Marble Inari Fox Statue Packing and UPS Shipping from Japan

We shipped a marble Inari Fox statue from Japan to an international customer by UPS.

This item is a 1998 model marble Inari Fox statue. It measures about 11.61 in tall and weighs about 18.3 lbs. Although it is not a large statue, it has real stone weight.

Marble is a beautiful natural stone, but its Mohs hardness is about 3. Compared with harder stones such as granite, marble requires more care around the surface, edges, ears, tail, and other protruding parts.

For this shipment, we paid special attention to protecting the ears, face area, tail, legs, and base. Since stone products are heavy, simply wrapping them softly is not enough. It is important to keep the item from moving inside the box.

This package was shipped internationally by UPS with a tracking number. During international shipping, a box may be turned sideways, flipped, or come into contact with other packages. We packed this marble Inari Fox with those conditions in mind.

Shipment Details

Item	Marble Inari Fox
Model	1998 model
Origin	Japan
Carrier	UPS
Tracking	Tracking number provided
Material	Marble
Packing policy	Because marble is a softer stone, we protected the ears, face, tail, legs, and base carefully and fixed the statue in place inside the box.

Product Size

Length	4.72 in / 12 cm
Width	7.68 in / 19.5 cm
Height	11.61 in / 29.5 cm
Weight	18.3 lbs / 8.3 kg

This Inari Fox weighs about 18.3 lbs. Because marble is softer than granite and the statue has real weight, movement inside the box could cause impact to concentrate in one area during transport.

For that reason, we focused not only on surface protection, but also on internal fixing, corner support, and reinforcing the outer package.

Packing Process

Checking the 1998 model marble Inari Fox

First, we checked the condition of the Inari Fox before packing. Marble is beautiful, but because it is softer than granite, scratches and chips around protruding parts require special attention.

Marble Inari Fox with ears face tail and legs protected with air cushioning — The ears, face area, tail, and legs can receive concentrated impact during shipping. Because marble requires more careful handling than granite, we protected these protruding areas separately with air cushioning.

Marble Inari Fox wrapped with air cushioning — *After protecting the protruding parts, we wrapped the whole statue with air cushioning to help prevent direct impact from reaching the marble surface.*

Marble Inari Fox fully protected with air cushioning before cardboard support — The entire Inari Fox was covered so that the carved marble surface would not touch the outer box or other packing materials directly. Since the ears and tail have height, we also considered impact from above.

Marble Inari Fox supported with cardboard and stretch film — After wrapping the statue with air cushioning, we supported the outside with cardboard material and secured it with stretch film. For heavy stone products, keeping the packing shape stable helps prevent movement inside the box.

Cardboard corner supports placed inside the box for marble Inari Fox shipping — *We placed rolled cardboard supports in the corners of the box. This helps keep the item from moving and also helps distribute pressure from the outside.*

Marble Inari Fox fixed inside the shipping box with cushioning and cardboard supports — The protected Inari Fox was placed inside the box with cushioning and cardboard supports around it. For an 18.3 lb stone product, even a small amount of movement inside the box can create a strong impact.

Additional air cushioning placed on top of the marble Inari Fox inside the box — *We also added air cushioning on top of the item. Even if the box is turned sideways or upside down during transport, this helps reduce the chance of direct impact reaching the statue.*

Protecting the Outer Box and Shipping by UPS

After sealing the outer box, we protected the outside with stretch film. This helps keep the box shape stable and protects the outside from dirt and light scuffing during transport.

Before shipping, we checked that the whole box was stable and that the cushioning had not shifted. For international shipping of stone products, the important point is not only what can be seen from the outside, but also whether the item can move inside the box.

This package was shipped by UPS with a tracking number.

What We Paid Attention to When Packing a Marble Inari Fox

Marble is known for its natural white color and stone pattern. However, its Mohs hardness is about 3, so it needs more care than harder stones such as granite.

This Inari Fox is a single marble sculpture with ears, a face, a tail, legs, and a base. Protruding parts such as the ears and tail can be especially vulnerable if impact is concentrated in one place during shipping.

For that reason, we first protected the protruding parts separately, then wrapped the entire body with air cushioning. We also supported the outside with cardboard material and fixed the statue in place inside the box.

Why We Packed It More Carefully Than Granite Products

We also ship granite stone lanterns and stone statues overseas. Granite is a very hard stone, but even granite products require careful packing for international delivery.

This marble Inari Fox is softer than granite, so we handled it with extra care. We paid special attention to the ears, face area, tail, legs, and base edges so that impact would not concentrate in one place.

This item also weighs about 18.3 lbs. When a heavy stone product moves inside a box, the weight itself can create impact. Cushioning is important, but fixing the item in place is just as important.

Reinforcing the Bottom of the Box

For international shipping of stone products, the bottom of the cardboard box is very important.

For this shipment, we used hot glue as needed to bond and reinforce the bottom of the cardboard box so it would not open or fail under the weight. This part is not very visible from the outside, but it is an important step for safely shipping heavy stone products overseas.

Protecting the item itself is important, but it is also important that the outer box stays strong until delivery.

Packing Materials Used

Paper	Used to help keep the stone surface from touching the work table or packing materials directly.
Air cushioning	Used to protect the ears, face area, tail, legs, and entire body, and to absorb impact during transport.
Cardboard material	Used to protect the marble surface and protruding parts and to keep the packing shape stable inside the box.
Cardboard box	Used as the outer box. We checked that it could handle the weight of the stone product.
Hot glue	Used to bond and reinforce the bottom of the cardboard box to reduce the risk of bottom failure.
Packing tape	Used to seal and reinforce the box.
Stretch film	Used to keep the protective materials and outer box secure.
FRAGILE sticker	Used on the outer box to show that the package should be handled with care.

UPS Shipping from Japan

This Marble Inari Fox was shipped from Japan to an international customer by UPS. A tracking number was provided, so the customer could check the delivery status after shipment.

When a customer buys a stone product from Japan, it is natural to wonder whether it will really arrive safely.

For that reason, we record the actual packing process with photos. We believe that protecting the value of a stone product means not only selling the item, but also packing and shipping it carefully. We also send packing photos to the customer by email at the time of shipment.

Import duties, customs fees, sales tax, or other local charges may be charged by the destination country according to its own import rules.

Shipping Policy

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Written on: May 25, 2026 (JST)