declan_murphy@hotmail.com wrote:
> CL wrote:

>>And the Post Office waives standard size requirements in certain cases.
> 
> Any examples?

The only one popping into my head at present doesn't include Japan, but 
it _does_ include the Canadian PO.  A friend found a complete OHC Ariel 
Square Four motor in a rural barn in Ireland which he mounted in a case 
made out of 2x4s and covered in thin plywood -- maybe 90x90x90 cube 
weighing about 150lbs.  He was allowed to post it to his home in Toronto 
via Dublin.  I've had one personal experience where my local PO in 
darkest Tokyo said they'd take the package if it fit into a standard 
mail sack regardless of weight.  I got some NOS parts for a mid-Sixties 
Japanese M/C (boxed petrol tank, wrapped mudguards) out of Wa using that 
method.

One thing that does occur is to warn the OC to _NEVER_ use UPS to send 
anything in to Canada.  (UPS = Kuroneko Yamato).  They have their own 
in-house customs house / freight clearing center that charges 
*multiples* of what any other clearing house does.  And you can't use 
anyone else if UPS has it.  It is quite normal for small packages worth 
less than C$100 to wind up costing C$180~190.  And there is no recourse. 
  The discussion boards for motorcycle restorers who exchange parts 
among US <-> UK <-> Canada <-> Japan are full of UPS horror stories.

CL