Shipping gear back from Japan (Ishigaki) to USA

[amw5g]

My wife and I are considering a trip to Japan. The current plan is to fly from the US into Tokyo and spend a night. The next day, fly to Ishigaki for several days of diving. After Ishigaki, we would fly to Hokaido for another 3-4 days for topside tourism, before returning to Tokyo for the last 3-4 days.


Rather than dragging our dive gear around the country, we are considering shipping our stuff back home from Ishigaki. Is that something realistically possible, and does anyone have any experience with that? We could go the rental route, but we are both much more comfortable with our own gear.

Cheers,
Amw 5G

 

[Alfawolfje]

Another option which will be much cheaper is use takkyubin.
Send the gear to your final hotel in Tokyo and take it back from there. Just a thought! Your diveshop should be able to help you out!
Takuhaibin - Delivery Services

Cheers and safe diving!

 

[egovenatus]

In answer to your question, yes I have sent dive gear home via shipping services, it's expensive as all get out (such as I paid almost $500 to ship a set of tech gear home via FedEx). The Takuhaibin is only in country I think, not back to the states. This would solve having to lug it around, but it might be best to use the same hotel going into country and out of, they will probably store your gear for you during the interim. I have also done this in the past too, call first of course!


Edit, Oops sorry, I re-read your initial post, As Alfawolfeje said, I would use the Takuhaibin to ship your gear back to the hotel you stayed at your first night, and make sure you are staying there when you get ready to leave. It will probably be cheapest that way. Also, enjoy Hokkaido, I loved my visit there.

 

[Alfawolfje]

Takyubin is domestic only and really convenient!
Final hotel does not have to be the same as the one from first night. Just have the diveshop send it to your final destination (hotel) and problem solved. 20-30$ at most!!

 

[egovenatus]

You are correct of course, wasn't really thinking about it too much last night, one too many beers... any hotel will do if you are using the Takuhaibin.

 

[amw5g]

Thank you, both. Ideally, I'd ship the gear back to the states so I don't have to worry about it at all once we're done. But perhaps the takuhaibin is the next best thing. That's the kuro nekko, right? I've seen them all over the place during our few trips to Japan.

 

[Alfawolfje]

Kuroneko is the most famous one but there are several... Every convenient store is a drop off place and has forms of at least 2 companies.
But dive shops will call and arrange pickup for you, often after drying your gear. So just give them the fee and address and thing should be taken care off!!

Cheers

 

[Nictokyo]

My wife and I are considering a trip to Japan. The current plan is to fly from the US into Tokyo and spend a night. The next day, fly to Ishigaki for several days of diving. After Ishigaki, we would fly to Hokaido for another 3-4 days for topside tourism, before returning to Tokyo for the last 3-4 days.


Rather than dragging our dive gear around the country, we are considering shipping our stuff back home from Ishigaki. Is that something realistically possible, and does anyone have any experience with that? We could go the rental route, but we are both much more comfortable with our own gear.

Cheers,
Amw 5G

If you want to ship back to US, you can use EMS (Post Office). To US it is quite simple : no tax, it takes max 5 days.
I shipped several rebreathers like this...
Cost is 25,000 Yen for 20kg. It is cheap compared to private couriers.

http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html

Cheers, Nicolas