Roll-on/roll-off vessels are floating car parks: your vehicle is driven aboard, lashed on a dedicated deck, and driven off at the other end. It is the cheapest and fastest option, sails weekly from Kobe, Osaka and Nagoya to most major ports, and is how the overwhelming majority of Japanese exports travel.
Container shipping costs more and adds handling at both ends, but the car travels sealed — nothing enters the box after loading, and personal effects or spare parts can travel with it (RoRo forbids loose items in the vehicle).
Our default advice
For most vehicles under six figures, RoRo is the sensible choice; the handling risk difference is smaller than reputation suggests, and marine insurance covers the invoice value either way. For high-value icons, low cars that dislike ramps, or destinations with infrequent RoRo calls, we quote a shared or sole-use container.
Every quote we issue names the vessel, the sailing date and the insurance terms — compare both modes on your own numbers before deciding.