Fastest way to send a gift from Tokyo to Kobe ?

5 comments

1. 宅配便 will get there in a few days. Put it in a (sturdy) box which should be as small as possible as you get charged by size (and weight for Yamato) but not *too* small – if it’s too small to slap the address slip on (a bit larger than postcard size), stick the box in a large envelope and seal the envelope instead, tape up the box properly so it can’t come open in transit, go down to the local convenience store (7-11 or Familymart for Yamato, Lawson for ゆうパック which is actually the postal service), ask for a 宅配便の元払い伝票, fill it in, take it up to the register with your package, hand them over, pay, and the store person will give you back a receipt with the tracking number.

   宅配便 *takuhaibin*: delivery service

   ゆうパック *yūpakku*: the post office’s small parcel delivery service which can be used from convenience stores

   元払い伝票 *motobarai denpyō*: pay in advance address slip

2. What about a letterpak? Those are quite fast. Your package sounds like it’s small enough for the envelope. You can buy them at convenience stores, no need to go to the post office.

3. In my experience Kuroneko Yamato usually gets things delivered that distance within Honshu the next day, if you mail it from one of their centers (not a conbini), before the cut off time (depending on the location I think around 6-7 pm).

4. Yamato from Kanto to Kansai is next day.

   In most cases you could even specify AM delivery. You would need to be sending to Hiroshima or Kyushu before it starts to take more than a day.

5. Buy レターパック envelope from a convenience store, but do not put it in your nearest post box. Take a ride or walk to the main post station of your/neighboring ward/city and put it in that post box. Those boxes near main post offices also have a pick-up time at 4-5 am in the morning and will get transferred directly to a mail processing center.

   UPD. There is “[Ta-q-bin time service](https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/customer/send/services/time/)” from Yamato, where they guarantee next-day delivery if certain conditions are met, but it is definitely on the expensive side for the number of things you are planning to send.