梅ちゃん之書寫旅行

Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Black Cat Service – Tokyo 6.15.07

Nope, didn’t get to use it today but I thought I might as well blog about it ‘cuz had I used it today I would’ve saved myself much sweat and muscle pain …

In Japan there is the so-called “home express service” (literal translation from 宅急便) that offers fast and economical home delivery service w ithin the entire country. A piece of luggage from the airport may be delivered to home by 10 pm that night upon arrival, a basket of seasonal fruit may be sent by the grandparents from the countryside in Kyushu all the way to the Honshu island before dinner time, and a packet of fresh sashimi ordered on JAL or ANA flights may be enjoyed next day upon arrival. Best of all, there are numerous drop-off locations at almost all the convenient stores in town if not neighborhood mom-and-pop grocery stores around the corner, and the cost is by far the biggest draw – just a few days ago I sent off my 140-pound worth of luggage from Narita airport at 4:30 pm. By the time they arrive at my doorstop, the clock barely ticked 9 pm.

Guess how much all that expedient service cost me? Less than 30 dollars! … a few dollars cheaper than a taxi ride from Boston Logan Airport to Cambridge.

And why has it been referred to the “black cat service”? B/c one of the most established companies in service has a black cat as its business logo and called itself “Yamato Transport” where “yamato” has become a quintessential lingo for “Japanese-ness” (大和).

What haunted me today that I decided to let go of the black cat service I do not know. But having gone through one of the hardest laboring workout in history trying to drag a 15-pound TV messily wrapped in a semi-broken cardboard box and desperately tied around by clear duck tape, I’m making a sincere suggestion to you all who may ever come to relocate in Japan – USE THE BLACK CAT, it’s totally worth it.

A few pictures from the day, in no particular order or logic behind: