and there are even explanation videos in English so that you can send your package without a hitch.

You also have a private shipping option with Yamato Transport, which offers similar services with a little bit of extra payment, of course. So, it’s worth checking out if you want a more hassle-free process.

Let’s first cover your options with Japan Post before getting to Yamato Transport.

International Shipping Services of Japan Post

Japan Post offers four shipping options suitable for different needs, and their cheapest offering is the Surface Mail option.

However, the low price comes at a cost, with delivery times ranging anywhere from one to three months. If you’re not in a rush, this is great, but the anxiety of wondering if your items will ever show up may not be worth the discount you get. 

The second most affordable shipping service is SAL (Surface Air Lift). With SAL, your package is held in a line and is put on the next flight that becomes available.

While faster than Surface Mail, SAL can still take a couple of weeks, which may not work for everyone. But at the time of writing this article, the SAL service to the US is temporarily suspended by Japan Post, due to shortage of cargo space and reduced flights. So make sure to check its availability here if you’re interested in this particular service.

The third option is Airmail, a slightly more expensive service that takes a little more than 2 weeks to deliver your items. 

Lastly, if you want to have your items delivered in just around 2 weeks, Japan Post offers the EMS or Express Mail Service. This is your fastest but most expensive option, as it takes your shipment on a flight that’s exclusive to EMS packages. However, unlike the other three, this option isn’t available at all Japan Post spots. 

You can check the stores that offer EMS on the official website. To compare the prices between services and calculate how much your shipment will cost, head over to Japan Post’s online calculator.

How To Ship Your Package Via Japan Post: Step-By-Step

If you choose to ship your items via Japan Post, here’s what the process will look like.

Preparing Your Shipment

First, you need to make sure that the contents of your parcel don’t include any items restricted from international mail. If you’re unsure, scroll down to the “Restrictions” section, where I discuss this in detail.

Then, you need to pack your parcel securely. Japan takes shipping items seriously, and packages are always handled with care, so check out Japan Post’s guide explaining how to pack your items properly.

I also recommend making a descriptive note of what’s inside the package to avoid any problems when filling our your customs and shipping label forms.

Preparing The Necessary Documents

After carefully packing your shipment, the next step is to prepare the required documents for your shipment. Just like you need your passport and other travel documents when going abroad, your package needs to have its own documents to go through customs.

Here are the three documents that internationally shipped packages require:

• Shipping Label: This includes the sender and the recipient’s address and the contents of the package.

• Customs Declaration: As the name suggests, this document states the contents of the package for customs.

• Invoice: This is a document that’s required for the customs inspection but only if the items sent exceed a total value of 200,000 yen.

If you’re overwhelmed, don’t be: there’s a very neat online service called “International Mail My-Page Service” where you can create an account, fill out an online form and prepare these documents with ease.

I recommend filling out this form before you get to the post office, to make the process faster. 

Here is a quick guide from Japan Bank on how to ship your packages internationally.

Dropping Off Your Package

If all your documents are ready and your package is neatly packed, the next step is to drop your shipment off at a Japan Post location near you. 

If you’re sending an international package, keep in mind that Japan Post can also pick it up at a designated date and time.

You do need to schedule the pick up date ahead of time on the official website, but I recommend this option because you may be required to speak Japanese if you go to drop it off yourself. A pick-up at the door might be much simpler.

Remember to put your required documents into a single file/pouch for the pickup service and hand the file over when they come to pick up your package. 

Once again, EMS isn’t available at every service location, so check in advance with your local Japan Post office and bring your package over accordingly.

Now that you know how to ship your package using Japan Post, let’s take a look at your other most likely option.

Private Shipping From Japan to USA: Yamato Transport

If you don’t want to use Japan Post for whatever reason and are looking for a private shipping company, meet Yamato Transport.

Yamato Transport’s shipping service, known as Takkyubin or TA-Q-BIN, is the most commonly used shipping service that’s local to Japan. While companies you may be more familiar with, such as DHL and FedEx, also exist in Japan, these are nowhere near as widespread.

Like Japan Post, Yamato Transport also has many locations all over Japan. In fact, you may already be familiar with their black and yellow logo with cats on it – it’s simply everywhere.

Besides, despite being local to Japan, you have nothing to worry about in terms of language barriers, as Yamato’s services are fully available in English. 

Yamato offers full English-language support, both online and in-person, giving it an advantage over Japan Post, where Japanese language skills may be necessary as they don’t offer as much English support.

How To Ship Your Package Via Yamato Transport

If you’re ready to ship your package via Yamato Transport, you can, once again, prepare your shipment according to the rules and requirements we’ve covered above under the Japan Post method. 

Packing Your Items and Finding Your Parcel Size

Just like Japan Post, Yamato Transport also has guides for packing your items safely and correctly that you can refer to. Keep in mind that sending suitcases is not an option, and everything should be packed in a box according to the guide. 

You can use the size table below. The parcel size is calculated by adding the width, depth, and height of the box you want to ship. For instance, if you’re sending a box with the dimensions of 30x15x30, your parcel size is categorized as “Size 80”, as 30+15+30 is 75.

If the parcel's weight or size exceeds the value shown next to it, choose the greater value.

The Pricing Structure at Yamato Transport

Yamato Transport splits all countries into four zones, each with different rates. The United States falls under Zone 2. 

The prices for Zone 2 range between 1,200 yen and 26,000 yen, depending on the sizes I explained above. 

You can also refer to the charts on Yamato Transport’s website, which provide information on all zones and shipping costs.

Alternatively, Yamato Transport also has a calculator you can use to find out the exact fee and the earliest date your shipment can be delivered.

Using The Pickup Service or Dropping Your Parcel Off

Like Japan Post, Yamato Transport also has a pickup service, so you can ship your items without ever leaving the house. However, this expectedly comes at a fee. 

If you don’t want to pay the extra pickup fee of 100 yen, dropping off your parcel at a Yamato Transport location is also quite easy. The company has stores everywhere. 

If you want to locate the closest one to you, use this store locator (Japanese only) on Yamato Transport’s website.

Once you hand over your parcel and let them know the contents, Yamato Transport staff will help you with the rest. Shipping times vary, but the company is usually pretty fast, so you can expect your parcel to reach the urban areas of the USA in just about 4-6 days depending on the location.

Restrictions: Non-Permitted Items for Shipping From Japan to USA

Having explained your international shipping options, let’s talk about the contents of the package you’re planning to send. This is a customs issue and shouldn’t be overlooked.

For starters, let’s go over what you absolutely can not ship through international mail.

Non-Mailable Articles in International Shipping

International shipping means that your package will be carried either by air or sea transport. Shipping certain items can be dangerous or may compromise the safety of the vessel, which explains why these items are completely banned.

For starters, anything that comes in a spray bottle is a big no-no. I’m not just talking about pressurized aerosol cans but also regular spray bottles and even perfumes.

Similarly, other self-care products, such as sunblock and hair toners containing over 24% alcohol, are also not allowed in international shipping. Of course, this alcohol volume rate goes for alcoholic beverages as well. Beer may be fine, but any alcoholic drink over 24%, like gin or whisky, isn’t permitted.

Nail polish is another banned item, but not due to the potential of containing alcohol. As a general rule, transportation of nail polish seems to have been banned regardless of its alcohol content.

It goes without saying that explosive items such as fireworks and firecrackers are another banned category.

In addition to flammable and explosive items, electronic items that serve as power sources like power banks and portable batteries are among banned items too. 

Electronic cigarettes are in a category of their own on the list, as they’re the only electronic items other than power banks that are specifically banned from international shipping.

Still, electronic devices containing lithium batteries may pose an issue due to the risk of combustion. So, to be absolutely sure, please view this list from its official source on the Japan Post Website to check the special regulations and requirements regarding lithium batteries for yourself.

Also, keep in mind that all packages accepted for international transportation are scanned for banned items using X-ray machines. If the X-ray scan shows that the contents of your parcel include a restricted item, your package won’t be transported and will be sent back to you.

Valuable Items

As I said, the items I listed above are all banned from international shipping due to international treaties and are, therefore, universal rules. However, there are additional categories on Japan Post’s “non-mailable articles” list that aren’t categorized under internationally banned items but are deemed “non-mailable” nonetheless. 

The first are valuable items, which is a category banned from even domestic shipping in most cases. These are required to be registered and insured even in cases where they’re accepted for mail. 

So, due to security and safety concerns and the liability imposed on the carrier, the following items are also prohibited from international transport according to Japan Post’s website:

• Coins and banknotes

• Payable securities and checks of any kind

• Gold, silver, platinum, and other precious stones and minerals, both processed and unprocessed

In addition to this rule, some countries enforce their own regulations. So, it’s good to check the restrictions for your specific country or region.

Dangerous Goods For Air Transportation and Other Prohibited Items

There are even more items that are banned according to international treaties and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules, which may be more obvious but still need mentioning.

The items/categories below are examples of other prohibited items and dangerous goods for air transportation:

• Flammables: Gun powder, ammunition, lighter fluid, paint

• Compressed gasses: Air tanks for diving, helium gas, gas burners for camping, portable oxygen tanks

• Toxic substances

• Corrosive substances

• Radioactive substances

• Oxidizers

• Environmental toxins

• Live animals

• Narcotics

• Pornographic materials

Closing Thoughts on Shipping Items From Japan to USA

In this post, we’ve explored two of your best options for shipping from Japan to the US: Japan Post, which is the country’s national parcel service, and the privately owned Yamato Transport.

If you want the cheapest option, go for Japan Post, which offers decent service, but you may need to be a bit more involved. If you just want to hand things over to professionals, Yamato Transport is also a great option.

That said, I also mentioned that other options exist in Japan too. These are companies you may be more familiar with if you’re coming from the States, but there’s a reason they’re not as popular here.

DHL is among the most popular shipping companies worldwide, but it only has 27 locations in Japan and is quite pricey. USPS is another costly option, so you might just want to buy extra baggage space if you go to the USA soon instead. 

That’s all we have on shipping from Japan to the USA, but if you’re wondering what to send home to your loved ones abroad, check my guide on traditional Japanese gifts, Omiyage.

If you’re looking on more information on how to ship your luggages in Japan during a trip, you can also check out my article about Japan’s luggage delivery service.