How To Receive Mail While Traveling Abroad From Japan

Whether you are a digital nomad in Japan or need to leave temporarily, you still need to receive utility bills and official notices.

But how? 

We provide 4 solutions, so you know how to receive mail while traveling away from home in Japan.

Solution 1: Get a virtual mailbox

A virtual mailbox is the easiest way to continue receiving your mail.

When you sign up for any virtual mailbox service, all your mail will be forwarded to them at a separate physical address.

Once received, they will scan the outside content and upload it to your online dashboard. You can then request to open, forward, or shred the mail and its contents.

Use MailMate as your virtual mailbox.

Let MailMate be your virtual mailbox. You can access your local mail from anywhere with their online dashboard.

MailMate will accept mail, packages, letters, government notices, bills, and anything else on your behalf. It is the perfect mail service for travelers.

a) Pay your bills while abroad.

That's right. You'll never miss another bill payment again. 

The mail forwarding service allows MailMate to receive your bills. However, you can change your billing and mailing addresses to MailMate's virtual address.

Bills that can be paid at the convenience store can be paid on your behalf.

I use this feature whenever I visit my family back in America, so I never miss a utility payment or pay a late fee.

b) Communicate with bilingual staff.

The bilingual mailroom staff can assist you with any mail process you need.

On your MailMate dashboard, you can request to open, forward, delete, and shred your mail.

If you want to know how to receive packages while traveling abroad, you can request the item be forwarded to you anywhere in the world.

Additionally, MailMate will give you a summary of your mail when opened.

c) Search through your mail.

No more shuffling through your piles of paper mail anymore. 

Now that your mail is being sent to MailMate, MailMate will digitally scan the outside and its content so that it is searchable for your convenience. Plus, just like an email inbox, you can add tags and create folders for more organization.

Solution 2: A physical P.O Box 

If you do not have any pressing mail to attend to immediately, a P.O. box is your solution. You can have your mail forwarded to a specific P.O. box to pick up later.

Even though Japan Post, Japan's official mail service, has P.O. boxes for companies, you can submit a usage request if they have available P.O. boxes at your local post office. These P.O. boxes are good for daily pickups. 

Private PO boxes in Japan are also available, including mail forwarding, or they will have a general delivery service. 

With PO boxes, you will need to use a forwarding service to send your current mail to the P.O. box or use the P.O. box address as the shipping.

Solution 3: Ask a friend or family member to handle your postal mail on your behalf

If you have a trusted friend or family member in Japan, you can ask them to help manage your mail while traveling at your home or permanent address.

They can receive your bills, sort through your junk mail, and inform you of any important notices that need attention.

While there are more convenient solutions than this one, it is a solution for someone trusted to handle your mail. Be sure to give the necessary instructions and access to your mailbox.

Solution 4: Hire a house sitter

While house sitters are mostly geared toward looking after your house and pets while you are away, you can also request that the house sitter check your mail, too. 

Popular internationally and English-friendly sites are Trusted Housesitters and HouseSitSearch , which have listings in major Japanese cities.

So you can view your mail on the road, wherever you are.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get mail delivered when traveling from Japan?

While traveling or away for a couple of months, mail forwarding services in Japan will receive letters, mail, and packages on your behalf while you are away. 

How can I get mail while abroad from Japan?

MailMate is a virtual mail service that can receive your mail, letters, and parcels. MailMate can act as your P.O. box in Japan while you are abroad.

In closing

Now you know how to receive mail while traveling abroad from Japan. Whether you choose a virtual address for your mail to be forwarded to or one of the other 3 options provided, you can view your mail from anywhere in the world.