Moving from Canada to Japan
A Pacific sea move from Canada to one of the most organised arrival systems in the world. Here is the honest brief on sea freight costs in Canadian dollars, the customs declaration that keeps your goods duty free, the visa routes, and a timeline you can plan around.
A shorter Pacific crossing with paperwork that rewards being early.
Most household moves from Canada to Japan go by sea. Goods leave a West Coast port such as Vancouver, or an East Coast port via the Panama route, and arrive at Yokohama, Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, or Osaka, and door to door you should plan for five to nine weeks. The Pacific crossing from western Canada is shorter than many long haul moves, but Japanese clearance rewards accurate paperwork over speed.
The thing that surprises Canadians is the precision Japan expects. Used household goods generally enter duty free for someone moving there, but you must file the customs declaration cleanly, with a packing list, and import within six months of your arrival. Japanese homes are smaller than Canadian ones, so measure doorways and consider what large furniture will actually fit before you pay to ship it.
Prices below are in Canadian dollars and indicative for 2026. Japan uses the yen, so budget for currency on the far side, from key money and deposits on an apartment to the cost of replacing bulky items you choose not to ship.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
Because Canada and Japan are an ocean apart, the choice that drives your bill is a shared container versus a full container. The figures below are indicative ranges for 2026 in Canadian dollars.
Indicative 2026 ranges in Canadian dollars, door to door by sea. Volume, season, port pair, and final delivery distance move the figure. Japanese delivery access for narrow streets can add cost.
- +Best value for a typical home, you pay for the space you use
- +Regular sailings from western Canada to Japan
- −Schedules flex around the other shipments in the box
- +Your goods only, faster to load and to clear
- +Worth it for larger homes and four bedroom moves
- −Often more space than a Japanese apartment needs
- +Fastest way to get the essentials you need on arrival
- +Useful for a small load while the rest sails
- −Costly for a full home across the Pacific
Get moving quotes for Canada to Japan.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted movers who run the sea route from Canada to Japan, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
Working back from the sailing date, here is a realistic schedule for a move from Canada to Japan by sea.
Secure your status of residence
Arrange your Japanese visa and Certificate of Eligibility before you book freight, because your status governs when you can travel and your duty free relief on personal effects.
Get surveys and quotes
Have movers do a video or in home survey for an accurate volume and a binding price. Measure what will fit a smaller Japanese home before you commit to shipping it.
Build the inventory and packing list
Japan expects a clear English packing list with the customs declaration. Itemise carefully, because vague entries slow clearance.
Pack and load the container
The crew packs and loads your goods for sea. Prepare two copies of the Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles, customs form C5360, for stamping on arrival.
Sea transit and clearance
Collect your residence card on landing, register your address at the city or ward office for your residence record, then clear goods with the stamped C5360. Import within six months of arrival.
Clearing your goods into Japan.
Japan generally lets people moving there import used household and personal effects free of duty and consumption tax, provided you owned and used the items before you arrived and they are for your continued personal use. You complete the Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles, customs form C5360, in two copies, with a packing list. One stamped copy is returned to you and presented when your goods arrive, and unaccompanied articles must be imported within six months of your arrival.
Japan restricts the obvious items, weapons, drugs, and certain foods and plants, and it is strict on anything that breaches intellectual property or pornography rules. Alcohol and tobacco above personal limits can attract duty. Keep the inventory honest and itemised, because Japanese customs values clear documentation and a vague packing list is the most common cause of delay.
Vehicles are difficult and rarely worth it. Japan drives on the left, runs a demanding shaken roadworthiness inspection, and conversion is costly, so most movers sell in Canada and buy or lease again in Japan.
The routes in for this corridor.
There is no automatic right of entry for Canadian citizens. Most people moving from Canada to Japan arrive with a work status of residence, the highly skilled professional route, or a spouse visa.
A Japanese employer sponsors your status of residence and the Certificate of Eligibility that underpins it. Engineer, specialist in humanities, and instructor categories are common for people moving for a job.
A points based status for higher earners and specialists that offers a faster path to longer stays and permanent residence for those who qualify.
The spouse, child, or certain dependents of a Japanese national or permanent resident can live and work in Japan, subject to meeting the relationship conditions.
Eligible younger Canadians can use a working holiday visa to live and work temporarily, a common way to test life in Japan before a longer commitment.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and held to industry standards for international household goods. For this route, ask whether the company ships the Canada to Japan lane regularly and understands the C5360 declaration and Japanese delivery access, because narrow streets and apartment loading rules can complicate the last mile.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, customs clearance, destination delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be strong domestically in Canada and weak on a Pacific sea shipment into Japan. Look for verified reviews that mention the actual Japan route, the port of arrival, and how the final delivery into a Japanese building was handled.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Canada to Japan?
For a two to three bedroom home in a shared container, plan on roughly 6,000 to 12,000 Canadian dollars door to door in 2026, with a full container higher and a studio lower. These are indicative ranges, not a quote.
How long does shipping take from Canada to Japan?
By sea, plan for about five to nine weeks door to door depending on the port pair, the sailing schedule, and customs clearance. Air freight is one to two weeks but is costly for a full home.
Do I pay duty on my household goods moving to Japan?
Used personal and household effects you owned and used before arriving generally enter free of duty and consumption tax, declared on the C5360 form within six months of arrival. Verify the current rules with Japan Customs before you move.
What is the C5360 form?
It is the Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles. You file two copies, keep the stamped copy, and present it when your goods arrive to clear them duty free.
Can I bring my car from Canada to Japan?
It is difficult and rarely worth it. Japan drives on the left and enforces the shaken inspection, so most movers sell in Canada and buy again in Japan.
What should I do first when I arrive in Japan?
Collect your residence card, register your address at the city or ward office, set up a My Number, open a bank account, and arrange health insurance. Those steps unlock work and daily life.
Last reviewed: 16 May 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.