The Shipping Flowchart: From Order to Doorstep

Every piece leaves Tokyo by the same careful route. This page lays out each stage in order, what happens during it, and how many days it takes, so that you can place an order knowing exactly what to expect. On any piece, choose Check the calendar for estimates to see these stages painted on real dates, counted from the day you are looking.

Day 0

You place your order

Your piece is reserved for you the moment the order is placed. A confirmation reaches you at once, and the curator team is notified in Tokyo.

Days 0 to 1

Processing

The order is confirmed, then the piece is brought out and checked once more for authenticity and condition against the photographs and the grade you saw.

Day 2 until dispatch

Handling

Museum-grade packing for the kind of object it is, insurance for its full value, and the export paperwork. Where duties can be arranged before dispatch, this is when it is done.

Days 7 to 14 · Days 1 to 2 for pieces already held in Tokyo

Dispatch from Tokyo

The piece leaves Tokyo insured and tracked, and your tracking details are sent to you the same day. Pieces that are ready early leave early.

1 to 10 days after dispatch

In transit

Time in transit depends on where you are. The table below gives the usual figure for each region.

Arrival

At your door

Customs clears the piece, any duty or tax is collected on delivery unless it was arranged beforehand, and the piece is handed to you. We write after arrival to be sure it reached you as described.

Usual time in transit

Japan 1–2 days
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, China, Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam 2–5 days
Australia, New Zealand 3–6 days
United States, Canada 4–7 days
United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, European Union 4–8 days
Everywhere else 5–10 days

A worked example

Order a piece to the United States on 13 November. Processing takes 13 to 14 November, handling 15 to 19 November, and dispatch from Tokyo falls between 20 and 27 November. With 4 to 7 days in transit, it arrives between 24 November and 4 December. The earliest date is a piece sent on the first day of the window with the quickest delivery; the latest is the last day of the window with the slowest.

Pieces made to order

Made-to-order pieces, such as custom Okayama jika tabi, are made first: allow about six to eight weeks, then the same dispatch and transit stages apply. The calendar on the piece shows the longer timeline.

Good to know

These are guides counted in calendar days. Japanese public holidays, a busy customs queue or a remote address can move a date by a day or two, and pieces of unusual size or value may be arranged differently. For a firm date on a particular piece, ask the curator team; we reply within one Tokyo business day. For how duties are estimated, see duties and customs.

The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team
Tokyo, Japan