Using Mail Services in Japan

Air mail takes at least five days to reach Japan from North America. Surface freight (sea mail) takes about a month.

Mail can Take a While to Reach Japan

If you want to give your friends an address before you go, have mail sent to American Express, Tokyo’s International Post Office, or Tokyo’s Central Post Office. All of these places will hold mail for thirty days before returning it to the sender:

Tokyo

    American Express, Tokyo
    Yurakucho Denki Building, 1F
    1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
    Tokyo 100, Japan
    (03) 3214-3456

    General Delivery
    Central Post Office
    2-7-2 Mainnouchi Chiyoda-ku
    Tokyo 100, Japan
    (03) 3284-9527

    International P.O.
    2-3-3 Otemachi Chiyoda-ku
    Tokyo, Japan
    (03) 3241-4891

Osaka

    American Express, Osaka
    Ushu Honmachi Building
    3-1-6 Honmachi, Chuo-ku
    Osaka 541, Japan
    (06) 264-6300

The Japan Times publishes weekly lists of those who have mail waiting for them at the post office.

Mail and Answering Service

A number of companies will take your telephone messages and accept all your mail. Simply call in to retrieve your phone messages. This is a great service until you get situated and have your own phone. The best one we know of is the Kimi Information Center – see website for fees.

 

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