Hey r/japanlife! I would appreciate your advice.
I need to send some stuff back to Europe. So far, I have only sent one small package via Japan Post. This time I will have to send more stuff, such as clothes and/or books.
Is Japan Post still the best (or only) option?
For that small package I had to declare weight, specifics and price of the items (fortunately, it was a present I had just bought, or else I would have had to come up with something), I wonder if it’s always like that.
Also, where do you normally buy/find the package itself? The smaller ones can be purchased at the post office, but I haven’t seen the bigger ones so far.
Thank you in advance!
5 comments
Why is it bad to declare what’s on the package? Isn’t it required for all shipments anywhere for customs?
You can buy boxes of many sizes from the post office. You can get boxes for free from your local grocery store, and possibly from other businesses as well. Businesses have to pay to get cardboard taken away, so they’re often willing to let you take it away for free.
For larger boxes I think the standard way of shipping them is through Japan Post.
No matter what courier you use, you will have to disclose what’s in the boxes.
Try Sagawa
You don’t have to write every single thing that’s in the box. Box with 20kg of clothes? Write down “CLOTHES”, give weight of 20kg, and give it a price of what hardoff would pay you for them, which would be something like 500 yen. It’s your own personal belongings so whatever. Got another box that’s half books and another half kitchenware? Write books, 5kg, kitchen pots and pans, 10kg. Done. Not difficult. You don’t have to exactly weigh everything either.
It’s the cheapest. You also don’t need to buy packages, you can use any boxes.