I live in Anchorage, Alaska, but am currently in Baku on my way to Mongolia. My research discloses that it is very difficult to get anyone to ship the bike from let's say Japan, directly to Anchorage. Your best plan will likely be to ship from Japan to your friend in LA, as you need a consignee that can handle getting the bike to a place it can be stored until the next leg. Shipping companies, I have found, make money in only two ways: when your bike is in transit, and when it is sitting still in their yard. They will give you a few days to pick it up, but then they start charging for it to sit there. To get my bike to Europe, I had to ship it via DHL to Seattle, where it was picked up by a truck company and trucked to Long Beach, where it was loaded in a container with two other bikes, put on a ship, and taken to Bremen, Germany.

I used Ron Turnage - Sales Representative
Schumacher Cargo Logistics, Inc.
550 W. 135th Street
Gardena (Los Angeles), CA 90248
Telephone: 562 408-6677 Ext 229 - Fax: 562 408-6636
E-Mail: ron@sclusa.com - Web Site: International Moving, Car, Motorcycle and Boat Shipping

They did a good job. I know the vessel my bike came to Europe on started its voyage in China with stops in Korea and Japan on its way to the US West Coast. My pricing went something like Anchorage to Seattle, $700, Seattle to Long Beach, $700, Long Beach to Bremen, $750.

Hope that helps. Good luck.