Moving homes can take a lot of energy and time. Weeks are spent on organizing, packing, moving, and unpacking. I know you all are thinking – Cindy, isn’t it just putting items in boxes according to the room? Well, yes. But I came along a Japanese company that helps people move homes by going through the entire process for them; from organizing, packaging, moving, to unpacking. 

I know; Japanese brands and companies are known to be super-efficient and organized compared to those in other countries. But doesn’t mean we can’t be efficient like them. I’ll give you all pointers and tips on how to move without stress.

The Art Hikkoshi Center (Art Moving Center)

To learn the secrets (more like tips), we need to know about this moving company. The Art Hikkoshi Center is one of the most famous moving companies in Japan that goes through a hardcore process to help you move without any effort. 

1. Inspection

A representative comes to your home and organizes everything that needs to me moved and not moved on an iPad. 

2. Packaging

Movers come in with company boxes and packs everything with specific location labels. The company has specific boxes and packaging for every type of item (e.g. box for hanging clothes, box with division slots for plates and cups, box that can be screwed to a light preventing damage, etc.)

3. Moving

Movers place paddings on the floor and walls to prevent scratches while moving items to the truck.

4. Unpackaging

Everything is brought to the new place and placed in the correct location needed for unpackaging. 

Be your own Japanese moving company

Assuming you already know what materials are needed, here are some tips on being able to move quickly and easily without any problems.

Tip #1: Use tape as a labeling tool

Use different colours of box tape to represent the different types of items in the boxes. For example, use red duct tape for all items that are fragile like glass, green for items that should be unpackaged asap (essential needs) and white for items that are not as important and can be opened last.

Tip #2: Label cabinets and shelves with charts

Firstly, make sure you put all items together by their respective cabinet/drawer. Cabinets and shelves have divisions and to make everything convenient, draw a simple diagram of the layout of your old cabinet divisions and divide the cabinet by section. Label each section with a number and when you move to your new place, you can visualize where everything went previously, allowing an easier unpacking process.

Tip #3: Be nice to old and new neighbours! (apartments + townhouses)

This is something the Japanese moving company did; before anything, they went around to the neighbours and greeted them with an apology on the noise that was to come. What’s even funnier is that they give all neighbours a tissue box! Now, I’m not trying to suggest you do the same (that would probably be considered weird everywhere else that isn’t Japan, but if you live in an apartment townhouse, simply greet them and give them a small gift (e.g. fruits) for their understanding. This will prevent any noise complaints that might’ve happened.  

Tip #4: Have an inventory for all your boxes

Apart from labeling, it is necessary to have an inventory of all the items you’re moving. List all your boxes on an excel spreadsheet along with large items as well. This will help your organization on finding items and being able to locate lost items that may have disappeared during the moving process. 

Tip #5: Pack plates vertically

Compared to the Japanese moving company, we don’t have their convenient box meant to package plates specifically. However, we can follow their ways. Packaging plates vertically with paper in between each layer will prevent plates from breaking as easily as packaging them horizontally. 

I hope these tips will help you with your move. It does suck that we don’t have our own Japanese moving company, but we can become one ourselves (close enough right?). Let me know in the comments any more tips I haven’t mentioned!