How to Receive Packages and Request Redelivery in Japan: 2026 Guide

A missed delivery usually leaves a paper absence notice in your mailbox or a digital notice from the carrier. Start by confirming which company has the parcel. The most common names are Japan Post, Yamato Transport and Sagawa Express, but retailers may also use other carriers.

Read the notice before doing anything else. Look for the tracking or waybill number, the attempted-delivery date, the holding deadline, the service type and any branch number requested by the carrier. If the sender is unfamiliar, compare the tracking number with your order history before accepting a cash-on-delivery shipment.

• Japan Post: look for an inquiry or notice number and the post office handling the item.
• Yamato Transport: look for the waybill number and the attempted-delivery notice.
• Sagawa Express: the online form may require both the sales-office number and the inquiry waybill number.
• Do not confuse a retailer’s order number with the carrier’s tracking number.

The most important field on a missed-delivery notice is the storage deadline. If the parcel reaches the end of its holding period, it can be returned to the sender or handled according to the sender’s instructions.

Current official guidance differs by carrier. Japan Post generally keeps undelivered postal items for 7 days. Yamato states that ordinary TA-Q-BIN is kept for 7 days including the day the first attempted-delivery notice is left, while Cool TA-Q-BIN is normally 3 days. Sagawa’s office-pickup guidance states 8 days including the first delivery date, or 4 days for Hikyaku Cool. Sender-set periods and special services can be shorter.

• Japan Post: generally 7 days.
• Yamato ordinary TA-Q-BIN: generally 7 days including the first notice date.
• Yamato Cool TA-Q-BIN: generally 3 days including the first notice date.
• Sagawa office holding: generally 8 days including the first delivery date; Hikyaku Cool 4 days.
• Use the deadline shown for your actual shipment when it differs from a general rule.

Once you know the carrier and the parcel is still within its holding period, use an official channel. In most cases the fastest route is the carrier website or app because you can enter the tracking number and see only the dates and options that are currently available.

If you prefer telephone support, use the number printed on the physical notice or the contact number published on the carrier’s official website. Do not submit repeated requests through several channels at the same time; wait for the confirmation screen, email or status update.

• Prepare the tracking or waybill number.
• Prepare the branch or sales-office number if the carrier asks for it.
• Choose a date and time when someone can actually answer the intercom.
• Save the confirmation until the parcel is received.

Japan Post accepts redelivery requests online and through the Post Office app. Its e-Receipt Assist services can also provide delivery notifications and, for eligible Yu-Pack shipments, allow changes to the delivery date or receiving location.

Available locations depend on the service and shipment. A post office, designated place, convenience store or Hakopos locker may be available in some flows, but not every postal item is eligible for every location. If the online options do not match your item, contact the post office handling the shipment.

• Use the official redelivery request or Post Office app.
• Check whether the item is eligible for a different receiving location.
• Do not assume every Yu-Pack or tracked item can be redirected to a convenience store or locker.
• If you are close to the deadline, contact the handling post office promptly.

Yamato allows redelivery requests through its official web services and provides additional options for Kuroneko Members. Depending on the parcel, you may be able to receive it again at home or change the receiving place to a Yamato sales office, participating shop or parcel locker.

Eligibility depends on the service, parcel size, payment method and sender restrictions. Cool TA-Q-BIN has a much shorter holding period than ordinary TA-Q-BIN, so request the next available option quickly when temperature-controlled goods are involved.

• Normal TA-Q-BIN: generally 7-day holding period including the first notice date.
• Cool TA-Q-BIN: generally 3 days including the first notice date.
• Some pickup-location changes are unavailable for special services or larger parcels.
• Use the options displayed for the specific waybill rather than assuming a location is available.

Sagawa provides online redelivery, telephone redelivery and receiving-location changes for eligible shipments. The web form may require the sales-office number and inquiry waybill number from the absence notice.

For office pickup, Sagawa asks recipients to contact the office in advance and bring the absence notice plus official identification. Its office-pickup guidance states an 8-day holding period including the first delivery date, or 4 days for Hikyaku Cool.

• Use the official redelivery page or the telephone number on the notice.
• Confirm that the parcel is ready at the office before traveling there.
• Bring the absence notice and official identification for office pickup.
• Special services may have additional recipient-verification requirements.

Pickup locations can be useful when you cannot stay home for a delivery window. Depending on the carrier and shipment, the available choices can include a post office or carrier branch, a participating convenience store, a partner shop or a parcel locker.

Do not travel to a pickup location until the carrier confirms that the parcel is ready there. The package may still be on the delivery vehicle immediately after the first attempt. Lockers and stores also have their own collection deadlines, which can be shorter than the original branch holding period.

• Wait for a ready-for-pickup notification.
• Keep any authentication number or barcode until collection is complete.
• Bring identification when the carrier or parcel type requires it.
• Temperature-controlled, COD, identity-verified and oversized parcels may have restricted pickup options.

Cash-on-delivery, registered or identity-verified mail, credit cards, financial documents, medicines, alcohol and temperature-controlled goods may have stricter rules than an ordinary parcel. Follow the exact notice and the official instructions for that service.

If a cash-on-delivery parcel is unexpected, verify the sender and amount before paying. Japan Post specifically warns that an unrecognized COD item can be refused, and once an item has been accepted the carrier may not be able to provide a simple refund.

• Check the sender before accepting COD.
• Prepare the accepted payment method when COD is expected.
• Bring the required form of identification for identity-restricted pickup.
• Act quickly on chilled or frozen deliveries because holding periods can be shorter.

A lost paper notice does not always prevent redelivery. Check the retailer’s shipment email, order history, carrier app or member account for the tracking number. Yamato states that redelivery can still be requested without the paper notice when the waybill number is known.

If the number fails, check that you are on the correct carrier site and that you have not entered a branch number, order number or mistyped digit. If you still cannot identify the parcel, ask the sender for the correct tracking number or contact the carrier through its official contact page.

• Check order confirmation and shipment emails.
• Check the carrier’s official app or account.
• Ask the sender for the tracking number.
• Do not post a complete tracking number publicly.

Postal forwarding and private-courier address changes are separate systems. A Japan Post moving notice does not automatically update online shops, banks, subscriptions or private delivery companies.

If a parcel has already been shipped to an old or incorrect address, contact the sender and carrier as soon as possible. Address changes can be restricted, require sender approval or create an additional charge. Update important senders directly rather than relying only on postal forwarding.

• Update retailers and subscriptions after moving.
• Update the building name and room number as well as the street address.
• Keep the recipient name on the mailbox or intercom directory consistent with the parcel label.
• Contact the sender quickly if tracking shows the parcel going to an old address.

For a damaged parcel, photograph the exterior, shipping label, damaged area, internal packaging and contents before throwing anything away. Contact the carrier and seller promptly and keep the packaging until they explain the inspection or claim procedure.

If tracking says delivered but the parcel is missing, check the apartment locker, entrance, management office, household members and any approved unattended-delivery location before contacting the carrier. If the parcel is addressed to someone else or a previous resident, do not open it; contact the carrier or building manager.

• Preserve the box and packing material when damage is visible.
• Check all approved delivery locations before reporting a missing parcel.
• Do not open a package addressed to another person.
• Act promptly for valuable or temperature-sensitive goods.