Shipping Items Home from Japan: Post Office, Courier, and Customs Basics
Shipping items home from Japan is the simplest fix when souvenirs and purchases no longer fit in your luggage.1 You can post most goods from any post office counter, choose a courier where that fits better, or skip carrying goods at all with direct shipment from the store.23
Fees, rules, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at Japan Post international mail pages and your own customs authority.
Last verified: 2026-09. Service names, rates, and availability change by destination and season.
Overview
This guide covers the visitor problem of excess goods at the end of a trip. It maps three options: Japan Post international services, private couriers, and direct shipment arranged where you buy.23
Japan-side posting and home-country importing are separate checks. The post office accepts the parcel with an accurate declaration, while your home country assesses duty and bans on arrival.14
Who this guide suits
Travelers with overpacked suitcases, fragile purchases, or heavy regional goods suit this guide. Multi-stop itinerary travelers gain the most, since shipping mid-trip avoids hauling boxes through train transfers.1
This guide does not cover moving household effects or commercial resale shipments. Those flows use freight and broker procedures outside a visitor parcel counter.5
Japan Post: EMS and Parcel Options
Japan Post runs the most accessible visitor option through its international mail network. Any post office handles the same core services, subject to branch hours and parcel size acceptance.2
| Service | Best for | Weight limit | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMS | Fastest delivery with tracking | 30 kg | 2026-09-076 | Top priority handling; pickup available |
| International Parcel (Airmail) | Larger parcels sent quickly | 30 kg, lower in some countries | 2026-09-077 | Basic parcel service; insured option |
| International Parcel (SAL) | Mid-cost slower air option | 30 kg, lower in some countries | 2026-09-0717 | Availability suspended on some routes |
| International Parcel (Surface) | Cheapest heavy option | 30 kg, lower in some countries | 2026-09-077 | Slowest; poor fit for time-sensitive goods |
| Small Packet | Light goods up to 2 kg | 2 kg | 2026-09-078 | Lower rates than EMS or parcel |
| Private courier | Door pickup or store counter | Set by carrier | 2026-09-073 | Separate rates and restrictions |
Figures in this table reflect Japan Post service pages (as of 2026-09-07).2678
EMS for speed
国際スピード郵便 (kokusai supiido yuubin, "EMS; Express Mail Service") is Japan Post's fastest international mail service for documents and merchandise, handled with top priority (as of 2026-09-07; confirm current figures with Japan Post).6 It reaches over 120 countries and territories (as of 2026-09-07).6
The maximum weight is 30 kg (as of 2026-09-07).6 Rates start from 1,450 yen (as of 2026-09-07).6
Tracking and compensation for loss or damage are included.6 Pickup service is available for EMS parcels with documents ready, or you can bring the parcel to a post office counter.1
Surface, air, and economy options for lower priority items
国際小包 (kokusai kozutsumi, "international parcel post") is the basic service for general goods of 2 kg or more (as of 2026-09-07).7 It offers three shipping types by speed and cost: Airmail, Economy Air (SAL), and Surface mail.7
The parcel maximum is 30 kg, with lower limits in some destination countries (as of 2026-09-07).7 小型包装物 (kogata housoubutsu, "small packet") covers lighter articles up to 2 kg at lower rates than EMS or parcel post (as of 2026-09-07).8
Small packets measure at most 90 cm total (length plus width plus thickness) with length capped at 60 cm.8 SAL availability changes by destination with flight operations and may be suspended on some routes, so check the route before choosing it (as of 2026-09-07).1
Exact postage and delivery days vary by destination, weight, and size (as of 2026-09-07).17 Use Japan Post's rate and delivery-days calculator per shipment rather than relying on a remembered figure.1
What to expect at the post office counter
The counter flow below follows Japan Post's five-step beginner guide.1
The chart shows the order of checks before posting. Each step maps to a counter requirement described below.1
Handwritten labels are no longer accepted for goods shipments. Prepare the shipping label through the International Mail My Page Service on a phone or computer.1
The My Page flow enters sender and recipient details, the mailing method, and the contents. Then print at home or show the code or number at the post office for printing at a Yu-pri Touch terminal or the counter.1
The output covers the shipping label and the 税関告知書 (zeikan kokuchisho, "customs declaration"). Shipments with total value over 200,000 yen also need an invoice (as of 2026-09-07).1
Entries transmit as 電子事前データ (denshi jizen deeta, "Electronic Advance Data; EAD") to the destination country. EAD transmission became mandatory for dutiable goods in 2021.1
Counter staff cannot accept a goods parcel without the My Page label set. Finish the entries and printing step first, then post.1
Pack more sturdily than for domestic mail. Use a rigid carton, cloth packing tape, cushioning, and waterproofing, and never strap several boxes into one unit.1
Fragile and orientation handling services are unavailable for overseas mail, so double-pack breakables. Avoid reusing cartons printed with meat, produce, or appliance images, since they can suggest prohibited contents.1
Post the parcel at the counter. Pickup is available for EMS and international parcels when labels, declarations, and invoices sit ready in the pouch.1
Private Couriers and Department-Store Shipping Desks
Couriers and store desks suit travelers who want pickup or who can ship at the point of purchase. These channels run on separate rates and restrictions from Japan Post (as of 2026-09-07; confirm current figures with the carrier).3
A simple decision flow helps you pick among the three channels.23
The chart sorts the choice by timing and convenience. Store direct ship comes first because it removes carrying entirely.3
Yamato and Sagawa international services
Yamato Transport's consumer brand 宅急便 (takkyuubin, "TA-Q-BIN home parcel delivery") centers on domestic sending, receiving, packing, and dangerous-goods rules on its English resident pages.3 International shipment through private carriers runs through each carrier's own counters, pickup, or partner networks rather than the post office flow.3
Availability, English support, and surcharges vary by carrier, location, and destination (as of 2026-09-07).3 Check the carrier site per shipment instead of assuming post office terms carry over.3
Express companies generally clear goods through destination customs and charge a service fee for it. Some travelers find that fee higher than expected.5
Department-store direct ship
Some larger stores run tax-free or shipping counters where an eligible purchase ships directly after export processing. Availability varies by store and counter, and no single national list covers every desk (as of 2026-09-07).3
This option is genuinely underused. You buy, declare for export, and ship directly instead of carrying ceramics, knives, or bulky souvenirs through the rest of your trip.3
Customs, Declared Value, and Home-Country Duty
Customs has two sides: an accurate declaration when you send, and duty plus prohibitions when goods arrive home. Japan does not set your home country's thresholds, so this section states the mechanism and routes you outward.54
How to declare contents and value
Write detailed item names rather than generic names or trade names. Name the specific article instead of writing only a category or brand.1
For some European destinations, Japan Post recommends transmitting HS codes or sub-codes for postal items, a practice in place since September 22, 2023 (as of 2026-09-07; confirm current figures with Japan Post).1 Contents face X-ray inspection after acceptance, and parcels with nonmailable goods may return before dispatch.10
Declare the accurate value. The declaration plus the invoice for totals over 200,000 yen feeds both Japan-side acceptance and destination-side assessment (as of 2026-09-07).1
How home-country duty works and where to check
Anything posted or couriered from abroad passes destination customs, which checks bans and assesses tax and duty. The carrier moves goods through that check and tells the recipient what is owed.4
For United States destinations, incoming foreign mail goes to Customs and Border Protection for examination. Packages needing no duty return to the postal stream for delivery without extra postage, while dutiable packages arrive with a mail entry stating the duty plus a 5 dollar processing fee and a small post office handling fee (as of 2026-09-07).5
United States informal entries generally cover personal packages or commercial items under 2,000 dollars, with formal entry and heavier paperwork above that line (as of 2026-09-07).5 Thresholds, rates, and exemptions differ by receiving country and declared value, so check your own customs authority rather than applying another country's figures to your parcel.54
Items that commonly cause trouble
Universally nonmailable categories include explosives, flammable liquids and gases, oxidizers, toxic or infectious substances, corrosives, radioactive materials, narcotics, live animals, pornographic or immoral materials, and valuables under service-specific limits.10
Commonly attempted but refused examples include spray cans, perfume, fireworks, nail polish, sunblock and hair tonic over 24 percent alcohol content, alcoholic beverages, electronic cigarettes, and portable battery chargers.10
Alcoholic beverages carry mail-item conditions. Lithium batteries installed in equipment may post only where criteria are met, and not to all destinations (as of 2026-09-07).10
A second layer comes from destination-specific bans on items such as meat, vegetables, fruit, liquor, tobacco, or beef-containing instant foods (as of 2026-09-07).110 Check the destination-country conditions before packing, since a parcel legal to post can still fail import.10
Valuables such as cash, bearer securities, traveler checks, precious metals, and stones cannot go by EMS. They may go only as registered or insured non-EMS items subject to destination limits.10
United States bound agricultural items such as fruits, vegetables, and meat face inspection under agriculture rules. Removed items arrive with a Mail Interception Notice enclosed.5
Good to know
Ship early in your trip rather than at the airport
Labels, packing, and restriction checks take longer than travelers expect. Prepare the My Page entries and post from a neighborhood post office instead of compressing every step into departure day.1
Pickup covers EMS and parcels only with documents ready. The airport is not a parcel counter, so finish shipment while you still have buffer days.1
Surface mail trades money for time
Surface parcels cost the least but move the slowest across the cost-versus-time spectrum. Delivery estimates exclude customs clearance and local handling variance, so arrivals can lag the stated range (as of 2026-09-07).1
Never use surface mail for anything time sensitive. Choose EMS or airmail when the contents must arrive by a date.67
Store direct shipment only works at the point of purchase
Direct ship is a purchase-time option, not a post-trip fix. The counter processes the sale for export when you buy, which removes carrying without adding a separate post office visit.93
If the goods already left the store as accompanied baggage, that flow no longer applies. Ask before paying, not after reaching your hotel.3
Keep receipts and tracking until the parcel arrives
Tracking follows EMS and parcel items end to end.6 Keep the tracking number, receipts, and any duty paperwork until delivery completes.5
If a duty charge looks wrong, the mail-entry paperwork is the basis for protest within days of attempted delivery. Without those numbers, dispute becomes difficult.5
See also
- Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: The Complete Procedure
- Luggage Forwarding in Japan: How Takkyubin Courier Services Work