Shipping to Japan: What to Prepare and 7 Things to Know Before You Send

Shipping to Japan, whether documents, parcels, personal effects, samples, spare parts or commercial goods, involves more than the freight cost. You also need to consider the type of goods, transport mode, documents, customs clearance and the requirements of the relevant Japanese authorities.
KTC Global Logistics ships goods from Thailand to Japan by air and sea, and can assess door-to-door, door-to-port and port-to-port services according to the type of goods and the conditions of each shipment.
Preparing complete product details before asking for a quote helps choose the right transport mode, estimate costs more accurately and reduce the chance of problems when the goods arrive in Japan.

1. What are the ways to ship to Japan?

Choose how to ship to Japan based on the type of goods, quantity, weight, size, urgency and destination city.

Air freight to Japan

Air freight suits documents, parcels, samples, spare parts or goods that need to arrive quickly. Charges are based on actual weight and volumetric weight, or chargeable weight.
If the goods are batteries, liquids, chemicals or dangerous goods, give the details before asking for a quote, as airlines and airports may have extra requirements.

Sea freight to Japan

Suits large volumes, heavy goods or non-urgent goods. It can be divided into:

• LCL for less than a container load
• FCL for a full container, such as 20’GP or 40’HC

Choose LCL or FCL based on volume, weight, type of goods, destination city and the total shipment cost, not just the number of cartons.

2. Door to door, door to port and port to port: what is the difference?

Door to door

The provider handles everything from pickup at origin in Thailand to delivery at the consignee’s premises in Japan, within the agreed scope.
Note: door to door does not automatically mean the price includes taxes, duties, import clearance fees and every destination charge. Check clearly which items the quotation includes.

Door to port

The provider collects the goods in Thailand and ships them to the destination port or airport in Japan. The consignee or their agent then takes over.

Port to port

Suits companies that already have a customs broker or team handling formalities at origin and destination. The provider is responsible for the leg between ports or airports as agreed.

3. Who is Japan shipping for?

Shipping to Japan can be used by both individuals and companies, for example:

• People sending documents or parcels to relatives or contacts in Japan
• Businesses selling goods to customers in Japan
• Manufacturers sending product samples for business negotiations
• People going to Japan to study, work or live
• Companies sending spare parts, machinery or equipment to customers in Japan

However, imports for personal use and commercial imports may have different requirements, especially for food, medicines, cosmetics, plants and animal products.

4. Information to prepare before asking for a Japan shipping quote

For a realistic freight estimate, prepare at least the following:

• Product name and description
• Number of pieces, cartons or pallets
• Dimensions (width × length × height) of each package
• Weight per package and total weight
• Value of the goods
• HS code, if available
• Pickup address in Thailand
• Delivery address in Japan
• Destination city or prefecture
• Cargo ready date
• Incoterms for commercial goods
• Product photos, if the goods need to be checked

Saying only “I have goods to send to Japan, how much is it?” is not enough for an accurate calculation, because costs depend on weight, volume, type of goods, transport mode and the actual pickup and delivery locations.

5. Documents used for shipping to Japan

The documents needed depend on the type of goods, transport mode and type of import.
For commercial goods, the common basic documents are:

Commercial invoice

Shows the seller, buyer, product name, quantity, value, currency and terms of sale.

Packing list

Shows the number of packages, weight, dimensions and packing details.

Transport documents

• Bill of lading or sea waybill for sea freight
• Air waybill for air freight

Japan Customs states that import clearance documents may include the invoice, bill of lading or air waybill, packing list, freight and insurance documents, and additional permits where goods are controlled by other laws.
Details are available from
Japan Customs – Documents to be Submitted for Import Clearance

6. Which goods need special checks?

Before you ship to Japan, check whether the goods are general goods, controlled goods or goods that need approval or extra inspection by the relevant authorities.
Examples of goods to check before shipping:

• Food and beverages
• Meat and animal products
• Plants, seeds, fruit and plant products
• Medicines and health products
• Cosmetics
• Certain medical devices
• Chemicals
• Batteries and dangerous goods

Can I send food to Japan?

Some food can be imported, but requirements differ by type of food, purpose of import, ingredients and place of production.
For food imported for sale or business use, Japan’s Food Sanitation Act requires the importer to submit an import notification to the quarantine station of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare before the food is sold or used in business.
Details are available from the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – Import Procedure under Food Sanitation Act

Can I send plants or agricultural products to Japan?

Plants, fruit, seeds and some plant products are subject to plant quarantine controls. Some may be prohibited, or may need a phytosanitary certificate and inspection under set conditions.
More information is available from the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – Plant Quarantine

Can I send medicines and cosmetics to Japan?

Medicines, cosmetics and health products have different requirements by type, quantity and purpose of import.
For personal use, Japan sets quantities that can be imported without an import confirmation for some products, but imports for sale or business may need approval or certification under the relevant laws.
So do not send medicines, cosmetics or health products to Japan based only on the product name or number of pieces. Check the details before shipping.

7. The shipping process to Japan

Step 1: Send the product details

Send complete details of the goods, quantity, size, weight, value, photos, origin address and delivery address.

Step 2: Check the HS code and requirements

Check whether the goods are general, controlled or need a permit, certificate, import notification or extra documents.

Step 3: Choose the transport mode

Compare air freight, LCL or FCL by weight, volume, urgency and total shipment cost.

Step 4: Check the quotation

Check which costs the quotation includes, such as:

• Pickup charge
• Export customs clearance
• Freight
• Origin charges
• Destination charges
• Import clearance
• Delivery to the consignee
• Taxes and duties, if any

Step 5: Booking and shipping

Once the service is confirmed, the booking is made, the goods are picked up, documents prepared and the goods shipped on a suitable sailing or flight.

Step 6: Import clearance in Japan

When the goods reach Japan, the importer or customs broker files the import declaration with Japan Customs and provides any extra documents or permits for the type of goods.
Japan Customs states that the importer must file an import declaration and obtain an import permit after inspection and payment of the related duties or taxes before the goods are released into Japan.

Step 7: Delivery

After customs clearance and inspection by the relevant authorities, the goods are delivered to the consignee within the agreed service scope.

Frequently asked questions about shipping to Japan

Can I send a parcel to Japan?

Yes, in many cases, but check the type of goods, weight, size, value and import requirements first, especially for food, medicines, cosmetics, plants and goods containing batteries.

Can I send documents to Japan?

Documents can be sent by air or courier. Tell us the type of documents and how urgent they are so the right service can be chosen.

Can I send food to Japan?

Some food can be imported, but for sale or business use there is an import notification process under the Food Sanitation Act, and some products may need extra documents or inspection.

Can I ship to Japan door to door?

It can be arranged in many cases, but the type of goods, delivery address and costs included in the quotation must be checked, including any taxes, duties and import clearance fees.

Can I get a quote without an HS code?

You can send the product details and photos for an initial freight estimate, but for commercial goods the HS code matters for checking taxes, duties and import requirements.

How many days does shipping to Japan take?

It depends on the transport mode, origin and destination cities, sailing or flight, customs clearance and the type of goods, so check the transit time of the actual shipment before confirming the booking.

Want a quote for shipping to Japan?

For KTC Global Logistics to assess the price and transport mode properly, prepare:

1. Product name and description
2. Quantity
3. Dimensions
4. Weight
5. Value of the goods
6. Pickup address in Thailand
7. Delivery address in Japan
8. Cargo ready date
9. Product photos
10. HS code, if available