USA → Japan
Export Horses from the USA to Japan
Racing, breeding and competition horses, on a nonstop sector of about eleven hours.
- Arrives
- NRT
- Departs
- LAX / DFW
- Flight time
- ~11 hours nonstop from the West Coast
- Plan ahead
- 60–120 days
Tokyo Narita
Or whichever US gateway suits the animals
Moving a horse to Japan is an equine problem with a flight in the middle, not a freight problem with an animal attached to it. We build the shipment around the horse: pre-export isolation at a USDA-approved facility, a USDA-accredited veterinarian running the Japanese test panel, purpose-built air stables, and grooms who fly with the horses and hand them over on the ground.
We fly out of whichever US gateway suits the horse — Los Angeles and Dallas most often. From the West Coast it is a nonstop sector of about eleven hours to Tokyo: no second loading, no intermediate customs handling, and the least time your horse spends in transit.
Regulatory
What a Japan export requires
These are the constraints that shape the timeline. The binding requirements are whatever Japan has in force on your day of export — we confirm the current position as the first step of every feasibility review.
Import documentation and pre-export isolation
Japan requires the shipment to be covered by the correct import documentation and the animals held in pre-export isolation at a USDA-approved facility. We arrange pickup and manage the animals throughout.
Testing and USDA endorsement
A USDA-accredited veterinarian runs the panel the Japanese protocol requires, monitors the animals in isolation and prepares the International Health Certificate, which USDA APHIS then endorses. Nothing flies without it.
Post-arrival quarantine
Japan operates its own animal quarantine service at the port of entry. Post-arrival handling is set by Japanese authorities and sits on top of the U.S. side. We coordinate the handoff and brief the receiving party in advance.
Air stables and handling
Horses travel on the main deck in air stables. We brief every airline handling crew before loading, and our grooms stay with the animals until they are offloaded and into trailers in Japan.
Official source
USDA APHIS publishes the International Regulations for Animal Exports (IRegs) — the U.S. government’s understanding of Japan's current import requirements.
By species
What we handle into Japan
Horses
Racing, breeding and competition horses moved door to door — barn in the United States to barn in Asia-Pacific.
Breeding Livestock
Cattle, swine, sheep, goats and poultry genetics moved as single consignments or as a recurring program.
Exotic & Zoo Animals
Zoo collections, wildlife parks and private exotic consignments — including CITES-listed species — moved with the permitting handled.
FAQ
Exporting to Japan: common questions
How much does it cost to ship a horse from the USA to Japan?
A single horse typically runs $13,000 to $25,000, covering air freight, pre-export isolation, blood tests, USDA inspection and fees, and a groom on the flight. Ground transport to quarantine is billed separately. Horses shipped as a group cost materially less per head than a single horse travelling alone. These are real ranges from completed shipments — we quote your specific move in writing after a short feasibility review.
How long does the whole process take?
Budget 60 to 120 days from first enquiry to departure. Most of that is not flying — it is documentation, the pre-export isolation period, the test panel and USDA endorsement. The flight itself is about eleven hours.
Does someone travel with the horse?
Yes. Professional grooms fly with the animals on every international shipment we handle. They keep the horses hydrated and with forage available throughout the flight, and handle the offload and loading into trailers at the destination.
Can you move a horse both ways — U.S. to Japan and back?
Yes. Returning racehorses and horses travelling for a campaign or breeding season are routine, and each direction has its own protocol. Tell us at the outset if the horse is coming back, because it can change how the outbound move is documented.
Where does the horse go into quarantine?
A USDA-approved isolation facility, chosen to suit the horse and the departure airport. We work with facilities near each of the gateways we ship from, so the ground legs stay short.
Can you deliver to a breeding farm in Hokkaido?
Yes. Horses clear animal quarantine at Tokyo and continue to Hokkaido by road and ferry or on a domestic sector. Most breeding stock bound for the Hokkaido farms arrives this way — we arrange the onward leg as part of the shipment rather than handing you over at Narita.
Other lanes
More Asia-Pacific destinations
Hong Kong
Export Horses from the USA to Hong Kong
South Korea
Export Horses & Livestock from the USA to South Korea
Australia & NZ
Export Horses & Livestock from the USA to Australia and NZ
Moving animals to Japan?
Send us the species, the number of animals, the origin and your target date. We confirm whether the protocol is currently open and come back with a written feasibility review at no charge.