Museum-Grade Logistics Suite™
Oversized, heavy, fragile, historic
When Ordinary Shipping Will Not Do
When a piece is too large, too delicate or too important for a standard parcel, we design a museum-level logistics plan around it, from the first measurement and crate drawing to the moment it is set down in its new home.
Typical commissions
Objects We Move
- Stone lanterns (tōrō) and other garden elements
- Buddhist statues, altar pieces and temple fixtures
- Tansu cabinets and heavy antique furniture
- Life-size character figures and display pieces
- Large ceramics, lacquerware and fragile works of art
- Architectural salvage: beams, doors and panels
Method
How Each Move Is Engineered
- AssessmentOn-site condition assessment and measurement whenever the piece requires it.
- Crate designA custom crate or pallet drawn for the specific object, never a box adapted after the fact.
- Inner packingShock-absorbing supports and protective wrapping chosen for each surface and material.
- Trusted partnersCoordination with experienced freight and art-handling partners in Japan and abroad.
- DocumentationPaperwork for insurance and customs, prepared whenever it is needed.
- SchedulingCareful timing that reduces handling, risk and time in transit.
Our principle
Safety Before Speed
For museum-grade and heirloom pieces, safety comes first. Each move is deliberate, and every layer of packing is chosen to protect your object from vibration, impact and environmental stress.
Pieces that need time before travel can rest in the Warehouse & Export Vault™, and the Restoration & Documentation Lab™ records their condition before they leave Japan. For a fuller picture, read our guide to importing large and high-value items from Japan.
Begin
Request a Museum-Grade Logistics Assessment
Tell us what you wish to move, where it is now and where it needs to go. We will advise on a realistic plan, budget and timeline. If you would rather write here, the form below reaches the same team.
The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team
Tokyo, Japan
In confidence
Write to the Concierge
A question about a piece, an order or a request for something special: tell us here, and a member of our team in Tokyo will reply personally.
A note before you begin
- Japonista does not purchase pieces from private owners, and does not acquire pieces offered from outside Japan. Messages offering pieces for sale are not answered.
- Appraisals and valuations are a paid service. A basic estimate is $150, settled at the moment you send your request, through the private appraisal intake.