Moving within Japan — or arriving from abroad — involves a well-organized industry of moving companies that operate with remarkable efficiency. Understanding how Japanese moving services work, when to book, and how pricing works helps you move without stress and at a reasonable cost.
Japan’s Major Moving Companies
Japan’s moving industry is dominated by several large national chains with reliable service standards:
- Yamato Home Convenience (ヤマトホームコンビニエンス) — part of the Yamato transport group; strong for single-room and compact moves, small-item transport
- Sakai Moving Service (サカイ引越センター) — one of the largest, well known for family moves, competitive pricing
- Art Moving Center (アート引越センター) — strong reputation for careful handling, popular for furniture-heavy moves
- Nippon Express (日本通運) — large logistics company with both domestic and international moving services; strong for international arrivals and departures
- Kuroneko Yamato (宅急便) — parcel delivery for individual boxes; not full-service moving but useful for sending items ahead
Seasonal Pricing and Booking Timing
Japan’s moving industry has extreme seasonal price variation driven by Japan’s synchronized school and job start dates:
- Peak season (繁忙期): February 15 – April 5 — when students, new employees, and job transferees all move simultaneously. Prices during this window can be 2–4× off-peak rates. Companies book out weeks in advance. Moving during this period is significantly more expensive and harder to schedule.
- Off-peak discounts: moving May–January outside of Golden Week and summer Obon is considerably cheaper. Mid-week moves cost less than weekend moves. Morning slots cost more than afternoon slots (moving companies run multiple jobs per day).
Book your mover as early as possible — ideally 4–6 weeks ahead during peak season, 1–3 weeks outside peak. Last-minute peak season bookings may be impossible or extremely expensive.
Getting Quotes (見積もり, Mitsumori)
Moving companies provide free in-home estimates. Invite 2–3 companies for quotes — prices vary significantly for the same move. The estimator surveys your belongings, notes special items (piano, bicycle, large appliances), confirms the origin and destination addresses and floor access (elevator or stairs), and provides a written quote (見積もり書).
Online quote aggregators like 引越し侍 (Hikkoshi Samurai) and SUUMO引越し allow you to submit your move details once and receive multiple quotes — useful for comparison without scheduling multiple in-home visits.
Packing: DIY vs. Company Packing
Japanese moving companies offer packing services at additional cost — some premium packages include full packing and unpacking by company staff. For most single-person and couple moves, self-packing is practical and saves significant cost. Moving companies typically provide free cardboard boxes (無料ダンボール) if you use their service — ask how many are included. Collect additional boxes from supermarkets or convenience stores.
Important: fragile items and valuables should be noted to the moving company before the move day. Large items — washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioning units — may require special handling or disconnection/reconnection services. Water drainage from washing machines must be handled before transport; moving companies can assist or advise.
Address Change Procedures (転居届)
Moving triggers a chain of administrative notifications. Do these in order:
- 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke) — submit at your current ward office before moving out, stating your new address. Receive a 転出証明書 (moving certificate).
- 転入届 (tennyu todoke) — submit at your new ward office within 14 days of moving in, presenting the 転出証明書 and your residence card. Your residence card will be updated with the new address.
- 郵便局 転居届 (yubin-kyoku tenkyo todoke) — file at any post office or online (e-転居) to forward mail from your old address for 1 year.
- Update your address with: bank accounts, NHI/insurance, employer HR, Amazon/shopping sites, utilities (see utility setup guide), your ward’s NHK station, mobile carrier, and any subscriptions.
Foreign residents must update their residence card address within 14 days of moving — failure to do so is a minor violation under the Immigration Control Act. The ward office process takes 15–30 minutes.
International Moving: Arriving in Japan
For shipping belongings from overseas when moving to Japan, specialist international movers handle customs clearance and domestic delivery. Japan allows duty-free import of household goods under the 移転居住者の輸入免税制度 for residents who have lived abroad for at least 1 year — you must have owned the items for 1+ year before import and import them within 6 months of establishing residence. Document item values carefully. Major international movers (Nippon Express, Crown Relocations, Allied Van Lines) specialize in Japan arrivals and provide customs support.