Overweight Luggage? A Guide to International Mail in Japan

GotoJapan for travel, it’s always easy to buy more and more. Some friends have arrived at the airport only to find their luggage overweight, and had to obediently pay the high baggage fees. Others, the day before returning, tried their best to pack but still couldn’t fit all their loot into their suitcase, so they had to distribute items as much as possible among their travel companions' luggage. To avoid such a hassle, some friends have started choosing to send their gifts directly back to Hong Kong, avoiding the trouble of overweight luggage and not having to drag heavy suitcases to the airport.

Japanhas very convenient mailing services. You just need to pack the items you want to send in advance, then go to a post office or a Kuroneko Yamato (Ta-Q-Bin) branch to fill out the shipping form and make the payment to send your package. The most commonly used and well-known mailing services are JP Post and Kuroneko Yamato, and within JP Post, there are four different mailing methods that you can choose from based on price and delivery time.

Ta-Q-Bin

Generally speaking, Ta-Q-Bin is more expensive, but it is relatively faster, with delivery taking about 3-4 days. Moreover, some large hotel chains can even help you arrange Ta-Q-Bin service—just fill in the details and package your items, and Ta-Q-Bin will come directly to the hotel to pick up the package, which is more convenient than sending it through the post office. For example, a 15kg package costs 10,950 Japanese yen (approximately 760 HKD).

JP Post

JP Post is divided into two main categories: air mail and sea mail. Air mail can be further divided into air mail items, standard air mail (SAL), and international express (EMS). It’s important to note that each shipping method not only has different prices, but also restrictions on what can be sent. Among them, international express (EMS) is also more expensive compared to Ta-Q-Bin—a 15kg parcel costs 14,500 Japanese yen, approximately 1,000 HKD. Standard air mail (SAL) is relatively more affordable, with a 15kg item costing only 8,200 Japanese yen (about 570 HKD). JP Post does not clearly list the delivery time for SAL, but it generally takes about 6–13 days, and SAL also provides tracking numbers, so you don’t need to worry about losing your mail.

If you really can’t decide which mailing method to use, you can visit the JP Post official website https://www.post.japanpost.jp/. By entering the details of your package, you can compare the time and cost of all four mailing methods at once. Also, note that in addition to weight limits, different services have various size and dimension restrictions for packages. Next time you travel toJapan, consider using a mailing service to make your trip more relaxing.