Moving from The US to Tokyo

Planning a move from the West Coast to Tokyo? Chipman Relocation is a full-service international mover with the coordination and destination network your relocation to Japan requires. Since 1939, we've helped families and executives relocate across the country and across the Pacific for new lives in Japan. Tokyo shipments generally arrive at the Port of Yokohama or the Port of Tokyo, where our FIDI-accredited destination partner clears customs and delivers into your new Japanese home.

Whether you're leaving California, Oregon, or Washington, our crews handle every step at origin and our FIDI-accredited destination partner handles clearance, delivery, and unpacking in Tokyo. Request a quote to get started today.

Why Choose Chipman for Your Move to Tokyo?

• History of Success: dependable moving services since 1939.

• Licensed Mover in CA, OR, & WA: moving families since 1927, with the resources and coverage of the most trusted networks in North American relocation.

• FIDI-Accredited International Partner Network: a vetted destination agent in Tokyo who handles Japanese customs, delivery scheduling, and unpacking inside Japan's tight residential spaces.

• Award-Winning Customer Service Coordination: your personal move concierge, dedicated to arranging every detail of your Japan move from the US pack-out through delivery in Tokyo.

• Qualified and Safe Crews: every crew member is background checked, drug screened, and health checked prior to every move.

Your Trusted Movers for Tokyo Relocations

Moving from the West Coast to Tokyo is not a domestic long-haul with a longer drive. It involves ocean freight, Japanese customs, a Certificate of Eligibility tied to your visa status, and a destination agent who understands narrow Tokyo streets and small elevator cabs. Chipman coordinates all of it. As an award winning mover, and as a FIDI-accredited international member, we run one project team from West Coast origin through Tokyo delivery.

Our local service centers handle origin work directly, so the crew who packs your home anywhere on the west coast is our trusted teammember, not a subcontractor. From there we manage the ocean leg, work with our Tokyo FIDI partner on customs clearance, and coordinate delivery to your building. Transit for household shipments typically runs 2 to 4 weeks for a full container (FCL) and 3 to 5 weeks for a shared container (LCL) from the West Coast to Yokohama, plus clearance and delivery in Japan.

Japanese apartments are smaller than what most American households are used to. Sofas, king mattresses, and American refrigerators regularly do not fit through Tokyo doorways or into Tokyo elevators. We help customers make honest downsizing decisions at origin, before shipping and repacking make those decisions expensive.

Where Our Customers Are Moving in Tokyo

Our US-to-Tokyo customers are typically relocating for a corporate posting, a startup role, or an academic assignment. Most settle in a handful of wards that combine international schools, English-speaking services, and proximity to the office districts of Marunouchi, Otemachi, and Roppongi.

Minato-ku (Azabu, Roppongi, Hiroo, Akasaka): The traditional expat core. Azabu-Juban and Hiroo sit near embassy compounds and international-school bus routes and attract families on corporate housing packages. Roppongi and Akasaka draw professionals in finance, law, and the multinationals clustered around Roppongi Hills and Toranomon.

Shibuya-ku (Ebisu, Daikanyama, Omotesando): A softer, more residential feel than central Shibuya. Ebisu and Daikanyama pull design, media, fashion, and tech workers. Omotesando offers walkable access to the creative-agency districts of Harajuku and Aoyama.

Setagaya-ku (Sangenjaya, Shimokitazawa, Yoga): Popular with families who want more space and a neighborhood feel. It trades a longer commute for larger apartments, parks, and quieter streets.

Meguro-ku (Nakameguro, Jiyugaoka): Nakameguro's cherry-lined canal and cafe culture appeal to younger professionals; Jiyugaoka reads as an upmarket, family-friendly small-town pocket inside the city.

Chuo-ku (Ginza, Nihonbashi, Tsukishima): A short walk to the financial district. Nihonbashi and Tsukishima have grown popular with finance and consulting relocators who want to be near the office.

Chiyoda-ku (Kojimachi, Bancho): Quiet, embassy-adjacent, and central. Popular with senior executives and diplomatic families near the Imperial Palace grounds and the ministry district.

Each ward has its own building types, street widths, and delivery constraints. Our destination partner surveys the address in advance so we know which items need a balcony hoist, a repack for the elevator, or a hand-carry up the stairwell.

What to Know Before Moving to Tokyo

Visa and Certificate of Eligibility. Most US-to-Tokyo relocators enter on an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, an Intra-company Transferee visa, or a spouse-dependent visa. The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued by Japanese immigration before the visa itself and is generally required before an ocean shipment can clear customs duty-free. Plan your ship date around the COE timeline, not the other way around.

Japanese customs and duty-free personal effects. Japan Customs requires a Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles (form C-5360, submitted in two copies at arrival) so unaccompanied household goods can be cleared duty-free as personal effects of a new resident, provided they arrive within six months of your entry. See Japan Customs procedures of passenger clearance for current rules. Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and certain medications sit outside the personal-effects exemption.

Pet import: the 180-day rule. Japan runs one of the strictest pet-import regimes in the developed world. Dogs and cats need a microchip, two rabies vaccinations, and a rabies antibody (titer) test at a designated laboratory, with a mandatory waiting period of at least 180 days between the successful titer sample and arrival in Japan. Miss a step and the animal can be quarantined at the port of entry for up to 180 days. Start the process before you accept the offer, not after. Details from Japan's Animal Quarantine Service.

Vehicles: usually not worth it. Japan drives on the left, and left-hand-drive vehicles are legal but awkward to insure, inspect, and park in a country of narrow streets and mechanical (shaken) inspections. Most Chipman customers sell the car at origin and buy or lease in Tokyo.

Apartment size and downsizing. Tokyo residential space is measured tightly, and elevators and stairwells are the practical bottleneck. Full-size sectional sofas, king mattresses, and side-by-side refrigerators frequently don't fit. Our origin surveyor flags likely problem items on the West Coast so you can decide what ships, what sells, and what stays in storage before you pay to move it across the Pacific.

International Moving Services

From wherever you start on the west coast to wherever you're headed in Tokyo, Chipman provides complete international relocation services. Every move is unique, and we'll provide a free quote detailing every aspect of your shipment.

Ocean Freight, FCL or LCL

Choose between a full container (FCL) reserved for your shipment or a shared container (LCL) that consolidates with other freight. FCL speeds clearance for larger households; LCL is often the right call for one- and two-bedroom moves. Sailings depart from Long Beach, the Port of Oakland, or the Sea-Tac area depending on origin and carrier schedule.

Air Freight for Priority Items

For the essentials you need in the first two weeks, we can move a smaller air-freight shipment ahead of the ocean container.

Full-Value Shipment Protection

Chipman offers a Full-Value Protection Plan on international moves. Ocean shipping is safe but not risk-free, and coverage matters when the shipment is halfway across the Pacific.

Packing and Unpacking

Our crews pack to international ocean-freight standards, with export cartons and inventory documentation designed for Japanese customs review. Our Tokyo FIDI partner handles unpacking and light reassembly at destination.

Storage on Either End

If your Tokyo housing isn't ready or your West Coast closing runs long, we bridge the gap with origin or destination storage.

Full-Service International Moves

Chipman is more than a team of heavy lifters. We build flexible, full-service international relocations around what your household actually needs. A short list of what our team can handle for a Tokyo move:

• Appliance Disconnect at Origin: professional preparation of washers, dryers, and refrigerators for export. Reconnection at destination is typically not offered because Japanese electrical standards and appliance dimensions differ from U.S. equivalents.

• Specialty Crating: export-grade crating for artwork, glass tops, chandeliers, and musical instruments that need special care on the ocean leg.

• TV Disconnect: removal of wall-mounted televisions at origin. U.S. TVs will operate on Japan's 100V supply with a step-down converter, though many customers replace at destination.

• Home Electronics Setup: disassembly and reassembly of entertainment systems, computers, and wireless networks, coordinated with your destination partner.

• Auto Transport: optional. Chipman can coordinate ocean transport of a personal vehicle; most customers leave the car at origin.

• Destination Unpacking: our Tokyo FIDI partner handles unpack, debris removal, and elevator or stairwell coordination inside your building.

International Moves Since 1939

Since 1939, Chipman Relocation has been the trusted moving partner for US families relocating across the country and across the Pacific. Our Tokyo moves have delivered households to Azabu-Juban townhouses, Hiroo apartments, Ebisu high-rises, Nakameguro flats, and Kojimachi executive residences. Every one of those moves is different, and we plan every one of them from the ground up with our FIDI partner in Japan.

If you're planning a move to Tokyo, contact Chipman today. We'll build a coordinated plan around your origin city, your visa timeline, and your address.

Ready to Plan Your Move to Tokyo?

The right partner turns a US-to-Tokyo move from a paperwork problem into a single coordinated project across the Pacific. Chipman Relocation & Logistics has been helping West Coast families relocate since 1939, and our FIDI-accredited team brings the customs, destination, and Tokyo-neighborhood expertise your move to Japan deserves. When you're ready to start planning, request a residential quote and we'll build your move plan around your West Coast origin, your visa timeline, and your Tokyo address.