Buying serious furniture from Japan is not complicated. But it does require understanding a few things that the furniture industry tends to obscure: how shipping actually works, what customs will cost you, what lead times mean in practice, and which brands are actually set up to serve international buyers versus which ones treat international orders as an inconvenience.

This guide is practical. We will tell you what to expect at each stage, what questions to ask, and how to avoid the specific frustrations that first-time international furniture buyers encounter.

We're Mililab — a Tokyo architecture studio that makes and ships furniture worldwide. We deal with international logistics, customs documentation, and white-glove delivery every week. This guide comes from that experience. It'll be useful regardless of which Japanese brand you choose.

How to Find the Right Japanese Furniture Brand

The first challenge is knowing where to look.

Start with design media. Dezeen, Wallpaper*, Frame Magazine, Monocle — these publications cover Japanese furniture at a level of editorial quality that goes beyond advertising. A brand that gets serious editorial coverage in these publications has been evaluated by design professionals, which is a meaningful filter.

Look for stockists. Major international stockists — Design Within Reach, Skandium, Vitra partners — carry a small number of Japanese brands that have passed their vendor qualification processes. These stockists do not carry everything worth buying, but what they carry is generally legitimate. Maruni through DWR is the most prominent example.

Use the Japan Design Stores and similar curators. Several online platforms specialize in Japanese design products with international shipping. Quality varies considerably, but the better ones provide useful context about the brands they represent.

Look past the feed. Social media shows you the aesthetic before it shows you the craft. A piece that photographs beautifully may not be a piece that ages beautifully. Look for: specific information about where and how pieces are made, named designers or craftspeople, real lead times (not "ships in 2-3 days" for handmade solid hardwood furniture), and contact information for a real studio or showroom.

Visit Tokyo if you can. If you are making a significant furniture purchase — $5,000 or above — a trip to Tokyo to visit showrooms is worthwhile. The Aoyama neighborhood is the center of Japanese luxury furniture and design; Karimoku Commons in Meguro, the Time & Style showroom, and several smaller studios are within easy reach. You will learn more about furniture quality in two days of showroom visits than in weeks of online research.

Price Ranges by Category

Japanese luxury furniture pricing reflects genuine craft labor costs and material quality. These ranges are representative of the serious brands — the ones making furniture to last.

Stools and occasional seating: $600–$2,500. Entry-level pieces from brands like Ariake start around $600–800 for simple stools and benches. More complex pieces from Time & Style or Mililab range from $1,400–$2,500. (Mililab's Ishi Stool: $1,400.)

Dining and accent chairs: $800–$5,000+. The Maruni Hiroshima chair runs approximately $1,500; Time & Style chairs are typically $1,800–$4,000+; the Mililab Yume Chair is $2,400.

Coffee tables and low tables: $1,500–$6,000. Expect $2,000–$3,500 for a well-made Japanese coffee table. The Mililab Tsuki Coffee Table is $3,500; Shizu Low Table is $4,200.

Dining tables: $3,000–$15,000+. Mid-tier quality from Ariake or Karimoku Case Study starts around $2,500–$4,000. Time & Style and similar high-end brands range from $5,000–$15,000+. The Mililab Sen Dining Table ranges from $9,800 (standard configuration) to $12,800 (maximum width and length with premium fabric specification on any integrated elements).

Sofas and loveseats: $4,000–$20,000+. This is the category with the widest quality variation. Upholstery is complex to manufacture and assess, and the price range reflects genuine differences in cushion construction, fabric specification, and frame quality. The Mililab Sora Sofa system starts at $5,800 for a bench module and $8,200 for a single sofa; the Kawa Loveseat is $5,800.

Which Brands Ship Internationally

International shipping availability varies dramatically across Japanese furniture brands, and this is one of the most important practical considerations for non-Japanese buyers.

Mililab: We built our international shipping from day one — not as an afterthought. Every ENWA piece ships worldwide with white-glove delivery included. Standardized crating, customs documentation, and logistics for US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Order on the website, we handle the rest. Currently the only Japanese studio-furniture brand with a fully integrated direct-to-consumer international operation.

Most heritage Japanese brands were not built with international buyers in mind. Here's the landscape:

Shipping Logistics: What Actually Happens

Understanding the physical shipping process will prevent surprises.

White glove vs. standard freight. For furniture above roughly $2,000 per piece, white glove delivery is strongly recommended. Standard freight carriers treat furniture as cargo. White glove delivery companies specialize in high-value furniture: pieces are crated (not just boxed), transported in climate-controlled vehicles, delivered by trained handlers who unwrap, assemble, and remove all packaging. The cost premium is real — white glove typically adds $300–$800 to a US delivery versus standard freight — and worth it.

Crating. Solid hardwood furniture ships in custom wooden crates, not cardboard boxes. The crate is designed to protect the piece against the specific shocks and vibrations of ocean freight. Good crating adds to the shipping weight but is not optional for transcontinental shipment. Verify that the brand you are buying from uses proper crating, not just cardboard and bubble wrap.

Sea freight vs. air freight. For large pieces (tables, sofas), sea freight is the standard method. Transit times from Japan are approximately 3–5 weeks to the US West Coast, 5–7 weeks to the East Coast, 4–6 weeks to European ports, and 2–3 weeks to Dubai. Air freight is available for smaller pieces (chairs, stools) at significantly higher cost — typically 3–5x sea freight rates — but with transit times of 1–2 weeks.

Port of entry. For US buyers, the West Coast ports (Los Angeles, Seattle) have the shortest transit times. For European buyers, major ports (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe) are the standard entry points. The brand's freight forwarder should handle port selection; confirm that they are using a forwarder with experience in Japanese furniture imports.

Customs and Duties: What to Expect

Customs is the part of international furniture buying that surprises people most often. Here is what to expect by major market.

United States. Japanese furniture is generally subject to a 0% duty rate under the US-Japan trade relationship for solid wood furniture (HTS code 9403.60). Some upholstered furniture categories carry a duty rate of 3.2–4.7%. The specific duty depends on the piece's HS classification, which your freight forwarder will determine. The practical implication: customs duties on Japanese furniture to the US are low — typically zero for wooden pieces and under 5% for upholstered. What you will pay is: ISF filing fee (~$50), customs entry fee (~$150–300), and CBP exam fee if selected (uncommon for furniture). Budget approximately $300–500 in US customs costs for a typical furniture shipment.

European Union. The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (signed 2018) eliminates duties on most Japanese furniture imports to EU member states. Wooden furniture from Japan enters at 0% under this agreement. VAT is payable on import at the destination country's standard rate — this ranges from 20% (UK, France) to 25% (Denmark, Sweden) of the declared customs value. This is significant: a $5,000 dining table entering France triggers approximately $1,000 in VAT. VAT is recoverable if you are purchasing for a business; it is a final cost if you are purchasing personally.

United Kingdom. Post-Brexit, UK import duties on Japanese furniture depend on the UK's independent tariff schedule. Wooden furniture is currently 0–5.6% depending on category. UK VAT is 20% on the customs value. Similar structure to EU but at UK rates.

UAE/Dubai. The UAE charges a 5% customs duty on most imported goods, including furniture. There is no VAT on imported goods in some free zones; standard emirate purchases are subject to 5% VAT. The UAE is generally the most straightforward customs environment for luxury furniture import.

Canada. Similar to the US in structure. Canadian duties on Japanese furniture are typically 0–9.5% depending on category. HST/GST (13% in Ontario, 5% federally) is applied on import. Canadian customs processing is generally efficient.

Lead Times: Managing Expectations

Japanese furniture is made to order. This is not a weakness — it means your piece is made fresh, not pulled from inventory that has been sitting in a warehouse for months. But it requires planning.

Standard lead times:

Add shipping transit: 3–7 weeks depending on destination and shipping method.

Total timeline from order to delivery: 12–20 weeks for most pieces; 18–24 weeks for complex upholstered pieces to distant markets.

This means: if you need furniture for a specific date — a move-in date, a renovation completion — you need to order 5–6 months in advance. This surprises buyers accustomed to mass-market furniture that ships in days or weeks. It is simply the reality of made-to-order furniture of this quality.

Fabric and Material Considerations for International Buyers

If you are ordering upholstered furniture from Japan, fabric selection matters more than most buyers realize.

Climate compatibility. Fabrics perform differently in different climates. Dubai buyers should note that natural fiber fabrics (linen, wool) can fade and degrade faster in high-UV environments unless the room receives filtered light. High-performance technical textiles — like Kvadrat's Hallingdal or Remix — are more climate-robust. If you are in a high-humidity environment (Singapore, coastal US), confirm that the foam specification includes moisture-resistant materials.

Cleaning and maintenance. Most Japanese furniture brands specify performance fabrics that can be spot-cleaned. Confirm the cleanability rating (typically W for water, S for solvent, WS for both, X for vacuum only) before ordering, and think about your household — pets, children, frequent entertaining — when selecting fabric weight and texture.

Lead time for specialty fabrics. If you want a fabric that is not in the brand's standard specification — a particular Dedar or a Maharam fabric that is not stocked — the fabric procurement adds 4–6 weeks to the lead time. Factor this in.

Returns and exchanges. Unlike mass-market furniture, made-to-order luxury furniture from Japan is generally non-returnable once production has begun. Confirm the brand's policy before ordering. A reputable brand will provide fabric samples before you commit; use them. Order the sample, live with it for a week in your actual room under your actual light conditions, and make your decision then.

FAQ

Can I visit a Japanese furniture studio before buying? For most brands, yes. If you are in Tokyo, showroom visits are welcome and recommended. Mililab receives visitors at the Shibuya studio by appointment.

How do I know if the wood will match what I saw online? Wood is a natural material with variation. Brands that take wood seriously (all the ones listed in this guide) will photograph pieces representative of the range. For very large pieces — a six-meter dining table in a rare figure — it is worth requesting a wood selection review before production, in which the studio shows you the actual boards that will be used.

What if my furniture arrives damaged? Reputable brands carry marine cargo insurance on all shipments. Damage claims require photographic documentation at the time of delivery — before the delivery crew leaves, inspect the piece carefully and document any damage. Insurance claims are manageable if documented correctly; they are very difficult if damage is not documented at delivery.

Is there a warranty? Japanese furniture makers typically offer 2–5 year structural warranties. Mililab offers a 5-year structural warranty on all ENWA pieces. Fabric warranties are typically 2 years against manufacturing defects; wear is not covered.

Can I change my order after placing it? Most brands allow order changes within the first week of placing an order, before production has begun. After production starts, changes are generally not possible. Confirm the change policy when ordering.

What is the best way to pay for an international furniture order? Wire transfer is standard for large orders. Most brands accept credit cards for orders under a certain value (typically $5,000–$10,000). Some brands use a split payment structure: 50% on order, 50% on shipping. This is normal and reasonable — it protects both buyer and maker.

Will the furniture work in my country's standard ceiling height? Japanese furniture tends to be designed for Japanese spatial conditions — slightly lower ceiling heights and more compact floor plans than some Western standards. That said, the best Japanese furniture scales gracefully: a well-proportioned piece works in a variety of spatial conditions. If you are in a space with very tall ceilings (above 3m), pieces with more visual weight may be appropriate. Discuss this with the studio when ordering.