Mail and Bill-Payment Service for Second Property Owners
Mail, tax, and bill payment services for akiya, Airbnb, and vacation homeowners
Remote, automated mail management of your second property
MailMate’s features tailored to akiya, Airbnb, and vacation homeowners.
Virtual mailbox
Manage the Japanese mail that comes to your akiya and Airbnb–completely online. Avoid missing important notices sent to your second property.
Water and power liaison
Need a liaison with water and power companies? Use MailMate's utility liaison service, which includes a bill payment service.
Tax agent service
Appoint us as your tax representative, and let us handle the paperwork and payments for fixed property tax and real estate acquisition tax.
Ideal use cases for MailMate’s Akiya & Vacation Home Package
Customers who choose the Akiya & Vacation Home Package include the following user types:
Akiya owners
Second property owners
Vacation homeowners
Airbnb/minpaku owners
DIY 🔧
Get the basics to buy and manage your property in Japan.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase.
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥22,000
- * Paid annually
Peace of Mind 🌱
Everything you need for peace of mind for your property in Japan, even when you are not here.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
Pay your property management company through MailMate and list MailMate as your local liaison.
Local point of contact for utility set-up and ongoing bill-pay.
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥33,000
- * Paid annually
Fully Serviced 🏠
One-stop solution for everything you need for your property set-up and ongoing peace of mind.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
Pay your property management company through MailMate and list MailMate as your local liaison.
Local point of contact for utility set-up and ongoing bill-pay.
Get fiber optic internet set-up at your property (inclusive of monthly internet fees)
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥55,000
- * Paid annually
DIY 🔧
Get the basics to buy and manage your property in Japan.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase.
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥22,000
Peace of Mind 🌱
Everything you need for peace of mind for your property in Japan, even when you are not here.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
Pay your property management company through MailMate and list MailMate as your local liaison.
Local point of contact for utility set-up and ongoing bill-pay.
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥33,000
Fully Serviced 🏠
One-stop solution for everything you need for your property set-up and ongoing peace of mind.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Receive your property tax bills and pay them through MailMate without a local Japanese bank account.
Register MailMate as your Domestic Point of Contact at the time of your property purchase
Receive your Japanese Mail digitally with English summaries & an interactive Mail Concierge.
Pay your property management company through MailMate and list MailMate as your local liaison.
Local point of contact for utility set-up and ongoing bill-pay.
Get fiber optic internet set-up at your property (inclusive of monthly internet fees)
- * One-time set-up & filing fee: ¥55,000
Plan Comparison
| DIY | Peace of Mind | Fully Serviced | Multi-Property | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakdown | ||||
| Tax Representative | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Domestic Point of Contact | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Property Management and Association Bill-pay & Local Liaison | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Utility Set-up, Bill-pay, & Local Liaison | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fiber Optic Internet (10 Gbps) | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Properties | Up to 2 | Up to 2 | Up to 2 | 3 or More |
| Home Insurance | X | Add-on | Add-on | ✓ |
| Akiya, Property Help & Support Hotline | X | Add-on | Add-on | ✓ |
| Property Visit & Check-in | X | X | Add-on | ✓ |
| One Time Set-up & Filing | ¥22,000 | ¥33,000 | ¥55,000 | Talk to Us |
| Virtual Mailbox & Mail Management | ||||
| Virtual Mailbox for Japanese Mail | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| English Mail Summaries & an Interactive Mail Concierge | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Complementary Mail Opens * | 2 p/mo | 5 p/mo | 10 p/mo | ✓ |
| Auto-pay for bills * | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free Letter & Document Mail storage for 30 days * | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
* Mail & Bill-pay usage rates apply, please see our usage rates table for information mail and bill-pay usage.
Why Choose Us?
We do all the work for you
You don’t have the time to jump through hoops. That’s why we do everything for you. From scanning, translating, and securely storing—to shredding and even paying your invoices.
Superior customer support
If you ever have any questions, our digital mailroom customer service team are the best in the business. And, most importantly, they all speak fluent English.
Security focused
Security is our #1 priority. All your mail stays under 24/7 surveillance or can be shredded to ensure your privacy. Once your mail is digitally converted, it’s encrypted with 256-bit encryption level technology.
Absolute flexibility
Whether you’re in the office, travelling the globe, or drinking cocktails on the beach, you’ll always have 100% access to all your mail and documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for below, reach out to our customer support team.
There are two ways for us to receive your mail. 1) Submit the post office's forwarding service (change of address notification). 2) Please register your MailMate address directly with the service you are using.
Yes! You can open, scan, forward, request shredding, share, request translation summaries and bill payment, and more all from within MailMate's dashboard. Anyone who regularly uses e-mail can use it immediately.
We can accommodate everything from documents and envelopes that fit in mailboxes to items with (W) width + (D) depth + (H) height of less than 170cm. Please contact us if you would like to forward a package larger than 170cm.
When appointing a tax representative, you must submit a '納税管理人の届出書 Notification Form of Appointment of Tax Agent' to the tax office responsible for your tax jurisdiction. Please book a call, and we can help you with the details to use when filling out the form.
We can call the gas, water, and electricity companies and get your utilities turned on. Additionally, our bill payment service will pay the utility bills as they come in.
Security & Privacy
Digitize In Confidence
We implement industry-leading security measures to protect your data and ensure your peace of mind.
Learn more ->
SSL Protection
Encrypting your data for secure transactions.
2FA & SSO
Boosting access security with Two-Factor Authentication and Single Sign-On.
P-Mark Certified
Adhering to the highest privacy standards.
24/7 Surveillance Cameras
Monitoring our premises around the clock.
CISSP & CREST Certified Team
Expertise from certified security professionals.
Anti-Money Laundering Verification & Compliance
Ensuring rigorous fraud prevention.
Happy Customers
Don’t just take our word for it...
After spending 10 years based in Tokyo as an expat you accumulate a lot of correspondence which doesn’t go away the minute you leave. Thanks to MailMate bringing this service (finally) to Japan it was a worry I crossed off my list. The process is simple, online and offers various levels of service so you have choices. My mail is making it to me in South Korea regularly and securely.
Mailmate's service has proven to be much, much more than virtual mail forwarding. They assist with getting me copies of all my Japanese correspondence, utility bills, and government notices, provide a bill payment facility when I am outside of Japan, and even help translate correspondence I don’t understand.
They’re practically my Japanese concierge at a fraction of the cost I was previously paying property managers, assistants, and translators, etc. for the same service(s).
with our trusted payment partners
We understand the importance of security and convenience.
That’s why we offer multiple payment options to suit your needs.
Don’t live near your second property?
Sign up to MailMate, and manage your property’s mail, property tax, and water and power all online–no matter where in the world you are.✨
