October 2026 Revision — What Changes and What Doesn’t
On 1 October 2026 Japan Post revises its small-parcel services. Letter mail is not part of this revision: standard mail (¥110), non-standard mail, Letterpack Light (¥430), Letterpack Plus (¥600) and Smart Letter (¥210) keep their current prices, so every weight-based result in this calculator is the same before and after that date.
| Click Post | Change |
|---|---|
| Price | ¥185 → ¥240 from 1 October 2026 |
| Maximum weight | 1kg → 2kg |
| Size limit | 34×25cm, up to 3cm thick → three sides total 60cm, longest side 34cm |
The price rises by ¥55, but the weight limit doubles and the flat 3cm thickness cap gives way to a total-dimension rule, so some thicker items that used to need Letterpack Plus (¥600) may now go by Click Post. Yu-Packet and Yu-Pack are revised on the same date; this calculator does not cover them. The Click Post price and size shown on this page switch to the new terms automatically on 1 October 2026.
Cheapest Way to Send It, by Size and Weight (from October 2026)
Click Post went up to ¥240 in October 2026, but it now takes up to 2kg and 60cm in total, still with tracking. Non-standard mail within size stays cheaper up to 100g (¥180 or less); above that it starts at ¥270, so Click Post wins. Anything outside size (over 3cm thick) costs at least ¥260, which makes Click Post the cheapest option for almost any item that fits its size limits.
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| Item (approx. weight) | Cheapest | Cheapest with tracking | Other options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter (2–3 sheets, standard envelope) (~25g) | Standard mail ¥110 | Click Post ¥240 | Non-standard (within size) ¥140, Smart Letter ¥210, Letterpack Light ¥430, Letterpack Plus ¥600 |
| Five A4 sheets (A4 envelope, in a clear file) (~50g) | Non-standard (within size) ¥140 | Click Post ¥240 | Letterpack Light ¥430, Letterpack Plus ¥600 |
| Thirty A4 sheets (A4 envelope, 1cm thick) (~200g) | Click Post ¥240 | Click Post ¥240 | Non-standard (within size) ¥320, Letterpack Light ¥430, Letterpack Plus ¥600 |
| A paperback (2cm thick) (~250g) | Smart Letter ¥210 | Click Post ¥240 | Non-standard (within size) ¥320, Letterpack Light ¥430, Letterpack Plus ¥600 |
| A T-shirt (bagged, 4cm thick) (~250g) | Click Post ¥240 | Click Post ¥240 | Non-standard (outside size) ¥450, Letterpack Plus ¥600 |
| Small goods (30×20×6cm, 1.5kg) (~1.5kg) | Click Post ¥240 | Click Post ¥240 | Letterpack Plus ¥600, Non-standard (outside size) ¥1,350 |
| A4-sized parcel, 3kg (6cm thick) (~3kg) | Letterpack Plus ¥600 | Letterpack Plus ¥600 | Non-standard (outside size) ¥1,750 |
Prices from the same Japan Post rate tables as the calculator above (October 2026). Click Post needs online payment (Yahoo! Wallet or Amazon Pay) and a printed label. Smart Letter: A5, up to 2cm thick; Letterpack Light: up to 3cm thick (Plus has no thickness limit). Weigh and measure before you send.
Understanding Japan Post Rates — October 2024 Changes
On October 1, 2024, Japan Post implemented its first major rate revision in approximately 30 years. The most notable change affects standard mail: both the up-to-25g tier (previously ¥84) and the up-to-50g tier (previously ¥94) were unified at ¥110. Postcards also rose from ¥63 to ¥85. Non-standard mail saw increases of ¥10 to ¥50 across all weight brackets for both within-size and outside-size categories.
The revision was driven by declining mail volumes and rising labor and fuel costs. Notably, flat-rate products such as Letterpack Light (¥430), Letterpack Plus (¥600), and Click Post (¥185; ¥240 from 1 October 2026) remained unchanged, making them even more cost-effective relative to weight-based options. This calculator uses the post-revision rates for all calculations.
Choosing the Right Mailing Option
For one or two sheets of paper, standard mail at ¥110 is the cheapest option. A4 documents or thin items fit well in non-standard within-size mail, costing just ¥140 for up to 50g. For thicker parcels or marketplace shipping, Letterpack Light (¥430) and Click Post (¥185; ¥240 from 1 October 2026) offer tracking at a flat rate. If speed matters, the express surcharge adds ¥290 for items up to 250g or ¥390 for heavier items.
Keep in mind that exceeding weight or size limits will result in rejection at the counter. Standard mail is capped at 23.5×12×1cm and 50g; within-size non-standard allows up to 34×25×3cm and 1kg. Letterpack Plus has no thickness limit, making it ideal for bulky items like clothing or plush toys. Always weigh and measure your item before choosing a mailing method.
Sending Mail in Japan — Practical Notes
Stamps (切手, kitte) are sold at post offices and at most convenience stores — ask at the register, as they are kept behind the counter. Letterpack envelopes are sold at post offices and some convenience stores, and the price printed on the envelope is the whole cost: no stamp is added. Most red street mailboxes have two slots: the left one takes ordinary letters and postcards, the right one takes everything else, including large envelopes, express and international mail.
If postage is short, the item is normally returned to the sender, or delivered with the shortfall collected from the recipient — so when an envelope is near a weight boundary (25g, 50g, 100g), weighing it first is worth the minute. For express (速達, sokutatsu), add the surcharge in stamps and mark a portrait envelope with a red line along its top-right edge, or hand it over at the counter and ask for sokutatsu.