
We hired a Japanese moving company [video] - eric_khun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEjnebw8LA
======
dougk16
I was a professional mover for a number of years in a wealthy area in the US
(Fairfield County, CT), so moving people from McMansion to McMansion, back and
forth between Manhattan, etc. People movin' on up, and sometimes way way down.
All their "priceless" stuff.

Best job I ever had, lots of skill involved. I ponder starting my own company
sometimes. Great tips, lots of free stuff, new faces everyday, great workout.
I could write a sitcom from all the crazy stories. You get a deep glimpse into
people's lives. Imagine rooting around people's attics, digging into forgotten
closets. Very stressful and emotional for lots of people as well, leaving
houses they've been in for 40 years, divorces, foreclosures, you name it. I
started as a grunt and eventually helped pack trucks here and there after a
few years. A more strategic, infinitely variable form of 3d Tetris. Furniture
moving is one of those unexpectedly "deep" jobs that can be done passably by
some college kids and a truck when you're moving out of your first crappy
rental, but has a true logistical slant to it when grand pianos and sculptures
are involved.

Anyway I have no cultural Japanese basis to look at this from, but they used a
_ton_ of disposable packaging. Looks like a lot of unnecessary flash and
sizzle in general, e.g. using tablets when a notepad and shorthand is plenty
enough to do such estimates. "Protecting" the walls it looks like? Not
necessary and would only prevent the most superficial dings, which we would
have patched up in the rare event we dinged a wall anyway. That looked like a
2-3 person one day job as well (packing, loading, delivering, and home early)
and they looked to have 5-6 people working there. I thought our approaches
were pretty wasteful but in comparison it was mostly the bare minimum tape and
boxes and wrapping paper. We used furniture blankets/pads much more liberally.
All kinds of "origami"-type wrapping techniques (ironically?).

Not to hate! Just noting some cultural differences perhaps.

~~~
mstade
I used to work as a stagehand for one of the major event companies (mostly big
name concerts) before I started my professional career. Not the same as moving
obviously, but can definitely relate to your description of an infinitely
variable 3D Tetris. It was also great fun, you got to see lots of great
concerts for free, meet a lot of cool people (sorry Lenny Kravitz for that
time I ran into you with my bike!) and a fair bit of running around and
lifting meant a decent workout as well. It was dirty, sweaty, didn't pay much,
and the hours were terrible at times. I think my worst (in terms of hours)
weekend was coming in on Friday early afternoon, and leaving again right
around midnight Saturday. We did get breaks of course but I had a two hour
commute at the time so if I'd gone home in between packing up one show and
unpacking another I would've slept for only four hours or so. I ended up
sleeping on some old carpet rolls in the catacombs under the arena. It wasn't
comfortable and I wouldn't do it today, but man I had fun doing that stuff
back then. Only did it for about a year and it was hard work, but still kinda
miss it.

~~~
CobrastanJorji
Say, I wonder if, for a moving company, there's a niche software product for
entering in a count of boxes of various sizes and getting back an optimal
stacking plan. I suspect not, since experienced employees already seem quite
good at using most of the space, so the gains would likely be minimal.

~~~
slowmovintarget
Cat algorithm: If I fits, I sits. (That is packing estimated by volume). It's
not an easy problem, and some of the closest approximations we've come up with
involve ... well, lots of virtual cats in virtual boxes.

~~~
mstade
It’s not as simple as just volume though, it’s also about weight distribution
and the order in which the various bits are needed etc. Trusses are packed
last, so they can be unpacked and built first; instruments and costumes are
packed first. Typically things are also packed into different designated
trucks because some things really can’t be lost (one of a kind instruments for
instance) whereas others are more easily replaced (lights, trusses, amps,
etc.)

Before a tour is initiated, experienced tour managers and roadies will work
out plans and schedules for all theses things. My first gig as a stage hand
was working a Destiny’s Child concert. The way I got the job is I was at a
concert the weekend before, saw the stage hands and roadies working and though
“that seems fun” so he next day I called the event company that managed it
all. They gave me the number for the manager of all major events, who said I
could come in the following day. I figured for an interview, but he meant to
work. I signed some papers, got a 30 min or so rundown of what I was going to
do and who was to be my primary contact for assistance, and then I was given a
schedule and detailed instructions. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing
walking into it, but at the end of the night as we were tearing everything
down and packing it up for the next stop on the tour, I realized not once had
I stopped to wonder what the hell I was supposed to do. It was the most well
oiled operation I’ve ever seen, and his goes for all the major events I worked
– particularly the American shows were stringent beyond belief. There was
never a doubt as to what had to be done, and when. Roles were clear,
assignments were handed out and schematics of _everything_ were available.
Everything was marked with colors, letters, and numbers and there was a legend
you had to memorize before things came in. There was always a system so you
could tell what part goes into which box and into which truck and in what
order. All of this was prepared long before a tour started, nothing happened
Just In Time, it’s pretty much all AOT. (Except for a few artist rider
requirements, like Ozzy Osborne requiring something like 20 bars of
moisturizing hand soap.)

I’d say if there’s a program to be written that compiles these packing
manifests, schedules, and instructions, it’s a constraints solver. It’s all
prepared ahead of time, and honestly most of the job anyway is figuring out
all those constraints in the first place. The actual compilation isn’t that
tricky, it mostly comes down to experience and a bit of trial and error – i.e.
is this thing gonna fit there if we also put that there, and will they move
when on a bumpy road or on a flight?

I honestly think it’s one of those few jobs that aren’t really helped much by
technology, but mostly by experience. I mostly worked shows that had already
been planned, but did a few sessions with managers that tried to work out how
to pack the show. Those were mostly a waiting game to see what the current
plan was, test it and then evaluate. Testing meant packing up a show, and then
unpacking and building it back up. It was timed, and we noted things that were
trickier than they had to be. If there ever was an issue where you thought
“they’ll figure it out on the road” or “it’s someone else’s problem” you knew
to flag it, and then they had to reconsider and they did. I have heard horror
stories of bad managers, but I always worked with good ones that took the time
to listen and care to fix things. In the end, a minute aged is a minute
earned, and venues and workers are expensive so tours _really_ wants things to
be as efficient as possible.

------
alexwasserman
Having moved in the US several times, this looks like more like the difference
between good movers and bad, regardless of country.

I've used the pack and move services in the US, and they came a week or two
before to review and get an idea of the work then book a date. This meant they
arrived with the correct number of men, trucks, and packing equipment.
Specialist boxes for TVs, crockery, wardrobes, etc.

They packed everything (including everything in the fridge, bathrooms, etc).
Even the years-old pickle jars at the back of the fridge, old bars of soap by
the guest sinks, etc were carefully wrapped and packed.

The guys doing the job were incredible about moving heavy, complex furniture
quickly, and efficiently. This included a couple of large (>100g) saltwater
fishtanks. They broke it all down and put it back together with minimal
oversight.

I've found movers typically offer a range of services - the full (pack, move,
unpack), or just pack and move, or just move.

~~~
vonnieda
Can you name some companies you've had good experiences with? I'd like to do
this for my next move but all I read is horror stories of people's stuff
getting held hostage or just lost in the desert.

~~~
alexwasserman
In NYC Schleppers were really good - used them twice, would use them again, if
I was in their area.

I used United for my last move, who were also good.

------
rwmj
Ah Japan ... and excess packaging.

I was just there and I managed to get an item which was triple wrapped: It was
a small tray which came wrapped in cellophane already, which the shopkeeper
(very beautifully) wrapped in a paper bag and then put the whole thing in a
plastic bag before handing it to me.

I didn't beat triple wrapped anywhere else, but 7-11 did sell me an "eco bag"
which they wrapped in a plastic bag for me, before I had time and the presence
of mind to tell them I didn't need the "fukuro" (plastic bag).

~~~
mykowebhn
I noticed the same thing. Japanese items are among the most beautifully
packaged in the world I find, though the waste always troubles me.

~~~
foobarbazetc
Japan does a really good job at recycling plastic. Not sure about other
materials:

[https://earth911.com/general/plastics-recycling-rate-
hits-77...](https://earth911.com/general/plastics-recycling-rate-
hits-77-percent-in-japan/)

~~~
rwmj
It does a good job of _collecting_ plastic, actual recycling of it not so
much: [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-45400514/what-
reall...](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-45400514/what-really-
happens-to-recycling-plastic)

------
blattimwind
> This isn't a sponsored video... but we are getting our move for free

~~~
ranie93
I imagine the expectation here is that the youtubers are not under any
obligation to provide a positive review, or perhaps any review at all. The
company is so sure of the quality of their service that they know they will
get positive PR from the video.

~~~
legohead
perhaps, but at least in the US [1] (and YouTube guidelines [2]), you cannot
receive something like this for free and not specifically call it out.

[1] : [https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-
center/guidance/ftc...](https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-
center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking)

[2] :
[https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235?hl=en](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235?hl=en)

~~~
ranie93
Thanks for sharing, thats very useful information. I hope youtubers are
familiar with this info!

I think this is the relevant part for this scenario:

>I have a YouTube channel that focuses on hunting, camping, and the outdoors.
Sometimes I’ll do a product review. Knife manufacturers know how much I love
knives, so they send me knives as free gifts, hoping that I will review them.
I’m under no obligation to talk about any knife and getting the knives as
gifts really doesn’t affect my judgment. Do I need to disclose when I’m
talking about a knife I got for free?

>Even if you don’t think it affects your evaluation of the product, what
matters is whether knowing that you got the knife for free might affect how
your audience views what you say about the knife. It doesn’t matter that you
aren’t required to review every knife you receive. Your viewers may assess
your review differently if they knew you got the knife for free, so we advise
disclosing that fact.

In this case the youtubers in the OP did disclose that they got the service
for free in the video. Perhaps they should have mentioned the fact in writing
in the video description/pinned comment as well.

~~~
who-knows95
"In addition, the Guides say, if there’s a connection between an endorser and
the marketer that consumers would not expect and it would affect how consumers
evaluate the endorsement, that connection should be disclosed. For example, if
an ad features an endorser who’s a relative or employee of the marketer, the
ad is misleading unless the connection is made clear. The same is usually true
if the endorser has been paid or given something of value to tout the product.
The reason is obvious: Knowing about the connection is important information
for anyone evaluating the endorsement."

[https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-
center/guidance/ftc...](https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-
center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking)

------
mykowebhn
Just wanted to mention that the creators of this channel, Rachel & Jun, have
one of the most beautifully filmed cooking channels on Youtube, Jun's Kitchen.

[https://www.youtube.com/user/JunsKitchen](https://www.youtube.com/user/JunsKitchen)

~~~
ddeokbokki
I knew the cats looked familiar..

------
nyxxie
Unrelated, but I really enjoy this trend of people disclosing potential
conflicts of interest relating to sponsoring at the beginning of a show or
video like they did here. It’s so refreshingly honest and respectful of my
natural distaste for being shown propaganda.

~~~
mslev
AFAIK many times it's a requirement of the platform/sponsor/etc that it must
be disclosed. I appreciate it as well.

------
cdiamand
I worked in a family moving business growing up (and continue to pick up the
odd job when I'm home). I've worked with various other moving companies as
well.

I have to say that the quality of this move was unreal by American standards.

I was extremely impressed that they are able to employ staff solely dedicated
to arranging the home. I'm still trying to work out how they are able to use a
crew that large and keep things economical.

There were also several pieces of packing material I hadn't seen before. Some
of which looked reusable, which is a good thing to see. There is a fair amount
of waste in the profession.

~~~
cannonedhamster
They use economy of scale. They have a large crew so that they can get more
moves done in a single day. Keep in mind most people in Japan live within the
same metro region, so there's a larger economy of scale.

------
syntaxing
So...does anyone have any tips to find a good mover like this in the US? I
hear horror stories on how some movers will hold your stuff "hostage" until
you tip them. I don't mind paying, but I just want a trustworthy mover.

~~~
dsfyu404ed
Uhaul and a local company to pack/unpack if needed. Nobody will be more
careful with your stuff than you will.

edit: Why is this down-voted?

~~~
daphneokeefe
I have done this several times, moving cross-country via U-Haul. It's easy
enough to drive the trucks, even with your car on a trailer behind it. I hire
loaders/unloaders based on reviews. You can really save a lot of money doing
it yourself, and it's prudent to hire professionals to do the heavy lifting.

Sure, you can run into problems and have a bad experience this way. But the
movers my company paid for didn't do such a great job either. On the other
hand, the guys the Army sent were amazing.

I have a toy U-Haul truck on my bookcase, because wanderlust.

------
ksec
Didn't have time to watch all of it. But did they mention how much does it
cost in Japan?

I really like the idea they could help you buy Appliance through them along
with delivery and installation. Assuming you are not picky with Appliances (
Japanese Home Appliance are one of the best in the world. ) and they have a
wide selection, if saves you tons of hassle. Not only that they help you throw
away your old stuff, knowing the Japanese, those will likely get recycles or
properly disposed instead of being dumped somewhere.

------
gadders
The wardrobe cartoons at 9m32s are pretty common in the UK, or at least were
when I had a student job as a removal man nearly 30 years ago.

~~~
rtkwe
Here in the US too [0]. There's a lot of specialized boxes available for
packing and moving many people don't bother with either because of price or
they don't know about it.

[0] [https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes/Clothing-
Moving-B...](https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes/Clothing-Moving-
Boxes/Grand-Wardrobe-Box/?id=6560)

~~~
saalweachter
Which brings me to the PSA: Your books go in book boxes (1 foot cubes).

Do not put your books in small boxes. Do not put your books in medium boxes.
For the love of god, do not put your books in large boxes.

Yes, if you have a lot of books you'll end up with 50 or 100 book boxes. No,
that's a good thing.

~~~
gadders
When I started I managed to fill a large box up with books.

Experienced Mover (eyeing large box): What have you put in there?

Newbie Me: Books

Experienced Mover: You can fucking carry that one then.

------
_pmf_
The decision to hire a (non-Japanese) moving company for moving our 4 person
household has been the best service investment I ever did. Included tearing
down and rebuilding every piece of large furniture and the kitchen including
appliances and plumbing. I would have been busy for at least two weeks. 2000
EUR. Unbelievable to watch.

~~~
skj
huh... I've done a fair amount of home buying and selling, and I've never
heard of taking the appliances with you. By plumbing, do you mean toilet? Does
the buyer just expect to bring their own toilet from the last house? What a
lot of effort.

~~~
asteli
I know that, in Germany at least, it's common to take appliances with you when
you move. Not sure where in Europe GP is reporting in from precisely.

~~~
atomwaffel
Yes, this is one of the great German mysteries. Flats are often rented with a
completely empty kitchen. The expectation is that you bring not just your own
appliances but also your own furniture and take them with you when you move
out. This is exactly as inconvenient as it sounds.

------
xutopia
I wonder how much such a service costs. It's really impressive how much
attention they put into everything.

------
_ah
Reminds me of this great article posted ~18 months ago about high end
professional movers:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15310849](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15310849)
([https://longreads.com/2017/09/21/a-high-end-mover-dishes-
on-...](https://longreads.com/2017/09/21/a-high-end-mover-dishes-on-truckstop-
hierarchy-rich-people-and-moby-dick/))

------
kazuki
Wow. I moved within Japan couple of times but never had a chance to use such
excellent service. I'd always go with cheap option that required me to pack
everything beforehand so workers just come pick up and carry them to the new
place. Packing/Unpacking service seems very convenient.

------
stunt
After watching the video, I came to ask how is it related to HN? But, look at
the comments! I guess there are some interests!

------
odiroot
Are these socket in the ceiling some universal/standard for all lamps in
Japanese? If so this is simply ingenious.

~~~
SapporoChris
I can't say if they're universal, but they are definately standard. In my
apartment the main rooms have them, basically anywhere a central ceiling light
would be placed. Areas like kitchen,bathroom and entrance have recessed
lighting with Edison screw bases for the lightbulbs.

It was fairly dark in the first few days in my unfurnished apartment until my
light fixtures arrived.

I've noticed the same type lighting in four 'furnished' apartments I
previously stayed in.

~~~
Markoff
i was more surprised why would anyone move ceiling light? it looks very odd, i
consider it part of apartment and would never think about moving it unless it
is some expensive smart light, though the one in video seem quite generic

------
aznpwnzor
people here complaining about the wasted packaging. EOD accounting probably
will still show it is net waste, but remember that Japanese people will reuse
and repair everything.

They will actually consider the first 2 R's much more than Americans do.

~~~
robocat
> Japanese people will reuse and repair everything

Maybe for small items. Counterpoint:

1\. in the video they got new whitewear (would their old whitewear get sold
second hand? Feels unlikely.)

2\. "Raze, rebuild, repeat: why Japan knocks down its houses after 30 years"
[https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/16/japan-
reusabl...](https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/16/japan-reusable-
housing-revolution)

~~~
cannonedhamster
Japan has an excellent number of second hand stores for many household and
personal items.

------
pier25
As someone that recently moved a couple thousand miles... This is...
perfection.

