Freight from Japan
Japan is one of the world’s largest economies. Tokyo, its capital, is a major industrial and commercial centre alongside cities such as New York and London.
Japan’s advanced manufacturing sector makes it an important sourcing market for importers. In the World Trade Organization’s 2018 statistical review, Japan ranked fourth worldwide for merchandise exports, with USD 698 billion in exports in 2017.
Goods from Japan can travel by air or sea. The sections below explain each option.
Air Freight from Japan
Air freight is one option for shipping goods from Japan. Major origin areas include Tokyo, Chiba, Osaka and Aichi.
Narita International Airport (NRT), in Chiba Prefecture, is a major cargo gateway serving the Tokyo area. Narita and Haneda (HND) serve the capital region, with both domestic and international services. Other international gateways include Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka Prefecture and Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) in Aichi, which serves the Nagoya area. Osaka International Airport, also known as Itami (ITM), handles domestic flights.
Air transit times to or from Japan depend on the airline, connections and handling. A published planning estimate from Japan to Iran is about 3–5 days. Confirm the routing, cargo acceptance and schedule for your shipment. Air freight generally takes considerably less time than ocean freight.
Ocean Freight from Japan
As a Pacific archipelago, Japan has many ports. Major ocean freight gateways include Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Osaka. Other ports include Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Kochi, Nagasaki, Takamatsu and Kagoshima.
The Port of Tokyo is a major gateway for freight, serving the capital region and its extensive trade. The best departure port depends on where the goods are collected and the carrier’s itinerary.
Ocean freight from Japan can move as a full container load (FCL), a less-than-container load (LCL), or bulk cargo. A full 20- or 40-foot container can suit a large shipment. Smaller shipments can share container space through LCL. Commodities such as cement, flour, clinker, ores and minerals such as copper ore can move in bulk when the product and service are suitable.
Ocean freight can cost considerably less than air freight for heavy or high-volume shipments. A published estimate for ocean freight from Japan to Iran is about 30–35 days. Actual transit can be longer depending on the sailing, transshipment and port handling. Compare the total cost and time, including inland transport from the receiving port. Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas and Assaluyeh are among the southern Iranian gateways listed in the reference. Confirm the receiving port and schedule for the selected service. For a current air or ocean rate, request a freight quote with the origin, destination, cargo type, weight, dimensions and shipment date.
Shipping to Japan and Unaccompanied Freight to Tokyo
Exports from Iran to Japan include a range of products. Examples in the reference are wool or fine animal hair floor coverings other than gabbeh, hand-knotted carpets and other textile floor coverings made of other textile materials, fresh or dried pistachio kernels, wool or fine animal hair gabbeh rugs, finished non-pile floor coverings of synthetic or artificial textile materials, fresh or dried in-shell pistachios, whole cumin seeds in non-retail packaging, other concentrated fruit juices excluding banana, mango, guava, passion fruit and lychee, other fresh or dried dates, packaged saffron, and fresh or dried figs.
Traders can use freight services to send samples and small commercial shipments to Japan. People moving to Japan can also send belongings as unaccompanied freight when their airline baggage allowance is limited. This can include personal belongings, household goods, furniture and small export consignments.