How To Forward Business Mail in Japan: The Complete Guide

Congratulations on the new office location! Unfortunately, it’s time for the paperwork to update all documents that had your previous location.

But no worries, this guide will help you understand how to forward business mail in Japan.

How does business mail forwarding work?

After filling out a mail forward request, any mail item and package that goes through Japan Post with the previous business address will automatically be forwarded to your new address. 

How do I redirect business mail to another address?

1. Change your business address on your touki.

First, ensure your touki (登記) has your updated new business address. It may include:

• 商業登記 (shougyou touki) = commercial registration

• 法人登記 (houjin touki) = corporate registration

• 不動産登記 (fudouyasan touki) = real estate registration

Depending on whether you are moving within the same Legal Affairs Bureau jurisdiction, you will need to submit the application form, requirement attachments, revenue stamp, and inkan shomeisho. 

After changing your business on your touki, any official business mail from Legal Affairs Bureau will be sent to your new office. But you need to submit one more item. At least it’s a more simple process.

2. Submit the tenkyo todoke form.

After submitting a tenkyo todoke, all incoming mail or parcels with the previous business address will automatically be labeled with the new one for one year.

During this period, you should update all your business billing and shipping addresses on your corporate bank account, social insurance and labor insurance, business cards, websites, and other official office materials. 

However, updating these addresses as soon as possible is best to avoid any confusion. 

Additionally, you can request to extend mail forwarding with Japan Post for another year.

How to forward business mail in Japan

Here, we give you two of the best options for having your business mail forwarded. 

Japan Post: to receive your business mail physically

Japan Post is the Japanese postal mail service where you can request mail forwarding from them.

Japan Post’s tenkyo todoke is the official forwarding and relocation form. All items that go through Japan Post will automatically be labeled with the new forwarding address. 

If you would like, you can have an extended mail forwarding service by submitting the form again.

There are three ways to submit a tenkyo todoke form for your company:

1. At the local post office in person

Fill out the tenkyo todoke form with your company’s previous and new business address. The post office staff will need to confirm your relationship with your company, so you will need to bring any form of documentation that proves it, such as a company ID card. 

Find your local post office location here: Japan Post offices and ATMs near you .

2. Mail-in option

You will need to send a copy of your ID and the tenkyo todoke form when submitting it by mail. Many resources say you do not need to submit a document to prove your relationship with your company, just something to verify your ID.  

3. Online form submission

When submitting the form online on behalf of your company, you will need to verify your identity. Please note that you do not need to submit proof of your relationship with your company.

MailMate: to receive your business mail digitally

Don’t want to deal with physical mail? MailMate has your back.

As a virtual mailbox service, MailMate will receive mail, business items, and parcels on your behalf so that you can view it all digitally.

a) Online dashboard

Now, you can digitally view all your business mail with MailMate’s online dashboard. 

From here, it’s basically another inbox where you can sort, file, and tag certain mail items for organization. 

You can request that your mail be opened, forwarded to your location, and shredded.

Need to share a specific mail item? You can add your teammates to your account or share the link so they can view the business mail items as well.  

b) Mail forwarding service

As one of the best mail forwarding services out there, you can request any of your business mail items to be forwarded to your location.

"Can I forward to my location when I am on business trip?" The answer is yes, of course!

With MailMate's mailbox forwarding service, you can receive your Japanese business mail from anywhere where in the world.

b) Dencho-compliant

Are you worried about how your electronic document is stored?

Don’t worry, as MailMate is dencho-compliant. So, we adhere to Japan's Electronic Bookkeeping Act, which means your electronic documents are: 

• Tamper proof

• Searchable

• Auditable

So your document is not only secured but easily accessible. 

c) Pay bills

Don’t worry about needing to pay your bills. Let MailMate handle this hassle for you. 

Just click the “pay bill” option, and we’ll pay the bill on your behalf.

Frequently asked questions

How do I forward mail without going to the post office?

You can request the mail forwarding process by a mail-in request or online. For both options, you will need to verify your ID by submitting a copy of your identification, such as a driver's license. 

How much does mail forwarding cost in Japan?

In general, mail forwarding does not cost anything in Japan. It is free. 

What is business mail forwarding?

Forwarding your business mail is when all mail addressed to your business is forwarded to your new location.

In closing

Now you know how to forward business mail in Japan. As you can see, it’s a relatively straightforward process as long as you know the steps.

If you ever need to simplify your business mail, consider MailMate. Our platform will organize and make all your business documents easily accessible.