I sent my mac to Japan on Wednesday - and it arrived safely yesterday! It seems they decided to deliver it via air cargo - not the slow and dangerous surface transportation. The process took only two days, and costed me less than I thought, 100 euro, about 15000 yen! Whoa. And as I expected, I didn't have to pay customs fees. The mac didn't even go to the customs handling.
Yokatta.
I wonder what this really could mean? Sure, it's practical to know Japanese and I would see it's pretty much necessary if you are to live in Japan.
But it's kind of alarming what comes to the international relations. Japan is now collecting fingerprints of foreigners, I really wonder what is the direction Japan is going?
For myself, reading this news sure gave a kick to butt to learn Japanese more fast..
I finally found out that sending a computer or other similar electronics is usually free of customs charge in Japan. So you can send computer without having to worry about it. SECTION XVI of Japan's Tariff Schedule at least says so: http://www.customs.go.jp/english/tariff/2008/data/85.htm
I mean I guess personal computers are belonging to category of MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
In addition, if you are to import nuclear reactor, it seems to be free of charge too.
15 January 08 - 11:12Nothing is ever perfect. But imperfection creates perfection?
The one sentence that usually helps me with the various situations is that "world just isn't perfect".
You might think a moving or money for example.. You might think you want to pursue the optimal, best result always, you know the result that "beats all other options".
But world doesn't work that way. There is always loss in everything, and you often have to "just do it", even if you would lose something in return.
But the beauty of the world comes from it, how everything will always be eventually OK, even if it seems a vicious circle to us humans. And we really are rather small beings. The outside cosmos keeps beating in it's steady rhythm regardless of how much we would fight back. "letting it all go" is maybe often the best maneuver.
It's like playing chess, when trying to choose what to take to Japan and what to leave behind.. Because I can't bring everything..
I realize the fact, there is no site about "moving to Japan" in English, which would explain with a human readable language how to send things, regarding customs.
In my understanding, if you send goods to Japan which exceed 10 000, a Macintosh computer for example, you have to pay customs fees. http://www.customs.go.jp/english/exp-imp/privatecargo/private.htm#parcel
This explains it, but then again I get the sense that they are talking about merchandize rather than used personal items..
Sadly this page just sucks. Or then it's my problem because I cannot understand a word they are saying. Instead of explaining us the detail how the procedure works, they should explain us, When and how much we have to pay customs for a certain items. I don't want to know how it works. I want to know in practice how much I have to pay, and on what basis.
And my question isn't even complicated, it's just following two sentences. I'm moving to Japan and I need to send my personal iMac computer. Do I have to pay customs fee, and how much?
I tried searching and googling over and over again, and even called the embassy of Japan in Finland - all they said was that they gave me the link to the customs.go.jp site..
Then, sending items to Japan is expensive thing to do - sending my 9kilo iMac from Finland costs me more than 130 euro. And I'm not talking about express or air wreight. Shipping. Of course, that is kind of natural, when you consider how many hands will handle these boxes of my goods. Shoganai..
But well, it was time to let go of my books anyway..
I just wish there would be a third party website in English which would explain the tariff of customs in Japan.
If I had the time, I would certainly create such site.. Now I'm sending mail to the professionals at customs.go.jp
I think they will answer me. When, I don't know.. Next week I'm leaving anyway.