Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for your continued support of Takaokaya.
Due to the current global situation, we would like to share an important update regarding international shipping conditions. We kindly ask you to read the following information carefully, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding.
About Our International Shipping
First, we would like to briefly explain our usual shipping method.
We typically ship orders worldwide via EMS (Japan Post), UPS, or DHL, selecting the carrier that offers the most reasonable shipping cost depending on the item.
In most cases, we have relied on EMS because it calculates shipping costs based on actual weight, which measures the physical weight of a package. Although EMS has box size limitations that vary by destination country, our products are generally lightweight, which has made EMS the most cost-effective and customer-friendly option.
However, under the current circumstances, EMS is unavailable for certain countries, and we must use alternative carriers such as UPS or DHL.
The key difference lies in how shipping costs are calculated:
UPS and DHL use volumetric weight (dimensional weight), which takes into account both the weight and the size of the package. The shipping cost is based on whichever is greater—actual weight or volumetric weight. Because many of our products are relatively bulky, this often results in significantly higher shipping costs.
As a result, you may find that the shipping cost shown at checkout is higher than expected. Please be assured that our team at Takaokaya is continuously working to minimize shipping costs as much as possible—by optimizing packaging methods and carefully adjusting box sizes.
While we do our best to keep shipping costs reasonable, this is unfortunately beyond our full control. We truly appreciate your understanding in this matter.
[For the United States]
Due to changes in U.S. customs regulations implemented in August, Japan Post has temporarily suspended EMS shipments to the United States.
At present, we are able to ship all products to the U.S. via UPS or DHL. However, due to the wide variety of product sizes and combinations—and because these carriers use volumetric weight—we are currently experiencing some difficulty in accurately setting shipping costs for certain items.
For this reason, we have limited the items available for direct purchase through our online store to those for which shipping costs can be calculated more easily based on fixed packaging sizes:
- Shiki Futon Mattress
- Shiki Futon Mattress and Cover Set
- Kyoto Basic Sleep Set
- Shiki Futon Cover
- Kake Futon Comforter
- Kake Futon Comforter and Cover Set
- Kake Futon Cover
- Kake Futon Frame-Style Cover
- Long Pillow
- Unit Square Tatami
- Tri-Fold Tatami
- Ojami Cushion – Second Life Collection
If you are interested in products not listed above and would like to receive a shipping quote using currently available carriers, please feel free to contact us at intl@takaoka-kyoto.jp.
We would be happy to assist you.
[For Europe and Africa]
Due to the expanding impact of the unstable situation in the Middle East, restrictions have been placed on the loading of mail and cargo destined for the region. As a result, air and sea routes serving surrounding regions—including Europe and Africa—are experiencing significant congestion, leading to delays in delivery.
In consideration of these circumstances, Japan Post has temporarily suspended EMS shipments to many countries in Europe and Africa.
According to Japan Post, shipments to some countries—such as France and Switzerland—are still being accepted on a limited basis. However, acceptance may be suspended again without prior notice depending on future developments. In addition, once a shipment has been processed at the international mail exchange office, shipping fees cannot be refunded regardless of the delivery status from Japan.
There is also a possibility that, even after dispatch from Japan, a package may be returned from the destination country due to the current situation. In such cases, shipping fees are also non-refundable.
For these reasons, we have temporarily removed all countries in Europe and Africa from our online store checkout options.
However, if you wish to proceed at your own risk, we may be able to arrange shipment via EMS. Alternatively, shipping via DHL or UPS is also available.
We are currently working on enabling direct checkout for the following items using UPS or DHL at the most reasonable available rates:
- Shiki Futon Mattress
- Shiki Futon Mattress and Cover Set
- Kyoto Basic Sleep Set
- Shiki Futon Cover
- Kake Futon Comforter
- Kake Futon Comforter and Cover Set
- Kake Futon Cover
- Kake Futon Frame-Style Cover
- Long Pillow
- Unit Square Tatami
- Tri-Fold Tatami
- Ojami Cushion – Second Life Collection
If you are interested in products not listed above, please feel free to contact us at intl@takaoka-kyoto.jp for a shipping quotation.
[For Customers in Europe and Africa with Existing Orders]
We are currently contacting customers individually to inform them of the EMS suspension.
In these cases, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding until EMS service to your destination country resumes. Once the service restarts, we will promptly ship your order.
If you require your items sooner, we can also offer shipment via alternative carriers such as UPS or DHL. Please note that this option will require an additional shipping fee due to the change of carrier.
Kindly let us know if you would like to proceed with this option.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and truly appreciate your understanding and continued support.
Takaokaya - Team Global