Japanese at the Post Office: Sending Parcels, Redelivery and Moving
Japanese post offices (郵便局, yūbinkyoku) handle letters, parcels, international shipping and redelivery of missed packages, and staff are used to helping foreign customers. To send something, say where it’s going and how you want to send it: これをアメリカに送りたいです。EMSでお願いします。 (I’d like to send this to the US by EMS.) The words you’ll need most are for sending, registered mail, international parcels, customs forms, missed-delivery slips and forwarding your mail when you move.
Key words
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 切手 | kitte | Stamp |
| はがき | hagaki | Postcard |
| 小包・荷物 | kozutsumi, nimotsu | Parcel |
| 書留 | kakitome | Registered mail |
| 速達 | sokutatsu | Express (domestic) |
| 航空便・船便 | kōkūbin, funabin | Airmail, sea mail |
| 税関告知書 | zeikan kokuchisho | Customs declaration form |
| 不在連絡票 | fuzai renrakuhyō | Missed-delivery slip |
| 再配達 | saihaitatsu | Redelivery |
| 転居届 | tenkyo todoke | Change-of-address notice |
Sending a letter or parcel
- これをイギリスに送りたいです。 I’d like to send this to the UK.
- いちばん安い方法は何ですか。 What’s the cheapest way?
- 何日ぐらいかかりますか。 How many days will it take?
- 追跡できますか。 Can it be tracked?
- 書留でお願いします。 Registered mail, please.
For international parcels, you will fill in a customs form listing what’s inside and its value. Some items, such as batteries, sprays and certain foods, can’t be sent abroad, so ask if you are unsure: これは送れますか。 (Can I send this?)
Picking up a missed delivery
If you are out when a parcel arrives, you’ll find a 不在連絡票 in your mailbox. You can book a redelivery by phone, online or by scanning the QR code on the slip, or take the slip and your ID to the post office named on it. At the counter, say: これを受け取りに来ました。 (I’ve come to collect this.) Parcels are only kept for a limited time, so don’t wait too long.
Moving house
When you move within Japan, submit a 転居届 at the post office or online, and your mail will be forwarded to your new address for one year. This is separate from registering your new address at the ward office. See our guide to the ward office and renting an apartment in Japan.
Other services
Many post offices also have a bank counter (ゆうちょ銀行, Japan Post Bank) and ATMs that often accept foreign cards. Opening hours for the mail and bank counters can differ, and smaller branches close at weekends. For quick postage and some shipping services, convenience stores can also help; see convenience store Japanese.
Practise the conversation
A short online lesson with a native tutor is a simple way to rehearse these exchanges before you go: explaining what you want to send, understanding the options you’re offered and filling in forms. It makes everyday errands in Japan feel much more manageable.