Daily Life Lessons · Post
Be able to choose how to send items abroad based on delivery time and cost, create a label with the International Mail My Page Service and send the item, and calmly deal with taxes on parcels from abroad and with fake text messages.
The main ways to send items abroad include fast EMS, airmail, and surface (sea) mail (船便), which takes longer but costs less. According to Japan Post (日本郵便), EMS takes about 3 to 18 days, and surface mail about 2 to 4 months.
When sending goods, handwritten labels cannot be used. Create a label with the International Mail My Page Service (国際郵便マイページサービス) by entering the destination and the item names, quantities and values of the contents. If you make the label on a smartphone, you can print it at a machine or the counter at the post office. Items that cannot be sent differ by country, and some countries have suspended acceptance or require special procedures, so check Japan Post's website before sending.
If customs duties or consumption tax are charged on a parcel from abroad, you pay them when you receive it or in a similar way. Be careful of text messages (SMS) or emails that use the name of customs to ask for payment, and do not open the links.
海外（かいがい）へ 物を 送る 方法： - EMS（はやい） - 航空便（こうくうびん） - 船便（ふなびん）（おそい。でも 安い）
物を 送る ときは、手書きの ラベルは 使えません。「国際郵便（こくさいゆうびん）マイページサービス」で、あて先と 中身（なかみ）を 入力して、ラベルを 作ります。スマートフォンで 作ったら、郵便局で 印刷（いんさつ）できます。
送れない 物は 国で ちがいます。出す 前に 日本郵便の ホームページを 見てください。
海外から 来た 荷物は、税金（ぜいきん）を 払う ことが あります。「税関（ぜいかん）です。お金を 払って」という SMSの リンクは 押さないで ください。
According to Japan Post, which method takes the longest but costs less?
Surface mail takes about 2 to 4 months, but it costs less. If you are in a hurry, choose EMS or airmail.
How do you make the label (waybill) for sending goods abroad?
When sending goods, handwritten labels cannot be used. Make one with the International Mail My Page Service.
What do you enter when making the label?
Besides the destination and so on, you enter the item names, quantities and values of the contents. This information is used for customs clearance.
Which is correct about items that cannot be sent?
Items that cannot be sent differ by country and region. Some countries have stopped accepting mail, so check Japan Post's website before sending.
What should you do if you get a text message with a link saying "This is customs. Please pay the customs duty"?
There are suspicious text messages and emails that falsely use the name of customs. Do not open the link; if you are worried, check official information from customs or Japan Post.
Q. I only have a smartphone. Can I make the label?
A. Yes. If you enter the information in the smartphone version of the International Mail My Page Service, a 2D code is displayed, and you can print the label at the post office's "Yu-Print Touch" (ゆうプリタッチ) machine. At post offices without the machine, tell the number at the counter and the staff will print it for you.
Q. What if the item I'm sending is expensive?
A. According to Japan Customs, when you send an item worth more than 200,000 yen, an export declaration to customs is required. You can also ask Japan Post or a customs broker to do it. If you are not sure, ask at the post office counter or customs.
Q. How do I pay tax on a parcel from abroad?
A. According to Japan Customs, for a parcel with a taxable value of 200,000 yen or less, if the total tax is 10,000 yen or less (or if it is over 10,000 yen and up to 300,000 yen and you request delivery), you can pay the tax and Japan Post's handling fee at delivery and receive it. In other cases, go to the post office named on the "Notice of Taxation on International Postal Items" (国際郵便物課税通知書) you received, get a payment slip, pay the tax, and then receive the parcel.
This practice tool asks questions in random order (it works when JavaScript is enabled). You can still read all the questions and explanations above without it.
Systems and procedures may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live and on the time of year. Please check the latest information from your local government or the relevant organizations.
Content checked on: 2026-10-03
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original