Shipping to Japan? Any advice?

You might try a commercial carrier such as Hanshin or Hankyu. I use both on a regular basis in my business. Yes, there are duties -- this type of carrier will handle duties and facilitate clearing customs in Japan. Shipment should most certainly be by air -- both in the interest of time and the condition of the product.

I've used a variety of Japanese equipment(non-audio)here in the U.S. and vice versa with the use of an adapter. There are product specific adapters available in Japan. I doubt that doing this is a good thing with audio, so your buyer is either going to have the unit modified or has different plans/options. Good luck.

i've had good luck with usps priority mail (now done in concert with dhl) for shipments to japan.

I just recently sold my Wadia cd player to a gentleman in Japan aftere he responded to my ad here on Audiogon. I was a little concerned because I had never sold and shipped anything out of the US. Our communication was great. He prepaid and wanted the player sent UPS Expedited, which guarantees delivery within about 7 days. I got online with UPS and even got their 800 number and spoke to them in person. I'm not particularly fonnd of UPS for shipping electronics, but it was the buyers choice and honestly, the people at UPS couldn't have been more helpful with all the questions I had and the documentation I needed. The liability for any other costs, duties, tariffs, etc. are solely the responsibilty of the buyer and they should know what to expect as far as extra costs are concerned, particularly if they've bought anything out of their country before and had it shipped in. In regard to the question of voltage compatabilty, in my particular case, the question never arose. Like anything else, if you're as careful as you can be, an out of the country sale can be as easy or even easier than a cross country sale. Case in point, if the gentleman from Japan ever wished to purchase from me again, I wouldn't hesitate for a minute. Good luck.
Skip

The voltage in Japan is 100 V, NOT 110 V.

Overseas customs can be quite complex. Choose a major shipper such as FEDEX and ask to speak to their brokerage department. They will assist you with the proper paperwork, brokerage costs, etc. This will allow your shipment to enter Japan with the least amount of hassle. Your buyer will also not get any surprises that could allow the package to sit in Japanese customs waiting for a form to be filled out by the shipper.

I deal with these situations every day in shipping goods to/from the US to Canada and even with NAFTA (which serves to make for more paperwork) a customs broker is indespensible. --Lorne