Delivery methods from Japan compared

The delivery method you choose affects everything that follows: how fast your goods arrive, how much you pay and how much paperwork is involved. Here is a practical comparison of the options available from Japan.

Air or sea: start with one question

Before comparing carriers, decide how urgent the shipment is. Air freight reaches most destinations in a few days; sea freight takes several weeks but costs a fraction of the price per kilogram. For heavy, bulky or non-urgent cargo, sea freight is almost always the sensible choice.

If you are restocking a shop, moving personal effects or shipping wholesale lots with no deadline, the savings from sea freight usually outweigh the waiting time. If you are shipping a sold item to a customer, speed matters more.

Express couriers: DHL and FedEx

DHL and FedEx are door-to-door express services with the strongest tracking and the fastest transit times.

• DHL — very fast to Europe and North America, strong customs support, best for time-critical parcels.
• FedEx — excellent to the USA and for heavier express consignments, including freight-weight shipments.
• Both collect from the door, prepare the export documentation and track the shipment at every stage.
• Cost is the trade-off: express rates are the highest per kilogram.

Japan Post: EMS and SAL

EMS is Japan Post's express international service and the option most people mean when they say "shipping from Japan". It is reliable, well tracked and cheaper than private couriers for small parcels.

• EMS — typically 3–7 days to most countries, tracking included, insurance available, generous weight and size limits.
• SAL — economy airmail. Slower, around two weeks, and cheaper, but tracking is limited or absent and some destinations no longer accept it.
• Surface mail by sea — the cheapest postal option, one to three months in transit.

AirCargo and SeaCargo for larger volumes

Once you move beyond parcel weights, postal services stop being practical and you move to freight: AirCargo for speed, SeaCargo for volume.

SeaCargo is normally booked as LCL, where your goods share a container, or FCL, where you take a full container. AirCargo is billed on chargeable weight, so it rewards dense, compact cargo.

Matching the method to the cargo

• Sold single items and urgent parcels — EMS or an express courier.
• Heavy collections, machinery, furniture and wholesale lots — SeaCargo, consolidated.
• Mixed pallets from several suppliers — consolidate in our Kobe warehouse and ship them once.
• Fragile equipment such as audio gear or cameras — use a method with full tracking and professional packing.