RoRo vs container shipping for Japanese cars: which to choose

Two main methods move cars from Japan to your port: roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and container shipping. Choosing the right one affects your freight cost, transit time, security and which port you can use, so it is worth understanding the trade-offs before booking.

RoRo is the most common and usually cheapest method for a single running car. The vehicle is driven onto a dedicated car-carrier vessel and secured on deck, with no packing required. It is efficient and well-suited to the many ports with regular RoRo car services.

Container shipping seals the car inside a steel container, alone or shared with others. It costs more but offers greater security against weather and handling, allows personal items to be shipped with the car where permitted, and reaches ports that lack RoRo services.

As a rule, choose RoRo for a standard car to a major car-handling port where price matters most, and container for higher-value vehicles, markets without RoRo, or when you want maximum protection. Consolidated container sharing can also lower the cost of containerised shipping.

ASTONISHING CARS books both methods and advises the best option for your destination, vehicle value and budget, then provides a single transparent CIF quote covering freight and marine insurance to your port.