Japanese Post Box: How to Use Japan Post For Your Mail Needs

A Japanese post box, easily spotted by its bright red color and the 〒 postal symbol, is where most domestic mail in Japan starts its journey.

Japan Post, the country's official postal system, moves letters, postcards, and parcels through its network in as little as one to two days for standard domestic mail.

Every Japanese postbox has two drop slots, one for regular letters and postcards and one for larger items like Letter Packs, and most are cleared once daily with a final collection time posted directly on the box, usually before 6pm.

Beyond the post box itself, Japan Post can also be accessed at a local post office, at partner convenience stores like Lawson, or, if you're not in Japan to check your mailbox at all, through a virtual mailbox service such as MailMate.

This guide covers how to use a Japanese post box for domestic and international mail, what each Japan Post service costs, and how to receive and even send mail without setting foot in a post office.

What is the Japanese post box?

Common Japanese post boxes

A Japanese post box is a red mailbox for mail in Japan. These post boxes are very recognizable by their bright red color and the 〒 symbol representing Japan's postal system.

The 〒 symbol is widely believed to be a stylized version of the katakana character te (テ), the first sound in Teishin (逓信), the name of the ministry that ran Japan's post office before modern reorganizations. It was officially adopted in 1887. Japan's postal system itself dates back further, to 1871, when the first collection boxes were simple, unpainted wooden boxes. The following year, these were replaced nationwide with black-lacquered wooden posts, which remained standard for about 30 years before red took over.

You may see the regular Japanese post boxes decorated on the outside to reflect the season or holiday. Other times, you will see a special Japanese post box design.

Special Japanese post boxes

Japan Post mail and packaging

Japan Post has many types of mail and packages to accommodate items people may send each other. For all these items, you can write the address by hand. 

• Regular mail (封筒, fuutou)

• Letters (手紙, tegami)

• Postcards (葉書, hagaki)

• Letter Pack (レターパック, letaa pakku): a cardboard envelope for A4-sized items under 4kg. There are two versions, both tracking capabilities. 

  • Letter Pack Plus (レターパックプラス): For items up to 4 kg, costs 600 yen and guarantees in-person delivery with a signature.

  • Letter Pack Light (レターパックライト): For items up to 4 kg and up to 3cm thick, costs 430 yen and allows Japanese post box drop-offs, with delivery straight to the recipient's mailbox.

• Yu-Pack (ゆうパック, yuu-pakku): for larger parcels up to 25-30 kg, with special options for ski equipment and airport delivery. Tracking varies. 

• Chilled Pack (チルドゆうパック, chirudo yūpakku): for chilled and frozen items.

• Yu-Mail (ゆうメール, yuu meeru): for domestically sending books, printed materials, and CDs/DVDs.

• Registered Mail (書留,  kakitome): for safe delivery of important documents and valuables. It will provide delivery proof and any compensation lost.

• Cash on Delivery or COD (着払い, chakubarai): For the receipt to pay for the item shipment when it is delivered.

Prices reflect Japan Post's October 2024 rate revision, still current as of mid-2026. Yu-Pack pricing varies by package size (60 to 170) and by the distance between origin and destination; the figure above is the cheapest starting rate.

Tracking is the biggest practical difference between these options: regular letters and postcards have no tracking at all, so there's no way to confirm delivery once you drop one in a Japanese post box. Letter Pack (both versions), registered mail, and Yu-Pack all include tracking numbers you can check on Japan Post's website, which is worth the extra cost any time you need confirmation that something arrived.

Yu-Pack can be dropped off at post offices or at participating convenience stores, not just collected from your home, which makes it easy to send even if you're not near a post office during business hours. Japan Post also runs a small discount system worth knowing about: bringing a Yu-Pack parcel to the counter yourself instead of requesting a home pickup saves 120 yen per parcel, and sending two or more parcels to the same address at the same time saves an additional 60 yen per parcel.

You can also request express delivery (速達郵便, sokutatsu yuubin). If not, mail will be delivered normally (普通郵便, futsuu yuubin).

Additionally, Japan Post can handle international shipping with their EMS (Express Mail Service) and the ePackets. When sending items internationally, you will need a printed label. 

How to send mail in Japan

Sending mail from a Japanese post box

Japanese post box slots explained.

Most Japanese post boxes will have two slots to insert the items you want to send.

The left side is for regular or small mail, such as letters and postcards. The right side is for larger envelopes, Letter Packs, and international mail.

On these Japanese post boxes, they will have a mail collection time. The last mail collection time is usually before 6 pm. 

Each item, except for the letter pack, will need to have prepaid stamps. You can use Japan Post’s postage calculator to calculate the exact amount.

However, try the next option if you have trouble with the calculations. 

Sending mail at the Japan Post Office

If you don't have stamps or are unsure about the postage price, the best option is to go directly to the Japan Post office.

I use this option whenever I send domestic letters and international parcels.

The staff will categorize and weigh the item you want to send. Once the price is determined, you will pay for that postage. 

Inside of a Japan Post office | Image via MyTravelGeno

Larger Japan Post offices will have a number-ticketed system, so take one when you arrive. Otherwise, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Also, larger offices are open on the weekend within limited hours. For more information, check the information for your nearest Japan Post office. 

These Japanese post offices will have specialty items, including stamps, letters, envelopes, and year-end gifts to buy. 

Sending mail from a convenience store

If there is no Japanese post box or office near you, stop by a Lawson to send your mail. 

In 2003, Lawson Inc. partnered with the Postal Services Agency to have mailboxes at their conbini stores. This partnership allows you to drop off your mail at a Lawson, just like a regular Japanese post box. 

A Japanese post box at a Lawson | Image via Tokukita.jp

Plus, you can buy stamps at any Japanese convenience store for your letters or postcards.

How do I receive Japanese mail?

There are many ways to receive mail in Japan. Most of the time, it will be placed in your mailbox. However, certain mail items need the receiver’s signature to indicate that you have received them.

If you are not in Japan and want to view your Japanese mail online, consider MailMate!

MailMate

When MailMate receives your mail, you will get an email or Slack notification of its arrival. As a virtual mailbox service, your mail will be scanned into your dashboard for your online viewing.

You can open, forward, and shred your mail from here upon your request. MailMate will even pay your utility bills when you are away from Japan.

Additionally, MailMate can now send mail for you too, not just receive it.

With the Send Mail feature, you upload a document to your dashboard, choose a carrier, Japan Post, Yamato, Sagawa, FedEx, or DHL, and MailMate prints, packs, and posts it on your behalf.

Need registered mail (書留) with proof of delivery for a government filing? That's handled the same way.

If a Japanese agency sends you a form that needs to be filled out and mailed back, such as a tax office correction notice or a ward office registration, MailMate's bilingual team can complete the Japanese-language form for you and mail the reply directly from that same inbox item.

Every outgoing piece gets a tracking number and delivery confirmation, giving you documented proof that a filing was postmarked and received before its deadline.

Other options include cash on delivery, parcel lockers, convenience store pickup services, or requesting redelivery.

If you'd rather not use your home address at all, there are two ways to get a PO box in Japan: through Japan Post directly, or through a private PO box company. Japan Post's own PO boxes, called shishobako (私書箱), sit inside the post office itself and are free to use, but come with real eligibility conditions: you need to receive mail almost every day, plan to use the box for at least six months, and be able to collect your mail promptly rather than letting it pile up.

To apply, you submit a shishobako shiyou moshikomisho (私書箱使用申込書), or PO box usage request form, at the post office where you want the box, along with identification, and availability depends on that specific post office having an open box. Private PO box companies aren't affiliated with Japan Post and generally don't enforce the same daily-mail or six-month requirements, which makes them a better fit for occasional or short-term use; they typically charge a monthly fee, and unlike Japan Post's boxes, which require you to pick up mail in person, some private services will forward your mail to another address for you.

Japan Post Redelivery

JapanPost's attempted delivery notice slip

For any mail that needs a signature, such as the Letter Pack Plus or Yu-Pack items, and you are not home, the delivery person will slip a redelivery paper into your mailbox. 

This notice will have a QR code to scan to reschedule a redelivery. Pick a convenient date and time for the delivery person to return. 

Sending international mail from Japan

Handwritten labels are allowed on international letters and postcards from Japan. The format should follow the international address format.

How to send international mail visas air mail | Image via Japan Post

However, sending packages from Japan is largely different. The main difference is that you will need a printed international parcel label. For most destinations, Japan Post offers three main options: EMS, its fastest and most trackable service, typically delivering in 2 to 4 days; standard airmail, a mid-tier option typically taking 3 to 6 days; and sea mail, the cheapest option, which takes 1 to 3 months since it travels by ship.

Japan Post's economy SAL (Surface Air Lifted) service, which used to sit between airmail and sea mail in both price and speed at around 6 to 13 days, is currently suspended across all destinations, so don't plan around it being available. For businesses and high-volume shippers, Japan Post also offers UGX (Yu Global Express), an international courier service built for oversized or heavy packages that EMS can't accommodate, but it requires advance business registration and isn't something you can use as a walk-in individual option. Costs and delivery estimates vary by destination country and package weight; use Japan Post's website to check current rates and transit times for the specific country you're shipping to.

Bring the printed label, your package, and a list of items in Japanese and English you send to your nearest Japan Post office. The staff will handle everything from there.

If you don’t have a box, Japan Post will provide one for you at an additional cost of the box.

Frequently asked questions

What items can be sent internationally from Japan?

Many things can be sent internationally, including large and small packages, letters and postcards, and even chilled items can be sent internationally. 

What items can not be sent internationally from Japan?

The universal standard for what you can not send internationally is spray bottles, nail polish, perfume, fireworks, electronic cigarettes, and any products containing over 24% alcohol, including alcohol, sunblock, and hair tonic. Additionally, each country will have a specific list of items that are prohibited from being imported. 

What is Japan Post?

Japan Post is Japan’s official postal system and a major logistics service provider. It operates with Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance, offering great mail, parcel delivery, banking, and insurance services.

Can I rent a PO box in Japan instead of using my home address?

Yes. Japan Post rents PO boxes, called shishobako (私書箱), at many post office locations across Japan. You apply in person with a PO box usage request form and valid identification at the specific post office where you want the box. Availability depends on location, and busy post offices in major cities often have waiting lists, so it's worth applying well before you need one.

Can a virtual mailbox service send mail on my behalf, not just receive it?

Yes, with a service like MailMate. Beyond receiving, scanning, and forwarding incoming Japanese mail, MailMate's Send Mail feature lets you upload a document from anywhere and have it printed, packed, and mailed through Japan Post, Yamato, Sagawa, FedEx, or DHL, including registered mail for filings that need proof of delivery. This is useful for anyone who needs to reply to a Japanese government notice or file paperwork by post without visiting a Japanese post office in person.

In closing 

Using a Japanese post box isn’t complicated when you know which slot to use. Plus, if you are ever struggling, you can stop by your local post office for the staff to help you send a letter, postcard, and parcel domestically and internationally.