In 2007 the Japanese postal system was privatized but most services have remained the same. Post offices are usually open Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm. Central and larger post offices are also open during weekends and sometimes have longer opening hours on weekdays. Below you will find a guide to the range of services offered by the Post Offices in Japan; from parcels to letter, money transfers and checking account.

Postal services

Except offering normal postal services such as sending letters and parcels it is also possible to open a Post Office account and to transfer money from the Post office, read more here.

Find out more about all the different postal services found at the Post Office below. Generally, if you write EXPRESS in red ink in the top left corner of your item it will be sent immediately after reaching the post office (Sokutatsu express).

Registered mail handling (Kakitome) is recorded from the time of posting the letter at the post office to delivery of the letter. If lost on the way to the destination you can claim a pre-determined amount of indemnity.

Rates

Current rates can be found at the Japan Post official web site including information about delivery time and requirements for the parcels (eg. length, weight). Rates for Express mail (sokutatsu) starts at 270 yen. Standard letters that weigh up to 25 grams costs 80 yen. For parcels the rate depends on the weight as well as the destination but start from 510 yen.

International services

The most common way of sending international parcels is by EMS (Express Postal Tracking). EMS provides a computerized tracking and tracing system and can be sent to most countries around the world. The EMS form, found at the Post Office, is in English and you will also be given a free EMS envelope to send them item in.

If the EMS parcel is damaged or not delivered, compensation will be paid out for actual loss. For a parcel value of up to 20 000 yen there is no extra fee for this insurance; however, for parcel values above 20 000 yen the cost is 50 yen per 20 000 yen insured with the maximum rate for compensation is 2 million yen.

When sending parcels abroad from Japan you will need to fill out a Custom Declaration Form. For EMS the Custom Declaration Form is included.

Other international mail delivery types:

• Surface Mail (funabin -sea mail)
• SAL (“Surface Airlifted”) – Delivery within 2-3 weeks.  (This is cheaper than airmail and faster than surface mail. Airmail (kokubin) Delivery within 3-8 days.)

Domestic services

• Postcards: (hagaki) Regular sizes JPY 50
• Reply-paid postcards (ofuku hagaki) JPY 100
• Letters: (tegami) Standard letters -no thicker than 1cm & between 9×14 cm and 12×23.5 cm in size. * under 25 grams – JPY 80 * under 50 grams – JPY 90
• Non-standard letters – JPY 120 for 50 grams or less, and JPY 1,350 for a maximum of 4kg.
• Mini Letter: (yubin shokan) – Only thin materials can be included (eg. piece of paper, photo) JPY 60 (maximum 25 grams).
• Express Mail: (sokutatsu) – from JPY 270.
• Priority delivery Registered Mail: (kakitome) – from JPY 420 (may be insured). Special registered-mail cash envelopes (genkin kakitome futo) are available for sending money.
• Lettax: (denshin-yubin) Handwritten letters and pictures may be sent by facsimile. JPY 580 (first page). Money and flower delivery options are also available.
• Parcels: From JPY 510. Postage varies according to weight of package and destination.
• Printed Matter: (shoseki kozutsumi) The cheapest way to send magazines, books and pamphlets within Japan.

English Information on the Japanese postal system

Postal Services Information in English: 0570-046-111. Also, the post office publishes a new edition of its English-language Post Office Guide each March. It is available for a charge of JPY 200 plus an addition JPY 180 shipping fee if you have it mailed.

You can also find a lot of information on the Japan Post English website.