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Thread: How to ship large package from Japan to Canada as an individual?

  1. #1
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    Default How to ship large package from Japan to Canada as an individual?

    Hi All,

    Currently in Japan and struggling with gathering some information. As some of you may know, I am planning on having a Japanese room in my new house that I am building, which will require about 8-10 tatami mats, depending on the size of the mats. I can buy the tatami mats easy enough, already got a quote for them out in Kobe where I am at currently. We will also be visiting a place in Tokyo to get a quote as well, but our problem is transportation and export. As an example, the Kobe place can package our tatami mats 2x per wooden box, with each box having the dimensions of 190x110x10CM, weighting in at 35kg each, for a total of 4 boxes. Most shipping companies will only ship things up to 150CM in length, and under 30KG. We are looking at all of our options and seems like LCL (Less-Than-Container Load) ocean shipping is a decent enough option, but it seems like they only deal with businesses and not individuals. I priced out door to door service from DHL for example, and it make me tick the B2B customer checkbox to even give me a quote, so it seems like as an individual, it's nearly impossible to ship something like this. We also contacted another Tatami company in Tokyo who we will be going to visit in a few weeks, and they ship worldwide, but with our brief discussion over the phone, he mentioned that it's also a matter of shipping to a company, and not to an individual.


    So, how the fuck does one ship anything of size across the world without being a company? Do I have to deal with some import business to get this done? Anyone have any recommendations? Could I just ask my buddy who is self-incorporated to assist with this, thus making it a B2B transaction? Looking for any insight for anyone who may have any. I don't need to make this decision right away, I can place the order over the phone later, but as of right now feel a bit lost. Don't know why it has to be this hard..

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    Hire a logistics company to act as your agent.

    https://wtslogistics.com/

    Example.

    Now they might still think your business is too small to bother with. And it might be expensive.
    Last edited by killramos; 01-27-2024 at 07:29 AM.
    Originally posted by Thales of Miletus

    If you think I have been trying to present myself as intellectually superior, then you truly are a dimwit.
    Originally posted by Toma
    fact.
    Quote Originally Posted by Yolobimmer View Post
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    guessing who I might be, psychologizing me with your non existent degree.

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    Are the ones you are looking at in Japan significantly better or cheaper than what you can buy in North America? If not, just buy them here from a company who has already dealt with the shipping hassle.

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    Yea, there is a reason landed materials cost more.
    Originally posted by Thales of Miletus

    If you think I have been trying to present myself as intellectually superior, then you truly are a dimwit.
    Originally posted by Toma
    fact.
    Quote Originally Posted by Yolobimmer View Post
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    guessing who I might be, psychologizing me with your non existent degree.

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    For sure will be cheaper to buy from Canada from an organization that already has the logistics figured out. You won't beat them on bulky-heavy items like this.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Use the overnight parts from Japan guys.
    "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents... some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new Dark Age."

    -H.P. Lovecraft

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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkane View Post
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    Use the overnight parts from Japan guys.
    Came to post this.

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    What about asking a local Japanese parts importer (eg JDM Source) and see if it is possible to add your tatami mats into their container/shipment coming to Calgary?

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    Quote Originally Posted by CarlLester View Post
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    Are the ones you are looking at in Japan significantly better or cheaper than what you can buy in North America? If not, just buy them here from a company who has already dealt with the shipping hassle.
    Couple of problems with this. Very little selection. I am not looking at cheap dojo mats, but real authentic stuff. There is a company in montreal which wants $650 per mat, which will be pretty generic. Here I am able to get custom made mats, in custom dimension, with Japanese paper (not grass, paper is stronger) for like $1300, with custom boarder that we want, thickness ect. Plugging the shipment weight into DHL b2b shipment it comes out to $1300 door to door for lcl shipment, so basically $2600 or so all in, plus taxes and duties. At this point it's not even the cost that's the problem..it's just the logistics of getting them over here.

    Most of the replies on here seem to imply you can just buy them easily here... Which doesn't seem to be the case from my research, please educate me if I am wrong.

    Looking at a logistics company mentioned here, it seems like we have been researching the same thing here in Japan, but since it's the weekend most are closed. We will give some a call tomorrow to see if we can get some answers here. If we can get someone to do the job for about $1500 then we would be happy enough, and still cheaper than buying directly in Canada, and get exactly what we want.

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    First time large package and Japan used in same sentence.

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    How big would it be?

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    http://www.tatami.ca/japanese-products
    These guys mention paper coverings available. Not the best website, but worth reaching out. They seem to have lots of options.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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