Mail Forwarding, Pet Repatriation, Cargo Shipping
Mail forwarding, pet repatriation, cargo shipping are the three logistics tracks that decide whether a departure from Japan ends cleanly or drags on for months.123 Start the mover quotes and pet clinic steps early, and file the mail redirection last, and each track closes on time.
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Animal Quarantine Service site, Japan Post, and your mover's current pages.
Overview
Leaving Japan splits into three parallel jobs with different owners. A mover packs, clears export customs, transports, and delivers your household goods.14 The Animal Quarantine Service inspects your dog or cat on the Japan side while the destination country sets the entry rules you must satisfy first.2 Japan Post redirects mail sent to your old address to a new address within Japan only.3
Full-household pricing is survey-based rather than menu-priced, so quotes drive the schedule.156 Only small-pack plans publish fixed pack prices.57 This article covers cargo options with dated cost and timeline bands, pet export plus home-country import in departure order, and mail forwarding with a bridge for mail that keeps coming after you leave.
International cargo shipping options
International movers in Japan range from full-service firms to web-based small-load plans. Match the plan to the volume you actually hold.
Full-service international movers
Crown Worldwide (Crown Relocations Japan, Tokyo office) handles international relocations with move sizes including a 1-2 bedroom home, plus consultation, packing, transport, storage, transit protection, destination settling, and a pet-relocation service line; pricing runs through a quote form.6 Asian Tigers Japan (K.C. DAT Japan, operating since 1998 within the Asian Tigers Group) covers international moves with move management, storage, insurance, and relocation services through multilingual staff, and the group reports relocating more than 16,000 families per year.8
Nippon Express runs a Full-pack Service with staff packing and worldwide coverage on request, alongside a Self-pack Service where the customer packs (sea with no stated box limit, air up to 15 boxes with city-limited destinations).5 Sea pricing is a case-by-case estimate while small air packs use fixed pack prices, with a pre-move survey where needed.5
Yamato's overseas moving lineup covers large moves with three tiers: Standard Plus as the full-service plan from packing through unpacking, Standard as the economical global plan with staff packing, and Basic as the limited-budget plan covering pickup, delivery, and admin with optionals available.1 Large-move pricing comes from a quick phone or email estimate or a house-visit survey.1
Smaller foreign-resident specialists that quote in English exist as a category, though this article vets no single firm list. Ask any small firm for the same itemized scope (survey, packing, export customs, insurance, destination delivery) so quotes stay comparable.
Small-load and express options
Yamato's Tanshin Plan is the web-based D.I.Y. small-move path: materials are delivered, you pack, pickup is at the front door, staff handle customs, and delivery runs to the door abroad, limited to North America, Europe, and Asia in Minimum, Regular, and Extra sizes.17 Published Tanshin pack prices by destination and size run roughly JPY 170,000 to 305,000 (as of 2026-09-08; confirm current figures with Yamato).7
Sea charges elsewhere are set by gross volume in cubic meters, with Yamato stating a 1 m3 minimum (about seven C-size boxes) measured after palletizing and exterior packing.4 Air charges use chargeable weight in kilograms, meaning actual gross weight versus volumetric weight (length x width x height in cm divided by 6,000), whichever is heavier.4
Nippon Express air small packs (up to 15 boxes, city-limited) also use pack prices rather than estimates.5 (as of 2026-09-08)5
For Japan-side export customs through a mover, prepare a passport copy plus flight confirmation; the mover prepares the packing list, invoice, and customs power of attorney, while destination import documents vary by country and are confirmed with staff.4 Duty-free household-goods treatment at destination generally needs 6-plus months of Japan residence (tourist status excluded), personal-use goods, a valid destination residence permit or one in process, personal travel to that country, and arrival of goods within 6 months of entry; otherwise duty can apply even to used goods.4
Marine cargo insurance applies to overseas shipments at depreciated value as listed on the packing list, and high declared values can draw duty assessment.4
Terminology
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 単身プラン | tanshin puran | Small-load or single-person moving plan, here Yamato's web-based D.I.Y. option7 |
| 容積重量 | yoseki juryo | Volumetric weight used for air pricing against actual weight4 |
Costs and timelines
Treat every figure below as a dated planning band, not a quote. Destination region, volume, and service level move the final number more than any article average can.
What a 1-2 bedroom move typically costs
A 1-2 bedroom shipment to North America or Europe by full-load sea freight is typically JPY 500,000 to 1,500,000 (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with at least two movers).156 Practitioner sources describe this band inconsistently and mover sites publish no equivalent full-household table, so use it for budgeting and let surveyed quotes set the real figure.
The same load by air typically runs 2 to 3 times the sea figure (as of 2026-09).15 Small-load fixed packs cost materially less than full-household loads, with Yamato Tanshin examples observed around JPY 170,000 to 305,000 by city and size (as of 2026-09-08).7
| Item | Amount | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 bedroom to North America or Europe, full-load sea (planning band) | JPY 500,000-1,500,000 | 2026-09156 | Surveyed quotes set the real figure; band is inconsistent across practitioner sources |
| Same load by air (planning multiplier) | 2-3x sea figure | 2026-0915 | Volatile fuel and capacity pricing |
| Yamato Tanshin small-load packs by city and size | JPY 170,000-305,000 | 2026-09-087 | Fixed pack prices, region-limited |
How long it takes
Planning windows run 3 to 6 weeks by sea and about 1 week by air, with destination customs clearance adding days (as of 2026-09).1 These are full-load planning bands, and they sit beside longer published small-plan estimates rather than replacing them.
Yamato's published small-plan estimates run longer: by sea 70 to 120 days for North America, 60 to 90 days for Europe, and 30 to 90 days for Asia; by air 10 to 14 days for North America and Europe and 7 to 14 days for Asia (as of 2026-09-08).1 Timing depends on pickup date and your own departure date.1
| Mode | Window | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea freight, full-load planning band | 3-6 weeks plus customs days | 2026-09 | Brief-supplied band; compare with small-plan rows below |
| Air freight, full-load planning band | About 1 week plus customs days | 2026-09 | Brief-supplied band |
| Yamato small-plan sea (North America, Europe, Asia) | 70-120, 60-90, 30-90 days | 2026-09-081 | Published plan estimates |
| Yamato small-plan air (North America, Europe, Asia) | 10-14, 10-14, 7-14 days | 2026-09-081 | Published plan estimates |
The 3 to 6 week sea band describes full-load planning while Yamato's 70 to 120 day North America figure describes small-plan sailings and consolidation. Conflating them understates either schedule, so confirm which product your quote buys.
Pet repatriation
Pet repatriation runs in destination-first order: satisfy the home country's import rules, then clear Japan's export inspection. The two regimes look similar (chip, shots, titer, certificates) but apply different waits and forms.
Home-country import requirements
Every destination sets its own entry conditions. The recurring elements are an ISO microchip, rabies and sometimes additional vaccinations, an antibody-titer test from a designated lab at 0.5 IU/ml or higher, parasite treatment, health certificates, and sometimes quarantine or an import permit.2 Meeting Japan's import conditions for a future return does not prove destination entry is covered; the sets are similar but different.29
For dogs entering the United States, the path depends on vaccination place and whether the dog was in a high-risk rabies country in the prior 6 months.10 Japan is not on the CDC high-risk list, so dogs arriving from Japan only take the low-risk path: a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip readable by a universal scanner, age 6 months or older, and a healthy appearance, with no titer or facility reservation on that path.101112
The contrast matters for indirect routings. Foreign-vaccinated dogs arriving from high-risk countries need the microchip placed before the rabies vaccine, a titer from a CDC-approved lab at 0.5 IU/ml or higher drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry, a government-endorsed vaccination and microchip form completed within 30 days of travel, arrival only at the facility airport, plus examination and revaccination (and a 28-day quarantine without a valid titer).12
For the European Union (dogs, cats, ferrets), a microchip plus valid rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate are always required.13 A titer at 0.5 IU/ml or higher from a designated lab, drawn at least 30 days after primary vaccination and at least 90 days before certificate issue, applies unless the origin is a listed country waived from the test; check Japan's current listing because the waiver list changes.13
Typical end-to-end pet prep runs 4 to 6 months when a titer plus waiting period applies (as of 2026-09-08; confirm current figures with the destination authority and the Animal Quarantine Service).91213 Direct-from-Japan low-risk US paths can run shorter because no titer wait applies.12 Airline crate and booking rules sit outside government quarantine and are confirmed with the carrier.
Terminology
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抗体価検査 | kotai-ka kensa | Rabies antibody titer test at 0.5 IU/ml or higher913 |
| 待機期間 | taiki kikan | Post-draw waiting period before entry (EU 90 days, Japan re-entry 180 days in the cited regimes)913 |
Japan export inspection
Dogs and cats leaving Japan must meet both destination entry conditions and Japan exit conditions, then undergo export quarantine inspection at the directed date and hour; skipping inspection is punishable (dogs: up to 3 years confinement or a JPY 3,000,000 fine, juridical persons up to JPY 50,000,000; cats: up to a JPY 300,000 fine).214
The sequence runs as follows.
Check destination entry rules with the destination quarantine authority or embassy first.2 If any return chance exists, check Japan re-entry rules before the clinic steps.2 Complete the clinic measures and collect the certificates.2 Apply for export inspection through NACCS at least 14 days before the desired inspection date (email to the departure AQS is accepted with a 14 MB cap and no external-storage links; no reservation exists before application).2 Attend within 10 days before departure (or within the destination-set window) with the animal, all original certificates, and photo ID; issue typically takes 30 to 60 minutes.2
AQS inspection hours at Narita (accompanied baggage), Haneda Terminal 3 CIQ building, and Kansai Terminal 1 CIQ building run daily 08:30 to 16:30, with other ports by inquiry and different hours for Narita cargo.2 Private-vet and lab certificates may be verified directly with the issuer, and counterfeit certificates mean no export certificate and no export.2 When someone other than the applicant brings the animal, a power of attorney from the applicant is required.2
Yamato's pet page defers overseas pet transport details to MAFF rather than stating mover-handled quarantine steps.4
If you may return to Japan with the pet
Japan re-entry from non-designated regions (including the US mainland states, Canada, the UK, and EU members) requires an ISO microchip, at least two rabies vaccinations after chipping (first at 91 days or older, second 30 or more days after the first within validity), a titer at a designated lab at 0.5 IU/ml or higher, arrival 180 or more days after the blood draw (day zero), arrival within vaccine validity and the titer's 2-year validity, 40-plus days of advance notice to the arrival AQS, a pre-departure clinical exam, and government-issued certificates.9 Compliant arrivals clear within about 12 hours while shortfalls draw detention up to 180 days.9
The practical consequence is direct: complete the Japan re-entry measures (chip, vaccines, titer draw) before leaving Japan if any return is possible, because the 180-day clock runs from the draw date and time abroad counts once drawn.29
Mail forwarding and ongoing Japan mail
Mail is the track most departures underrate. The filing is free and quick, but its coverage is narrow and its clock starts immediately.
Japan Post forwarding
Filing a 転居届 (tenkyo todoke, "relocation form filed with Japan Post") at a nearby post-office counter (also accepted by postbox drop without a stamp, or online) redirects items sent to the former address to the new address free of charge for one year.3
The one-year clock runs from the submission date, not from any requested start date; after expiry, items return to sender, and renewal means submitting the form again.3 Counter filing needs submitter ID (licence, health insurance card, or equivalent; company moves add relationship documents with representative name and seal) plus former-address proof (a government-issued address document such as a licence, passport, Individual Number card, Basic Resident Register card, or residence certificate).3
Japan Post may verify the move by visit, cohabitant confirmation, or a confirmation form to the former address (skipped when ID plus former-address proof completes at the counter).3 Activation takes days after submission, so file before the movers arrive; practitioner guides report 3 to 7 business days while the English primary page states no day count (as of 2026-09-08; confirm current timing with Japan Post).3
A filing made on moving day can leave a gap while registration propagates. File at least a week ahead and update time-critical senders directly for the gap days.
If mail will keep coming after departure
Japan Post's English forwarding page describes domestic redirection only and offers no overseas path.3 Anyone expecting ongoing Japan mail after departure therefore needs a Japan-address bridge (a private mailbox or forwarding-service address) plus direct sender updates before the forwarding window sunsets.3
Private mailbox and virtual-mailbox providers are a commercial category rather than a Japan Post service, and this article vets no specific provider. Compare scan, hold, and reship terms directly and keep one Japan address stable across senders.
Items marked do-not-forward are not redirected even with a filing on record. Practitioner guides report that banks, card issuers, telecoms, and government senders often use this marking, so update those senders directly rather than relying on redirection.
Terminology
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 転送不要 | tenso fuyo | Do-not-forward marking; the item returns to sender instead of redirecting |
| e転居 | e-tenkyo | Online tenkyo filing path via website or post-office app |
Sequencing the three tracks
Request mover quotes first, because survey lead time plus pickup scheduling drives the departure date.15 Run pet clinic measures in parallel on the longest lead time, since titer-plus-wait regimes run months and cannot be compressed.29 File mail forwarding and update no-forward senders last and closest to move-out, because the one-year clock starts at submission.3
Document envelopes differ per track and should stay separate. Mover export customs take a passport copy, e-ticket or itinerary, packing list, invoice, and customs power of attorney.4 Pet export takes destination certificates plus originals for the AQS inspection.2 Mail takes submitter ID plus former-address proof.3
Treat the lead times in the table as dated planning figures (as of 2026-09-08) and confirm each with the responsible office before fixing travel.1523
| Track | Lead time | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mover quotes and pickup | Weeks; survey plus scheduling drives date | 2026-09-0815 | Quote-gated for full loads |
| Pet prep with titer plus wait | 4-6 months typical | 2026-09-0891213 | Shorter for direct low-risk paths |
| Mail forwarding clock | 1 year from submission | 2026-09-083 | Renew by resubmission |
Good to know
Get at least two English-language quotes before fixing your departure date
Full-household pricing is survey-based, so a single quote cannot be checked.1568 Crown, Asian Tigers, Yamato (phone, email, or house visit), and Nippon Express (survey where needed) all gate full-load pricing behind a quote step.1568 Fixing a flight before quotes arrive removes negotiating room and can force an air upgrade at 2 to 3 times the sea figure (as of 2026-09).15
Air looks fast until destination customs adds its days
Air transit itself is days (Yamato small-plan air runs 7 to 14 days by region), but destination import paperwork and inspection add days on top (as of 2026-09-08).14 Handing documents to mover staff in Japan before flying smooths the destination handoff, since preparing the full set after arrival costs time and contact opportunities.4
Starting pet prep late is the most expensive mistake
Titer-plus-wait regimes cannot be compressed: the EU needs 90 days post-draw and Japan re-entry needs 180 days post-draw, while high-risk US paths need the draw at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry (as of 2026-09-08).91213 A failed titer restarts the clock from the new draw date, which can push a departure by months.9
Japan Post forwarding does not follow you abroad
The English forwarding page describes redirection to a new address on domestic submission with no overseas path.3 Anyone leaving Japan without a Japan-address bridge plus direct sender updates will see post-expiry mail returned to sender.3 Arrange the bridge before the flight rather than after arrival, when verification becomes harder.
Tell no-forward senders directly
Do-not-forward marking overrides a filing on a per-item basis, and the senders most likely to use it (banks, cards, telecoms, government) are also the senders whose letters matter most.3 Japan Post's English page publishes no sender list for this marking, so treat the sender pattern as practitioner-reported rather than official.3 Update them directly rather than relying on redirection.
Keep a checklist of every sender updated in the final month so the one-year forwarding window covers only the long tail.
See also
- Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up
- Leaving Japan: The Emotional Offboarding
- Mail-Forwarding at Move and Departure
- Importing a Pet to Japan
- Finding a Vet in Japan