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Sending items back to USA via post office?

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aikane

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Hi, tried doing a quick search but was unsucessful. I will be visiting Japan shortly. Was wondering about sending purchased items through the mail, in Japan. Are you allowed to send items back to the states? Thank you.
 
Of course! If they are not prohibited items, why not? As long as you package them properly and have the money, go for it.

BTW, I did it a long time ago, and that particular post office was fantastic. They pulled out a bilingual set of Q&As to be sure we did things the right way.

Alternately, see if the shop where you buy the stuff will do it (probably for an extra fee, but they will save you the hassle).

And, in case you want to know more, here's an English link to the post office itself so you can see what is prohibited.
Nonmailable Articles in International Mail - Japan Post
 
I thought since you're not allowed to exceed a certain $ amount on items you bring back with you, there might be regulations on shipping items as well. Thanks for the reply.
 
Just be a little careful with the mail. Although I trust the Japanese postal system implicitly, the US postal system can be pretty half assed. A good friend of mine lost a bunch of stuff when he tried to ship his things to America.
 
^Can you buy shipping insurance from the Japanese post office in case a mishap does happen?
 
I thought since you're not allowed to exceed a certain $ amount on items you bring back with you, there might be regulations on shipping items as well. Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...

This is a misreading of the actual regulations. You are allowed a "duty free" allowance of $800 (usually for US Citizens), this regulations is a US Customs regulation, not a Japanese one. "Duty free" simply means you aren't paying any taxes on anything up to $800. Send over $800 then US Customs (not Japan) then items are subject to duty. Note I say subject, however the vast majority of items go through without a hitch without duty charged, also it is difficult to determine if shipped over period of time or shipped in your name, then a partner's name etc.

You can send as much as you want (eg 5000 boxes of pocky) as long as you have the money for postage and fill out the forms correctly.
 
One bit of advice I would offer about sending things back through the mail:

USE LOTS OF PADDING!!!

Last year when I moved back to the States from Japan, I noticed that most of the boxes I sent back looked a bit worse for the wear. HOWEVER, I had packaged all my fragile items in MASSIVE bundles of bubble wrap. It was totally worth the investment as not a single dish, teacup, or ridiculously cute character model broke.

Overkill with the bubble wrap will be your tomodachi!

As for cost, you may want to consider sending things back via surface (i.e. sea) mail. It does take longer to arrive, but can end up saving you hundreds of dollars, depending upon how much you are sending back, of course.
 
I'm in Tokyo right now. Are there any companies that will maybe pick up, but at least package your items for you? I sent some books via EMS through the Japanpost back to home last year so I know how to fill out the forms. I just don't want to buy lots packing material that I'll have to get rid of before I leave.
 
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