I am soon to be in asia for the first time. Hong Kong- Kyoto- Beijing- Hanoi. Hopeful to purchase several vintage kimono in Kyoto. The question is how to get them home within a reasonable expense. I do not want to haul an extra bundle around for another four weeks. Unsure of what the weight per kimono is but guess at least ten pounds per. Any thoughts or experience to offer about shipping rates to the US? In Hong Kong is there a service such as Mail Boxes Etc where I could rent a box, mail the package to then pickup on the way home?

Thanks for any thoughts

Postage rates from japan are astonishingly high. I almost always bring home a few kimono and have always ended up carrying them in my luggage. I'd love to hear if anyone else has any ideas!

Thanks for the quick reply Icuy. The rates as I could understand from the japanese post office would be much too high. I wonder if any others have sent similar parcels from either Hong Kong or Beijing. I find the rate charts on the web hard to decipher and a would like to know experiences of time and safety and cost.

Thanks Again

WHERE TO PURCHASE KIMONO IN KOBE OR KYOTO????????? HAVE YOU SEEN ANTIQUE KIMONOS IN THE MARKETS? I WANT TO HAVE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS.

Arista - I have not been in Kyoto, but have friends who have purchased kimono in second hand shops and have read of flea markets that are reportedly offering many. The question still is how to get them back in the US in an affordable way. Any ideas?
Thanks

From what I could see on the Mail Boxes, Etc site (mbe.com) they have no locations in Hong Kong or Beijing, but seem to be in Japan. You might check their rates on shipping to the US. You could do DHL or FedEx, but this would probably be expensive and I am not sure they take clothing. Check their websites.

If you ship them to the US, you may have to pay US customs duty on them, as items that do not accompany you ARE NOT included in the $800 per person duty-free allowance for returning US citizens.

It might be just as expensive to ship from Japan to Hong Kong as it is to ship to the US. (However, Hong Kong is a duty free port, so you would not have to pay any duty in Hong Kong.) If it is cheaper to ship to Hong Kong, you should be able to rent a mailbox at the main Hong Kong post office near the Star Ferry in Central, go to hongkongpost.com (you want specifically http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/prod...s/index.htm#11.) It appears you can only rent by the year, and it costs HK$500, about US$65.

You could also have it sent from Japan to Hong Kong via the Japanese postal system and addressed to you, Post Restante. The package should be addressed as follows:

[Your name]
c/o Post Restante
Hong Kong General Post Office
2 Connaught Road
Central, Hong Kong

They will hold it for you for 2 months. You can collect it at the General PO, which is near the Star Ferry. You need to show your passport to collect the package. However, I am not sure I would send valuable items this way. At a minimum, insure the package. You can get info on Post Restante on the hongkongpost.com, website, click on English on the top, then from the menu on the left, click on Publications, then click on Post Office Guide, then scroll down to Post Restante at Section 5.10. Long term travelers use post restante all the time all over the world.

Bonjour Freelander,

A kimono rarely weighs more than 2 poounds (women's marriage kimonos can be much heavier, of course). Sending 2 kimonos home (France) by SAL post usually costs around Yen 2000, which is not all that outrageous considering that 1) I wouldn't find the same items at home at the price I buy them (from yen 1000 to 20'000 for excellent silk kimonos and obis*), 2) even with the shipping costs added.

Packages up to 2 kilos (~ 4 pounds) are exempt of custom declaration.

Most antiques shops will send your purchases directly for a very reasonnable fee but don't expect this kind of service from markets vendors, of course, except from some attending antiques fairs (like the seasonal one at Pulse Plaza in Kyoto).


* for exemple at flea markets and specialized second hand shops in Kyoto like Kikuya, see Kyoto Visitors Guide for dates and addresses

Thanks to both Florence and Cicerone for the informative relies. I do have a question if proof of residency is required to rent a box in Hong Kong. This may be my most favored approach if I am eligible to obtain one.
I greatly missed the mark in guessing the weight of kimono and if other options fail shipping will not be as brutal a cost as I had feared. Thanks again for your time and knowledge.

Freedlander

I don't believe proof of residency is necessary to rent a post box, you might call or e-mail the post office to ask. I believe contact info is on their website.

http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/engl...iew/index.html works with American UPS services. They will send packages by air or sea, big or small. We use them often within Japan, and have twice used them to send huge quantities of stuff to the states at a very reasonable price. You could call them and ask them the cost of sending a kimono. http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/engl...iew/index.html has their US offices phone and e-mail.

Japan post by sea isn't terribly expensive either, we've found..air on the other hand...if you use post be absolutely sure to insure the package, as we've had some packages go missing...both from the US and to the US.

Just a quick note to thank all who have offered their knowledge and time. This is a wonderful resource. Off tomorrow for a first visit to Asia... Hong Kong-Kyoto-Beijing-Xian-Hanoi... Seven weeks in all. I am excited and more prepared than first believed possible.
Thanks to all.

Freedlander