How to Send Mail in Japan: 2026 Postage and Yu-Pack Rates

Learning how to send mail in Japan comes down to a few basics: choosing the right envelope size, writing the address in the correct format, buying postage at a post office or conbini, and knowing the current rates so you're not guessing at the counter.

A standard-sized domestic letter costs 110 yen for up to 50g, a postcard costs 85 yen, and a Letter Pack costs 430 or 600 yen. For parcels, Japan Post raised Yu-Pack (ゆうパック) rates by an average of about 10% on October 1, 2026, and a Yu-Pack now starts at 840 yen for a 60-size parcel sent within the same prefecture, for items up to 25kg.

In this guide, we walk through envelope sizes, how to address mail in Japanese and English, where to buy stamps, postage rates for domestic and international mail, the full Yu-Pack rate table effective October 1, 2026, and how to send mail without visiting a post office at all.

Tip #1: Get the right size envelope.

For the most part, Japan Post will accept envelopes of all sizes. 

The two most common envelopes are Japanese-style (vertical) and Western-style (horizontal) envelopes. 

We focus on letters and postcard sizes, but Japan Post can handle various sizes and packages.

Letter size

Japan Post

Letters can be sorted into two categories: standard and non-standard size.

A standard-sized letter is, at minimum, 14 cm by 9cm and, at maximum, 23.5 cm by 12cm with a thickness of 1cm.

A nonstandard-sized letter can be divided into smaller subcategories:

• Within standard (規格内, kikakunai): up to 34 cm long, 25 cm wide, 3 cm thick, and 1kg.

• Outside standard (規格外, kikakugai): anything larger or heavier than that, up to 60 cm on the longest side, 90 cm for length, width, and thickness combined, and 4kg.

Postcard size

Japan Post

There are two common postcards that people send:

• Regular postcards: a minimum size of 14 cm by 9cm and a maximum dimension of 15.4cm by 10.7cm with a limited weight between 2g and 6g.

• Return postcards (往復はがき, ofuku hagaki): a sending card and a reply card joined together, measuring from 14 cm by 18 cm up to 15.4 cm by 21.4 cm unfolded, and weighing 4g to 12g.

Tip #2: Know how to write your address.

There are many different ways to write a Japanese address, depending on who and where, as well as the type of envelope it is written on.

💡Read also: How to Read a Japanese Address: An Easy Guide

Vertical address writing 

It mostly applies to Japanese-style vertical envelopes where you must write the address vertically due to its size. 

Image: Midori Japan

From right to left, here is how you should write a Japanese address vertically:

• Zip code: Write the postal code (郵便番号) in the small red squares at the top right of the envelope.

• Right-most side: Write prefecture, city or ward, and the town or district

• Next column: Write the building's name and the room number.

• Write the recipient's name next to the previous column.

Write the sender's address on the front of the envelope if there's room. If not, you can write the return address on the back.

Horizontal address writing

When you have Western-style envelopes, you'll need to write the address horizontally.

The recipient's address should be at the top left corner and be written as:

• First line: Write the postal code.

• Second line: Write the prefecture, city, ward, town, and district.

• Third line: Write the building's name and room number.

• Fourth line: The recipient's name.

Whether you're writing vertically or horizontally, Japanese addresses follow one consistent rule: largest to smallest. You start with the postal code and prefecture, narrow down through city, ward, and district, and finish with the building name, room number, and finally the recipient's name, the reverse of the Western convention.

Speaking of the recipient's name, it's standard etiquette to write 様 (sama) directly after it as a mark of respect, similar to "Mr." or "Ms." in English but used more universally in Japanese correspondence. You'll also notice Japanese postal codes follow a fixed format: the 〒 symbol followed by seven digits, written as three digits, a hyphen, and four digits (for example, 〒100-0001).

The format above is the Japanese address format. Continue to read on how to write a Japanese address in English.

English vs. Japanese address

Writing in Japanese can be intimidating, especially when you need to write complicated kanji in a small format, which is why Japan Post accepts addresses in English.

Different in Japanese address vs international postal address

However, it must be written in an international postal format, so the address must start with the recipient's name and end with the postal code.

Print vs. handwritten address

In Japan, handwritten addresses are commonly accepted for domestic mail. So, you can send letters, postcards, and packages using a handwritten address or label as long as it is clear and legible.

However, printed addresses are also accepted by Japan Post. Ensure the label or paper is securely attached to the envelope to avoid mishandling.

If you're sending anything with monetary value internationally, such as a gift or merchandise, rather than a pure document or letter, you'll need a printed label with Electronic Advance Data (EAD) attached. Japan Post phased this requirement in over several years: it became mandatory for US-bound mail on January 1, 2021, was tightened for EU member states from October 1, 2021, and became mandatory worldwide, for any international mail containing goods, from March 1, 2024.

This applies to Express Mail Service (EMS), international parcels, small packets, and registered mail carrying goods. Pure letters and documents without dutiable value are the exception; those can still be addressed by hand, even internationally.

Tip #3: Buying postage

Japan offers amazing regular, seasonal, and special stamps that you can buy. 

At a local Japanese post office

The most common way to buy stamps is at the post office. Larger Japanese post offices will display all the available stamps you can purchase.

You can write down which stamp you want to buy or take the small pieces of paper with you. When your number is called, bring your items and tell them how many stamps you want. 

At the convenience store

Japanese convenience stores can also sell stamps. Before you go, check that the store displays the Japan Post symbol (〒) on the front, as not all conbini in Japan sell them.

You’ll find that Japanese convenience stores tend to sell standard postage stamps.

Japan Post online shop

Japan Post’s online shop allows you to browse all available stamps you can purchase. 

Japan Post specialty stamps

You can shop for specialty stamps (特殊切手) with seasonal designs, and regular postage stamps (普通切手) there.

Be aware that there is a shipping fee of 300 something yen. So, if you buy online, it’s better to buy in bulk. 

Tip #4: Postage rates

When sending any mail item, it’s important to know how much the postage is so it can be properly sent.

When you have the appropriate stamps on your letter or postcard, you can place it in your nearest postbox.

Letters

This section only includes standard-sized and non-standard-sized mail.

Check Japan Post’s other mail category and their respective postage rates. 

Domestic letter mail

Check Japan Post’s domestic letter postage for more than 100g.

Standard-sized mail

• 110 yen for up to 50 g (this rate is flat regardless of whether the item weighs 10g or 50g, following an October 2024 rate revision that merged the old 25g and 50g pricing tiers)

Non-standard mail, within standard (規格内)

• 140 yen for up to 50 g

• 180 yen for up to 100 g

Non-standard mail, outside standard (規格外)

• 260 yen for up to 50 g

• 290 yen for up to 100 g

International letter mail

When sending international mail, Airmail is the fastest standard way to send postal letters, alongside Express Mail Service (EMS) for parcels needing speed and tracking. Airmail usually arrives in about 5 to 21 days, and EMS in about 3 to 18 days. Surface mail (sea mail) is the cheapest option, but it takes about 2 to 4 months because it travels by ship. Japan Post also lists an Economy Air option, commonly called SAL, which used to sit between Airmail and Surface mail in both price and speed, but SAL has been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, and in February 2025 Japan Post said it had no timeline for restarting it, so don't plan a shipment around it.

Additionally, any international parcel containing goods also needs a customs declaration attached, using either a CN22 form for lower-value or lighter items, or a CN23 form for higher-value or heavier shipments; Japan Post's free International Mail My Page service (国際郵便マイページサービス) generates the correct one automatically when you create your shipping label.

Certain items are restricted regardless of which form you use. For example, you generally can't send anything containing more than 24% alcohol by volume internationally, and perfume, nail polish, aerosol cans, e-cigarettes, and mobile batteries are banned to every destination. These items are refused even by surface mail, and each destination country adds its own rules on top.

Zone 1: Korea, Taiwan, China

• Standard-sized mail:

  • 120 yen for up to 25 g

  • 190 yen for up to 50 g

• Non-standard mail:

  • 230 yen for up to 50 g

  • 340 yen for up to 100 g

Zone 2: Asia (excluding China, South Korea, Taiwan; Hong Kong and Macau are included here)

• Standard-sized mail:

  • 120 yen for up to 25 g

  • 190 yen for up to 50 g

• Non-standard mail:

  • 230 yen for up to 50 g

  • 350 yen for up to 100 g

Zone 3: Oceania, North America (excluding the U.S.), Middle East, Europe

• Standard-sized mail:

  • 140 yen for up to 25 g

  • 220 yen for up to 50 g

• Non-standard mail:

  • 280 yen for up to 50 g

  • 420 yen for up to 100 g

Zone 4: U.S. (including Guam and other U.S. territories)

• Standard-sized mail:

  • 140 yen for up to 25 g

  • 220 yen for up to 50 g

• Non-standard mail:

  • 280 yen for up to 50 g

  • 420 yen for up to 100 g

Zone 5: Central and South America (excluding Mexico), Africa

• Standard-sized mail:

  • 160 yen for up to 25 g

  • 260 yen for up to 50 g

• Non-standard mail:

  • 320 yen for up to 50 g

  • 500 yen for up to 100 g

For anything heavier than a letter, see our guide to shipping options for sending packages home from Japan, or check parcel costs by destination in our guides to shipping from Japan to the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Postcards

The postcard postage rate is 85 yen per postcard throughout Japan. For a round-trip postcard, it’ll be 170 yen.

International postcards sent by airmail cost a flat 100 yen to every country.

👉 Read also: A Guide to Nengajo, Japan's New Year Greeting Cards

Greeting cards

Domestically, greeting cards are charged like ordinary letters. A card in a standard-sized envelope (up to 23.5 cm by 12 cm, 1 cm thick, and 50g) costs 110 yen, and larger or thicker cards follow the non-standard rates above.

For greeting cards that are being sent internationally, it’ll be:

• First Zone (Korea, Taiwan, China): 120 yen

• Second Zone Asia (excluding China, South Korea, and Taiwan: 120 yen

• Third Zone: Oceania, North America (excluding the U.S.), Middle East, Europe: 140 yen

• Fourth Zone U.S. (including Guam and other U.S. territories): 140 yen

• Fifth Zone Central and South America (excluding Mexico), Africa: 160 yen

Domestic parcels: Letter Pack and Yu-Pack

For anything bigger than a standard letter, Japan Post offers two common domestic services.

Letter Pack (レターパック) uses a fixed A4-sized cardboard envelope (34cm by 24.8cm) that you buy at the post office or a conbini. It comes in two versions. Letter Pack Light costs 430 yen for items up to 4kg and 3cm thick, delivered straight to the recipient's mailbox. Letter Pack Plus costs 600 yen for items up to 4kg with no thickness limit, delivered in person with a signature. Both include tracking and can carry correspondence (信書, shinsho) such as signed letters or contracts, which Yu-Pack cannot. Letter Pack prices were not changed by the October 1, 2026 Yu-Pack revision.

Yu-Pack (ゆうパック) is Japan Post's parcel delivery service for anything too big or heavy for a letter or Letter Pack. Up to 25kg, parcels are priced by size band and by the distance between the sending and receiving regions, not by weight. The size band is the combined length, width, and height, from 60cm up to 170cm. Parcels over 25kg and up to 30kg ship as heavy Yu-Pack (重量ゆうパック, juryo Yu-Pack), which costs the base rate plus 620 yen. Every Yu-Pack includes tracking and compensation of up to 300,000 yen. Yu-Pack cannot contain correspondence or cash, although a simple unsealed cover note or invoice is allowed. For the exact price on your route, use Japan Post's rate calculator .

Yu-Pack also offers specialty services, and their pricing was restructured on October 1, 2026:

• Golf Yu-Pack (ゴルフゆうパック) sends clubs to a golf course. Bags up to 120 size are charged the 120-size rate, and anything larger is charged the 160-size rate.

• Ski Yu-Pack (スキーゆうパック) sends skis or snowboards to a resort. Parcels up to 140 size are charged the 140-size rate, and anything larger is charged the 170-size rate.

• Airport Yu-Pack (空港ゆうパック) sends luggage to an airport counter before your flight. It costs the base rate plus 880 yen, or the 160-size rate plus 880 yen for parcels over 140 size.

All three are capped at 30kg per parcel. Ski and airport Yu-Pack can hold up to two sets of skis or snowboards in one parcel. You can drop off Yu-Pack at any post office or at participating convenience stores such as Lawson.

Japan Post also raised the price of its packaging on October 1, 2026:

Yu-Pack box	Until Sept 30, 2026	From Oct 1, 2026
60 size	100 yen	110 yen
80 size	140 yen	160 yen
100 size	220 yen	250 yen
120 size	380 yen	420 yen

Yu-Pack rates from October 1, 2026

Japan Post raised Yu-Pack base rates on October 1, 2026, by an average of about 10%, citing rising labor and materials costs. The increase is uneven:

• Parcels sent within the same prefecture rose only about 2%.

• Parcels up to 120 size that cross prefecture lines rose about 10%.

• Parcels of 140 size and above rose about 20%.

The rate that applies depends on the day Japan Post accepts the parcel. Anything handed over on or after October 1, 2026 is charged the new rate, even if you packed it in September.

What changed for parcels sent from Tokyo

Size	Destination from Tokyo	Until Sept 30, 2026	From Oct 1, 2026	Change
60	Within Tokyo	820 yen	840 yen	+2%
60	Kanto, Tohoku, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai	880 yen	970 yen	+10%
60	Kinki (Osaka, Kyoto)	990 yen	1,090 yen	+10%
60	Chugoku, Shikoku	1,150 yen	1,270 yen	+10%
60	Hokkaido, Kyushu	1,410 yen	1,550 yen	+10%
60	Okinawa	1,450 yen	1,600 yen	+10%
140	Kanto, Tohoku, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai	2,170 yen	2,600 yen	+20%
170	Kanto, Tohoku, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai	3,070 yen	3,680 yen	+20%
170	Okinawa	4,350 yen	5,870 yen	+35%

Full Yu-Pack rate table, sent from the Kanto region (from October 1, 2026)

The Kanto region covers Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, and Yamanashi. Prices are base rates including tax, before any discount.

Size	Same prefecture	Tohoku, Kanto, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai	Kinki	Chugoku, Shikoku	Hokkaido, Kyushu	Okinawa
60	840 yen	970 yen	1,090 yen	1,270 yen	1,550 yen	1,600 yen
80	1,150 yen	1,320 yen	1,440 yen	1,580 yen	1,880 yen	1,990 yen
100	1,480 yen	1,650 yen	1,780 yen	1,960 yen	2,220 yen	2,480 yen
120	1,810 yen	2,010 yen	2,130 yen	2,290 yen	2,570 yen	2,860 yen
140	2,160 yen	2,600 yen	2,760 yen	2,930 yen	3,220 yen	3,430 yen
160	2,500 yen	3,000 yen	3,130 yen	3,300 yen	3,610 yen	3,820 yen
170	3,060 yen	3,680 yen	4,500 yen	4,670 yen	4,970 yen	5,870 yen

Rates within the same prefecture are identical nationwide, from 840 yen for 60 size to 3,060 yen for 170 size. Other origins use different tables. For example, a 60-size parcel from the Kinki region (including Osaka) costs:

• 970 yen to Hokuriku, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku

• 1,090 yen to Kanto, Shinetsu, and Kyushu

• 1,270 yen to Tohoku

• 1,600 yen to Okinawa

• 1,910 yen to Hokkaido

The full tables for all 11 origin regions are in Japan Post's October 2026 rate announcement .

Because each size band has a hard edge, trimming a box from 81cm to 79cm moves it from the 100-size rate to the 80-size rate. From Tokyo to Kinki after October 1, that saves 340 yen per parcel.

How to get a Yu-Pack discount

Yu-Pack has two separate discount systems, and you choose one or the other.

Japan Post app (郵便局アプリ) discounts. Create the label in the app and pay by credit card to get Yu-Pack Sumaho Wari (ゆうパックスマホ割), which takes 180 yen off each parcel. Two further discounts can stack on top:

• Choosing a post office as the pickup point takes off another 100 yen.

• Senders with 10 or more app shipments in the previous 12 months get a further 10% off the discounted rate.

Counter discounts. If you fill in a paper label instead:

• Carrying the parcel to a post office or participating convenience store yourself saves 120 yen.

• Sending to an address you have shipped to within the past year saves 60 yen (keep your sender copy as proof).

• Sending two or more parcels to the same address at once also saves 60 yen per parcel.

You can combine the carry-in discount with one of the two 60 yen discounts, but not both. App discounts and counter discounts cannot be combined. At a post office counter you can also pay Yu-Pack postage with stamps, which is a good way to use up old stamps, but convenience stores do not accept stamps as payment.

Yu-Packet and Click Post for small parcels

For small, flat items that need tracking, two Japan Post services cost even less than a Letter Pack. Both changed on October 1, 2026. For Yu-Packet, pick up a free address label at a post office, pay with stamps, and drop the item in a post box or at the counter. It accepts items up to 1kg, 34cm on the long side, 3cm thick, and 60cm combined. For Click Post, you pay online and print the label at home.

Service	Until Sept 30, 2026	From Oct 1, 2026
Yu-Packet (ゆうパケット)	250 yen (1cm), 310 yen (2cm), 360 yen (3cm)	360 yen flat, up to 3cm
Click Post (クリックポスト)	185 yen, up to 1kg, 34 x 25 x 3cm	240 yen, up to 2kg, 60cm combined size, 34cm long side, must fit a post box

Neither Yu-Packet nor Click Post includes compensation for loss or damage. For anything valuable, Yu-Pack's 300,000 yen coverage is the safer choice.

Click Post is now post box drop-off only. Japan Post no longer accepts Click Post at the counter, so check that your item fits the post box slot before printing the label.

Let Japan Post handle it

If these postage rates are a little confusing, you can bring your mail items to the nearest Japan Post office! 

The staff will handle the category and calculate the postage. All you have to do is pay the amount.

You can also ask about their additional services, such as express delivery, called sokutatsu yuubin (速達便) in Japanese, or selecting a preferred delivery date to ensure your mail arrives exactly when needed. However, it only applies to domestic mail.

If you'd rather not visit a post office counter at all, you can drop stamped mail directly into a red post box, found outside nearly every post office and at many street corners and train stations. Most post boxes list a taishuu jikoku (取集時刻), or collection time, on the side, and in many urban areas the last collection of the day is commonly around 18:00, though this varies by location, so it's worth checking the specific box you're using if timing matters. Lawson convenience stores also have a mailbox installed in every store in January 2003 under a partnership with Japan Post that began in 2002, so you can drop off letters there too, not just buy stamps.

Don't want to go to the post office at all? MailMate can send mail for you

Everything above assumes you're doing the mailing yourself, but MailMate's Send Mail feature can handle it from your dashboard instead.

Upload a document, choose a carrier, Japan Post, Yamato, Sagawa, FedEx, or DHL, and MailMate prints, packs, and posts it on your behalf, with a tracking number and delivery confirmation logged automatically.

Need registered mail (書留) with proof of delivery for something time-sensitive, like a government filing or a signed contract? That's handled the same way.

If you've received a Japanese-language form that needs to be filled out and mailed back, MailMate's bilingual team can complete it in Japanese and send the reply directly, so you're not stuck translating a tax office notice or ward office form under deadline pressure.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to send a standard letter in Japan?

A standard-sized domestic letter costs 110 yen for up to 50g, following an October 2024 rate revision that merged the old 25g and 50g tiers. A domestic postcard costs 85 yen, or 170 yen for a round-trip postcard. These letter and postcard rates were not changed by the October 1, 2026 Yu-Pack revision.

What is the difference between Letter Pack Light and Letter Pack Plus?

Letter Pack Light costs 430 yen and is delivered straight to the recipient's mailbox, for items up to 4kg and 3cm thick. Letter Pack Plus costs 600 yen, has no thickness limit, and is delivered in person with a signature. Both are A4-sized cardboard envelopes (34cm by 24.8cm) with tracking, sold at post offices and convenience stores. Unlike Yu-Pack, both can carry correspondence (信書, shinsho) such as signed letters or contracts. Letter Pack prices were not changed by the October 1, 2026 Yu-Pack revision.

Do I need a printed label to send mail internationally from Japan?

Only if you are sending goods with monetary value, such as gifts or merchandise. Japan Post has required Electronic Advance Data (EAD) and a printed label for this kind of international mail since March 1, 2024, for all destinations worldwide, following earlier requirements for the US from January 1, 2021 and tighter EU rules from October 1, 2021. You can create the label for free with Japan Post's International Mail My Page service. Pure letters and documents without dutiable value can still be addressed by hand.

Can I still send international mail by SAL from Japan?

Not currently. Japan Post's Economy Air service, commonly called SAL, has been suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, and in February 2025 Japan Post said it had no timeline for restarting it. Airmail (about 5 to 21 days) and surface mail by sea (about 2 to 4 months) remain available, along with EMS (about 3 to 18 days) for faster, tracked international parcels.

Can I drop mail at a Lawson instead of a post office?

Yes. Lawson has had a mailbox inside its stores since January 2003, when it installed post boxes in every store under a partnership with Japan Post that began in 2002. You can drop off stamped letters and postcards there the same way you would at a street post box. Lawson stores have also accepted Yu-Pack parcels since November 2004.

How much did Yu-Pack prices go up on October 1, 2026?

Japan Post raised Yu-Pack base rates by an average of about 10% on October 1, 2026. The increase depends on size and distance: parcels sent within the same prefecture rose only about 2% (a 60-size parcel went from 820 yen to 840 yen), parcels up to 120 size crossing prefecture lines rose about 10%, and parcels of 140 size and above rose about 20%. The steepest jump is on the largest long-distance routes, such as a 170-size parcel from Tokyo to Okinawa, which went from 4,350 yen to 5,870 yen. The rate is based on the day Japan Post accepts the parcel, and letter, postcard, and Letter Pack prices were not part of this revision.

How much does Yu-Pack cost in 2026?

From October 1, 2026, the cheapest Yu-Pack is 840 yen for a 60-size parcel (up to 60cm in combined length, width, and height) sent within the same prefecture, before discounts. From Tokyo, a 60-size parcel costs 970 yen to Kanto, Tohoku, Shinetsu, Hokuriku, and Tokai, 1,090 yen to Kinki, 1,270 yen to Chugoku and Shikoku, 1,550 yen to Hokkaido or Kyushu, and 1,600 yen to Okinawa. The largest standard size, 170, ranges from 3,060 yen within a prefecture to 5,870 yen from Tokyo to Okinawa. Japan Post's online rate calculator gives the exact price for any route.

What are the Yu-Pack size and weight limits?

Standard Yu-Pack accepts parcels up to 170cm in combined length, width, and height and up to 25kg. Parcels over 25kg and up to 30kg ship as heavy Yu-Pack (重量ゆうパック, juryo Yu-Pack), which costs the base rate plus 620 yen from October 1, 2026. Size bands are 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 170, and going even 1cm over a band moves the parcel into the next price tier. Golf, ski, and airport Yu-Pack parcels are also capped at 30kg each from October 1, 2026.

How can I get a discount on Yu-Pack?

The biggest standard discount is Yu-Pack Sumaho Wari, which takes 180 yen off each parcel when you create the label and pay by credit card in the Japan Post app (郵便局アプリ). Choosing a post office as the pickup point takes off another 100 yen, and senders with 10 or more app shipments in the previous 12 months get a further 10% off. If you pay at the counter instead, carrying the parcel in yourself saves 120 yen, plus 60 yen for either a same-destination or a multiple-parcel discount. App discounts and counter discounts cannot be combined.

How much do Yu-Packet and Click Post cost after October 2026?

From October 1, 2026, Yu-Packet costs a flat 360 yen for any thickness up to 3cm, replacing the old 250, 310, and 360 yen thickness tiers. Click Post rose from 185 yen to 240 yen, but its weight limit doubled from 1kg to 2kg and the 3cm thickness limit was replaced by a 60cm combined-size limit with a 34cm maximum long side. Both are cheaper tracked alternatives to Yu-Pack for small, flat items, but neither includes compensation for loss or damage.

Do I need a customs form to send a package internationally from Japan?

Yes, if it contains goods rather than just documents. You need a CN22 form for lower-value or lighter items, or a CN23 form for higher-value or heavier ones. Japan Post's free International Mail My Page service generates the correct form automatically when you create your label.

Where can I buy postage stamps in Japan?

You can buy stamps at any post office, at convenience stores that display the Japan Post postal mark (not all convenience stores sell stamps), or through the Japan Post online shop. The online shop also carries seasonal specialty stamps but adds a shipping fee of a few hundred yen per order, so it is best for bulk purchases.

Can I avoid going to the post office entirely?

Yes. A virtual mail service like MailMate can send mail on your behalf: you upload a document, choose a carrier such as Japan Post, Yamato, Sagawa, FedEx, or DHL, and it gets printed, packed, and posted for you. This includes registered mail with tracking for anything that needs proof of delivery.

In closing

Sending mail in Japan comes down to a few numbers: 110 yen for a standard letter, 85 yen for a postcard, 430 or 600 yen for a Letter Pack, and from 840 yen for a Yu-Pack under the rates that took effect on October 1, 2026. If you are ever unsure about the correct postage, the staff at any post office will weigh your item and tell you the price.