Tokyo International Post Office 03-3241-4891
World Trade Center Post Office 03-3435-4747
Weekdays
Main office 9:00-7:00
Branch offices 9:00-5:00
Saturdays
Main office 9:00-5:00
Branch offices Varies; many closed
Sundays and Holidays
Main office 9:00-12:30
Branch offices Closed
The main post offices in Tokyo and in Yokohama are open 24 hours for domestic express mail only.
All post offices handle express mail (sokutatsu) and registered mail (kakitome).
If you are not home when large items, registered mail, etc. are delivered, the mail carrier will leave a "notice of delivery in absence." The item will be kept at the post office for 10 days before being returned to sender. You may contact the post office to have it delivered again, or go, taking the notice, and pick it up in person.
You are required to file a report at the nearest post office when you change your address, to have mail forwarded to you.
The post office offers various types of savings accounts. At times they may pay better interest rates than banks. As with a bank, you can have utitlity bills, rent, etc. paid automatically from your account. There are ATMs for postal account in almost all post offices.
Money can be sent overseas from the foreign mail section of the post office, via mail transfer or telegraphic transfer. Money sent by telegraph takes tow to three days to reach the destination. The basic charge is Yen1,000 per Yen100,000 transferred plus telegraph charges.
The least expensive way is to purchase an international postal money order (kokusai yubin kawase) at the post office; in most cases, the post office mails it to the recipient, who cashes it at the post office in that country. With money orders in US dollars you have the option of sending them yourself. For US dollars, the commission is Yen500 for every $700.
To keep yourself or a student supplied with funds from overseas ATMs without frequent transfers from Japan, ask Citibank about its services.