Anyone have info on how to ship furniture back here from Japan?

[July]

My son has decided he's coming home (yippee!!) and doesn't want to leave a few pieces he bought there. UPS tells us they don't do personal shipments, so we're stumped at the moment. I'm guessing his choices are: cargo on his flight home (don't know if that's feasible); Japanese postal service (don't know about freight through them); or a Japanese moving and storage company.

I'm taking all ideas. We have to solve this question soon.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[July]

1. kicking nt

[Midlodemocrat]

2. PM matsubara

He lives there and is originally from here, so he might have some ideas.

[mainegreen]

3. Our family recently had to bring furniture back from Europe. Had to do it via cargo ship.

Used a shipping service. Pain in the ass, took months, had to pay annoying fees all along the way, and was about the only way we could do it. Practically had to bribe some Canadian officials to let the stupid container leave Canada and come down to the us.

[AllegroRondo]

4. If he's near a US military base

have him contact the base in/out processing dept. They deal with shipping personal property for tons of incoming and outgoing service members, and can probably recommend local companies that have a good record.

[trof]

5. Used to fly for Nippon Cargo Airlines.

I'm sure there are folks in their sales offices who speak English.
Might be pricey, though.
Ship is probably cheapest.

[Tyler Durden]

6. I would avoid anyone driving a moving van.

Your goods might get wet.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I wish I could remember what service we used

We shipped 13 boxes of personal stuff back to the States when we moved out of Japan many moon ago but I can't recall the company we used. This link might be useful though: http://www.shipping-worldwide.com/

Flying heavy items will be ridiculously expensive but the turnaround time is much slower when you stick it on a boat. I think it took 6-8 weeks for our stuff arrive.

[BluePatriot]

8. Well...

You can contact a Freight Forwarder with a import broker's license and ask for a quote on a shipment of personal effects importing from Japan that will require a pickup as-is overseas and export packing overseas. For this you will need wt/dims/estimated value of the items.

There should be some small-midsize companies like this in your area. Try the phone book, chamber of commerce.

Avoid Panalpina.

Best of luck!

[KitchenWitch]

9. Did he try DHL

I used to be a shipping and receiving clerk for a software company - We did a lot of our overseas shipping via DHL.