How To Forward Business Mail in Japan: The Complete Guide

Wondering how to forward buisness mail in Japan?

To forward business mail in Japan, you need to complete two steps: update your company's registered address on the touki (登記, commercial registration) at the Legal Affairs Bureau, and submit a tenkyo todoke (転居届) mail forwarding form through Japan Post.

The tenkyo todoke is free, covers most standard Japan Post mail for one year, and can be submitted in person at any post office, by mail, or online through Japan Post's e-Tenkyo service.

For businesses that want to manage mail digitally instead of physically, a virtual mailbox service like MailMate receives, scans, and forwards your business mail from a real Japanese address.

This guide covers both options step by step, including the required documents, filing deadlines, and costs for each.

How does business mail forwarding work?

After filling out a mail forward request with Japan Post, most standard mail sent to your previous business address will automatically be forwarded to your new address for up to one year at no cost.

Note that items marked 転送不要 (tensou fuyou, "Do Not Forward") will not be redirected and are returned to the sender.

Banks, credit card companies, and some government agencies often use this marking. Parcels and packages from private couriers like Yamato Transport and Sagawa Express are not covered by Japan Post's forwarding and must be updated separately.

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 (fudousan touki) = real estate registration

You must file the Head office relocation Registration (本店移転登記, honten iten touki) with the Legal Affairs Bureau within two weeks of your move.

Required documents you must submit typically include the application form, minutes of the shareholders' meeting or board resolution, and payment of the registration license tax (30,000 yen if staying within the same Legal Affairs Bureau jurisdiction, or 60,000 yen if moving to a different jurisdiction).

If your company's articles of incorporation specify the head office address, you will also need a resolution to amend them. A judicial scrivener (司法書士, shiho shoshi) can handle the filing on your behalf.

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, most incoming Japan Post mail addressed to your previous business location will be forwarded to your new address for one year from the submission date.

Items marked 転送不要 ("Do Not Forward") are excluded and returned to the sender. Private courier deliveries are not covered.

Japan Post typically takes 3 to 7 business days to process the tenkyo todoke after submission.

During the one-year forwarding period, you should update your business billing and shipping addresses on your corporate bank account, social insurance and labor insurance accounts, tax office records, business cards, website, and all other official 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?

MailMate is compliant with Japan's Electronic Books Preservation Act (電子帳簿保存法, denshi chobo hozon ho), commonly called "dencho" for short.

Since January 2024, this law requires all businesses in Japan to store electronically exchanged documents (invoices, receipts, contracts) in electronic format. With MailMate, 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 submit the tenkyo todoke (転居届) by mail or online. For the mail-in option, fill out the form, attach a copy of your photo ID, and drop it into any red postbox without postage. For online submission, create a Yu ID (ゆうID) on Japan Post's e-Tenkyo website, verify your identity with a My Number Card or photo ID, and complete the form digitally. Both methods take 3 to 7 business days to process.

How much does mail forwarding cost in Japan?

Japan Post's mail forwarding through the tenkyo todoke is completely free for one year from the submission date. You can renew it for another year at no cost by submitting a new form. Virtual mailbox services like MailMate charge a monthly subscription starting from 3,800 yen per month, which includes mail scanning, digital storage, and optional physical forwarding.

What is business mail forwarding?

Business mail forwarding is the process of redirecting mail addressed to your company's previous office to a new location. In Japan, this is done by submitting a tenkyo todoke (転居届) through Japan Post, which redirects most standard postal mail for one year. It does not cover private courier services like Yamato Transport or Sagawa Express, which must be updated separately.

What happens when Japan Post mail forwarding ends after one year?

When the one-year forwarding period expires, any mail sent to your old business address will be returned to the sender. You can avoid this by submitting a new tenkyo todoke before the period ends to extend forwarding for another year. There is no limit on how many times you can renew.

Does the tenkyo todoke forward all business mail and packages?

No. The tenkyo todoke only covers mail processed by Japan Post. Items marked 転送不要 (tensou fuyou, "Do Not Forward") are returned to the sender even with active forwarding. Banks, credit card companies, and some government agencies commonly use this marking on sensitive documents. Parcels from private courier companies (Yamato, Sagawa, Amazon Logistics) are not included and must be redirected individually.

Do I need to change my company's touki when relocating my office?

Yes. You must file a head office relocation registration (本店移転登記, honten iten touki) with the Legal Affairs Bureau within two weeks of your move. The registration fee is 30,000 yen if you stay within the same jurisdiction or 60,000 yen if you move to a different one. Late filing can result in a penalty of up to 1,000,000 yen.

Can I use a virtual mailbox as my registered business address in Japan?

Some virtual mailbox services in Japan, including MailMate, offer real physical addresses that can be used for business registration purposes. This is different from a PO box, which is generally not accepted for commercial registration. Check with your provider whether their address qualifies for touki registration and Legal Affairs Bureau filings.

Can I forward business mail internationally from Japan?

Japan Post's tenkyo todoke only forwards mail domestically within Japan. It does not redirect mail to an overseas address. If you need to receive Japanese business mail while abroad, a virtual mailbox service can receive your mail in Japan, scan it digitally, and forward physical items internationally upon request.

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.