Delivery to any local address (including Airbnb)
If the address you provide us with is under an Airbnb listing. We would urge you to think again because lots of things can go wrong and may jeopardize the delivery of your order.
For one, Japan Post asks people to report the addresses and names of all current residents irregularly. And if residents failed to do so, Japan Post will consider that building as a vacant property then they will stop delivering any parcels or mails over. Be sure to ask your host for permission to use the address to collect your order and confirm it can receive mail.
Secondly, you might face other challenges when translating a Japanese address to English. In general, a foreign language like English will expand text compared to its Japanese counterpart. It can involve some hassle when filling up the reservation form. Furthermore, in Japanese, there are homophones, and words that share the same pronunciation, this is why the Japanese people invented the Kanji system to avoid confusion in the first place. That being said, as a foreigner, can you read and type Japanese in Kanji? I know I couldn’t. Then, if you put your name as the recipient. This means no one can receive the package except you. When the postman goes to the house, rings the bell, and asks for your presence, there’s a great chance that you aren’t there yet, so they’ll have to bring the parcel back and leave a delivery notice in the mailbox, and will not come back for a second time unless a redelivery request has been made. It shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re trying to get in touch with any of your friends or relatives the first night you arrived, because you don’t have a usable WiFi connection.
Last but not least, if you’ve never encountered any of those problems we’ve mentioned, congratulations, your package should be right in the mailbox. But, in Japan, mailboxes usually are located on the first floor (or sometimes outside the building) and normally with a lock. So, if the house you rent is a self-check-in Airbnb, you won’t be able to see your host in person till the last minute you leave the house. That’s totally fine if only you know how to open that mailbox that has your orders in it.
I sincerely hope I haven’t scared you in any way, but if you really want the parcel to be delivered to an Airbnb address, please contact our customer service center and our staff will be more than glad to provide you with some advice and alternative plans.
