Short version for US buyers: import duties are prepaid by SAKAKI Gear before the parcel leaves Japan. Nothing is collected at your door, there is no customs form, and the carrier will not ask you for money.
Since August 2025 the United States collects duties on every mailed parcel, whatever its value. Japan Post therefore requires the sender to prepay US duties through Zonos, an authorized broker, before it will accept a parcel for the US. Every SAKAKI Gear order ships this way, with a DDP declaration number on the label.
The price you see. There is no charge at delivery and no separate customs bill afterward. If a carrier ever asks you for duties on a SAKAKI Gear parcel, do not pay; email us with a photo of the notice and we will resolve it with the carrier.
Checkout currently accepts US shipping addresses only. For Canada, the UK, Australia, and elsewhere, email us first; duties and shipping are quoted by hand before the order is confirmed.
What is on the customs declaration
Each parcel is declared as machined brass or aluminum lantern parts, made in Japan, at the price you paid. We do not under-declare. Use your real name, street address, phone number, and email at checkout so the declaration and the carrier’s contact details are correct.
Sales tax
Prices do not include US state or local sales tax. Where a state requires it to be collected at checkout, it appears as a separate line before payment.