Moving from Japan/how to pack and shipping list
What do I include on my Packing
List? (Document E)
- Box number, Description of the goods, Quantity and Value must all
be indicated.
- The declared values on your packing list are for shipping (transporting),
customs clearance and insurance purposes. (Shipments need to be cleared
through customs both in Japan and in the country of destination.)
- We recommend that you type this into a computer instead of writing
it out, possibly using an application like Microsoft Excel or Word.
- Please write in block letters and black ball-point pen, if you handwrite
your list.
- Please make it as detailed as possible. Every item must be listed.
"5 T-shirts and 2 skirts" is better than "7 items of
clothing". Generally speaking, it is unlikely that customs will
worry about not declaring a handkerchief or a pair of socks. So, do
not try to be meticulous.
- o Very good descriptions: printer, rice cooker, jackets, Panasonic
32 inch TV
o Acceptable: stationery, clothing ,TV set, children toys, kitchen
utensils, chinaware, books
o No good: Miscellaneous, souvenirs/"omiyage", gifts, personal
effects, foodstuff, household goods, electric appliance (these descriptions
are much too general and they can mean just about anything),
- If you declare some small items which are almost impossible to count,
specifically photos, letters and documents, you may want to simply
write "1 packet" or "1 set" for Quantity. For
example, "one packet (or one album) of photos" (But DO NOT
write "1 packet of Photos and Documents"; they must be listed
separately.)
- Some people are good at making detailed lists and they even indicate
the title of each book they are shipping. This will be an appeal to
the customs office that the shipper is honest and making every effort
to declare articles. But simply stating "books" will also
be fine.
- Values must be declared for all items including presents (gifts),
documents and photos etc. Some people may say that they have no values.
The values for such items need to be declared / indicated for customs
statistics. NVD(No value declared), NCV(NO commercial value) or $0,
0yen is not acceptable. Blank is not acceptable. If you list some
items which you think have no value, please declare a low value of
$1 or 1yen. If you write, NVD , Y0 or the alike, your shipment cannot
be shipped from Japan.
- When declaring values, do not use terms such as "maybe",
"approximately" or the like. Check your calculations once
again before faxing. Miscalculation will result in customs and shipping
delay. Many people make calculation mistakes (even when they use Microsoft
WORDS) and we would like to avoid delay.
- The declared values for personal effects shipments: Value that
are accepted by both the customs office and the insurance company,
is "used value" or so-called "fair market value",
i.e. the prices the goods would go for today on a fair market basis.
Replacement values or purchase price are accepted only for items that
have not been used yet or newly purchased items.
- Carriers or JLE do not refund the charges related to shipping even
when there is loss or damage of an shipment. Considering the fact
that there is no refund of freight/shipping charges, customs clearance
charges or the alike in the even of loss or damage, slightly higher
value may be declared by adding some part of moving/freight charges.
- Personal computers with a value of ?100,000 per unit over are NOT
accepted. (If a value exceeding ?100,000 per unit is declared on the
packing list, NO compensation will be made by the insurance company,
Japan Luggage Express or any other organization such as carrier, including
when the insurance premium is paid based on the declared value.)
- Do not write any messages to Japan Luggage Express (JLE) on your
packing list. Packing lists are the documents for customs clearance.
How to Pack
- Please write a 'Case Mark' on the side and top of each box. Your
case mark should consist of A. your name, B. the name of destination
CFS*/port and C. the carton (bag) number.
- Write in capitals directly onto the side and top of each box with
a magic marker or large permanent pen OR write/print in large, bold
font on pieces of paper and firmly attach them to the top and side
of each box.
- Do not write the full destination shipping address in this case
mark
- Do not use any alphabets, letters or symbols that cannot be typed
with a conventional typewriter for English and no Japanese characters)
- Do not write the name of the actual city you will be moving to.
Write the name of the destination port or CFS* (*CFS = Container Freight
Station).
- Make a packing list while you are packing each carton. It will
be more accurate.
- Please be very careful in numbering the packages especially if
you are shipping a large number. Every once in a while we come across
a situation where a client has two packages with the same number or
where there is no particular number used. This will cause confusion
and delays and in the worst case unnecessary additional charge may
incur and may result in delay in shipping also. Similarly, if you
have some boxes and some bags (say a ski bag), simply continue the
numbering as if the bag were another box. Finally, avoid Box No.1
of 12 etc. Just number them Box No.1, Box No. 2, etc.
- Packing is a matter of common sense. Do not ship anything that
is not completely packed, especially large items such as pieces of
furniture.
- We sell bubble wrap and cardboard boxes for international shipping
and moving if you need some.
- Please use sturdy cardboard boxes for shipping. Suitcases are acceptable.
Boxes will be piled up and the boxes must be sturdy enough to hold
the weight of the boxes piled on them.
- Plastic containers and hard cases for musical instruments can be
shipped but please make sure all packages have case marks. (You may
want to use stickers or tags if it is not possible to write case mark
directly on the suitcases.) If shipping duffle bags, they should be
packed in cardboard boxes. �@�@
- Hint - Electric appliance shops might have large cardboard boxes
that can be used for shipping TVs, small tansus, computers etc. If
you need a bike box, go to a bicycle shop and ask.
- Computers exceeding value of ?100,000 per unit are not accepted
in terms of insurance.
- Snowboards must be packed in bags but may need further packing
for protection.
- Suitcases, guitar cases (hard cases) and golf bags can be shipped
without further packing, however, it would be necessary to wrap them
with vinyl sheet, bubblewrap etc. A soft guitar case would need to
be packed in a very sturdy box and would still be at risk.
- Avoid wooden boxes, wooden crates, or wooden pallets for packing.
Wooden packing materials can cause quarantine problems when shipping
to countries such as USA, Canada, EU countries, and Australia/New
Zealand unless you use fumigated/treated wood which meets the quarantine
and customs standards of such countries. A certificate for fumigation
is required for shipping to US and Canada. Alternatively, you may
use plywood, Plywood(veneer) is acceptable and this would perhaps
be the easiest and best way in terms of avoiding quarantine problems
in shipping.
- All fragile items need to be wrapped in shock-absorbing materials
ideally the thickness of 6 cm. Put shock-absorbing materials on the
bottom and top of the box containing fragile items.
- If you are shipping dishes, chinaware, glasses, we recommend what
we call "double-packaging", where you place such items in
smaller boxes initially with fillers (this refers to shock-absorbing
material such as plastic chips and bubble wraps. They can also be
such common things as soft clothing such as T-shirts or towels) and
then put the entire box into a box of larger size. There also should
be some more fillers inside the larger box for protection.
- We do not stick "fragile" stickers on the packages at
the time of Pick-up or afterwards. Do this yourself. Please have your
boxes "ready to ship" at the time of Pick-up or encounter
delays.
- Japan Luggage Express does not do further packing or palletizing/shrink-wrapping
of your packages unless agreed beforehand and additional charges paid.
They will be transported exactly the way they are collected from your
residence.
- If shipping a framed picture/painting, put some adhesive tape on
the surface of the glass (some tape which can be peeled off easily
later on when you unpack your packages) so that the glass will stay
in place even if it gets broken into peaces or gets cracked. Then
put some more paper between the picture/painting and the glass so
that any broken glass will not damage the picture/painting which perhaps
be the most important part of the goods which cannot be replaced as
easily as glass or frames.
- You must ensure that any sharp objects are packed away from all
edges/sides of carton boxes. If they should puncture the side or the
top of a carton box, you or handling staff could risk injury and other
contents could be damaged.
- If you have an item which is too large to be put in a cardboard
box or in proper wrapping, it is likely to be refused at the airport.
Ask us to professionally wrap/crate/palletize it for you.
- Professional crating/palletizing is available at an additional charge.
- Please do not ship(pack) coins, credit cards, precious stones,
jewelry or the like in your boxes
- Avoid liquids entirely. They may leak and ruin your goods.
NB
The above are only suggestions and means there is still a possibility
of damage if packed this way.
Moving from Japan