Cost to Ship My HT, Studio and Lab Gear to Japan?

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

It's been impossible to find an example of someone moving a large sound system to Japan on the expat forums. Maybe some of the folks here have moved sound systems across national borders.

I'm trying to get a ballpark estimate of what it costs to move about 1800lbs of speakers and 900lbs of amplifiers, plus a large mixing desk, recording studio gear and an electronics lab full of spectrum analyzers, curve tracers, 'scopes and various analyzers, to Japan.

On the general topic of moving households, I've read numbers from US to Australia ranging from $1350 to $20,000.

Aside from the sound system, which I built over a 38 year span of time, I have some pets, large parrots, that would be going with us.

I'm seeking to assess the cost of the physical move as one of many steps in the process of expatriating from the US.

I also need to sell my house in CT, buy land in rural Japan, find someone to build me a new home more suited to my audiophile needs, and to set up/transplant my vacuum tube audio repair business there.

Numerous hurdles to jump over. Trying to get my ducks in a row so that the move can take place in about 1 year.

 

[JackD201]

The most cost efficient way is to get a whole container Mark. Start there.

 

[amirm]

That's a lot you have to do Mark. I think you need to find a friend/contact in Japan who is willing to help. I hope you/your spouse speak Japanese as there are very few to no English speaking people in rural areas.

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

I agree, a container is the only sensible method that I can think of. Numbers are all over the map though. $1350 to $20,000.
Then I'm reading that anything made of wood must be quarantined and steam cleaned. Can't do that with speakers!

Then there's the requirement that you present an invoice /original bill of sale for every piece in the container. Many of my items have been in my possession for half a century or more and I no longer have any receipts.

We're working on the language skills. Been watching Japanese language programming for 30 years. Looking for more formal education though. Reading kan'ji is the more challenging part.

There are many obstacles.. Japanese electricity is 100 volts. My sound system runs on 240. The rest of my gear is 120v. I may need a generator.

Still in the early phases of planning. Ideas welcome.

 

[Andre Marc]

It's been impossible to find an example of someone moving a large sound system to Japan on the expat forums. Maybe some of the folks here have moved sound systems across national borders.

I'm trying to get a ballpark estimate of what it costs to move about 1800lbs of speakers and 900lbs of amplifiers, plus a large mixing desk, recording studio gear and an electronics lab full of spectrum analyzers, curve tracers, 'scopes and various analyzers, to Japan.

On the general topic of moving households, I've read numbers from US to Australia ranging from $1350 to $20,000.

Aside from the sound system, which I built over a 38 year span of time, I have some pets, large parrots, that would be going with us.

I'm seeking to assess the cost of the physical move as one of many steps in the process of expatriating from the US.

I also need to sell my house in CT, buy land in rural Japan, find someone to build me a new home more suited to my audiophile needs, and to set up/transplant my vacuum tube audio repair business there.

Numerous hurdles to jump over. Trying to get my ducks in a row so that the move can take place in about 1 year.

I strongly suggest you contact Chris Sommovigo...who relocated to Japan lat year, and who brought a hugue amount of gear and machines to build his cables.

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Any idea how to contact Chris? Is he a member here?

 

[Andre Marc]

Any idea how to contact Chris? Is he a member here?

No, I don't believe he is a member. But member Lee is a friend, I believe Chris lived in Atlanta before he moved.
You may want to PM Lee.

Here is Chris's latest website:
http://stereomatic.com/

And he has a Facebook page for the Black Cat cables.

 

[Folsom]

Can you get insurance at face value on containers? Just in case one is lost to sea or at port? I'd consider it. The ocean has a lot of those in it... In fact I wonder what renting half a cargo plane would cost in comparison.

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Can you get insurance at face value on containers? Just in case one is lost to sea or at port? I'd consider it. The ocean has a lot of those in it... In fact I wonder what renting half a cargo plane would cost in comparison.

A plane has got to cost an extravagant amount of money. Insurance is a very good idea, but valuating the contents is difficult. If I insure for $1M, won't customs assume high value items and hit me with a huge import duty? OTOH, it took me 38 years to hand construct my sound system, and so it's basically irreplaceable.

 

[JackD201]

If I were you Mark I would secure quotes from Japanese brokerage houses as they can help you every step of the way from door to door. Language might be a problem though. Still all this comes after you actually have residence papers and the new address. Chicken and the Egg I know but that's just the way things are.

 

[RayDunzl]

Out of ignorant curiosity, and having had about a year total in Japan in 1986, 1992, and 1998, I'm wondering what your 'skill level' is with things actually Japanese.

 

[Folsom]

Out of ignorant curiosity, and having had about a year total in Japan in 1986, 1992, and 1998, I'm wondering what your 'skill level' is with things actually Japanese.

Remembering mini bows? Not blowing nose in public ever? etc...

 

[RayDunzl]

Remembering mini bows? Not blowing nose in public ever? etc...

There's that...

But the one thing that struck me every time I got off the plane in Narita was how I became instantly illiterate. Even simple tasks could be difficult. Go to the store, find toiletries, try to figure out if the tube of goo is toothpaste or shampoo...

It might not be so big a problem in Roppongi, but it could be when you get out of town.

The only Japanese writing I was ever sure of was the name of my little city, Kashiwa, which uses the Christmas Tree and Birdcage symbols - ? . It's about halfway between Tokyo and Narita, sort of the far northeast suburbs, and if you got off main street Westerners would still be something of a curiosity, especially one that knew basic bar and grille ettiquette. Poke your head through the entry, judge the 'surprise' as welcoming or not, and start a new adventure for the evening.

Nevertheless, at the end of my last trip I really didn't want to leave. My attitude might have been different, since I was on expense account then, and I could pull the status card whenever necessary by revealing I worked for NEC.

Unfortunately, the Kashiwa Sunshine Hotel has been turned into lodging for the new Wedding Hall they built right beside it, and it looks like my favorite starting place (below) is either abandoned or had a fire.

Mata ashita!

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

I've had thirty years of immersing myself in Japanese culture, on and off with interruptions caused by life in America, and I actually feel more comfortable in the company of Japanese than I do with Americans or other nationalities. I'm constantly watching Japanese television programs, working on studying the language, both verbal and written, and am already comfortable with the customs. I love the customs!

About that chicken and egg problem, that's a huge one. I need to sell my house, which is buried in back taxes and interest, liens, etc., to raise the funds to do the move. Where to live in the meantime is an unsolved mystery. This would be hard enough for a forty year old, but for someone nearing twice that age, it's one of those things where I wonder if I'll even be alive when things get that bad here. But the desire to raise my daughter in a safe country drives me onward.

 

[amirm]

I have been to Japan countryside where they clearly did not welcome foreigners and where strangers did more for me than friends would here. The latter was in Hokkaido. Bitter cold though so not sure about spending rest of one's life there.

And like you, there are experiences one can have in Japan that are beyond measure as a westerner. Have not been in Japan a few years and really miss it.

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Some parts of Japan differ, and also the attitude of the foreigner has a lot to do with how he is received by Japanese residents.

I'm looking at land on the northeast side of Honshu, and possibly southern part of Hokkaido. West coast has too much snow! Motomiya looks somewhat promising, not too far from suburban areas, but with isolated lands that would give me the needed buffer space.

My distant alternative is Iceland, but it's too cold all year round there.