October 2023 International Postage Updates

Maybe this isn't super new news, but it caught me off guard this week.

As of October 1st 2023, Japan Post made some updates to their international postage fees, as shown on their English website here.

I had only heard something about their Yu-Pack price going up, generally of no concern to me.

Regular mail within Japan is sent at the same rate.

I sent off a birthday card last Thursday, so it would arrive around the time of their birthday.

The next day it was in my mailbox.

It said it was short 10 yen.

As it was a Friday night when I got this, I went to a post office on Monday to buy a ten yen stamp, and again, put it into a postbox.

Tuesday, it was back again.

This time, it was 20 yen short.

??

So I checked online. I halfway wondered if the staff didn't know what the new prices were.

It seems that the first time, they assumed it would be sent surface mail, based on the price. 

Who sends letters by surface mail?

The second time, maybe someone asked themselves this question and decided that I meant to write air mail on the letter.

I wrote air mail on the letter and took it back to the post office again today. It would be way too late if they sent it by boat at this point.

Anyway, prices went up by 30 yen a letter for my country, but there is a new system as shown on the site linked above. 

Maybe everyone else checks these things before dropping letters in post boxes.