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DAY 23

At the post office — Sending and receiving parcels

Why this matters

At season's end, many staff ship their ski gear back to Canada or Australia. During the season, parcels arrive from friends inside Japan. '送ります' and '受け取ります' handle 90% of parcel talk in Niseko.

01

Today's goals

  • ✓国際便と国内便を使い分けて依頼できる
  • ✓荷物のサイズと重さを伝えられる
  • ✓日数と料金を質問できる
  • ✓不在票を見て再配達を電話で頼める基本語彙を押さえる
02

How it works

Three options for sending

Domestic (国内便) — ゆうパック is cheapest and fastest. Hokkaido to Tokyo is next-day.

International (国際便) — three tiers:

  • ·EMS — fast, tracked, insured. 4–7 days to Canada.
  • ·Airmail (航空便) — cheaper than EMS, 7–14 days.
  • ·Surface (船便) — cheapest, 1–3 months. Use for heavy things you don't need soon.

Counter patterns

  • ·〜まで、荷物を送りたいです — I'd like to send a parcel to 〜.
  • ·サイズと重さを量ってください — Please measure and weigh it.
  • ·何日で届きますか — How many days to arrive?

Receiving

If you were out when a parcel came, you'll find a 不在票 (fuzaihyō) — delivery slip — in your mailbox. Call the number on it to arrange 再配達 (saihaitatsu) — redelivery.

Winter-Niseko address warning

At Hirafu and Hanazono, lodges share huge land blocks. Multiple buildings sit on the same 番地. Always add the 『〜ホテルの〜号室』 — hotel name and room number — or your parcel may wander for days.

03

Words & patterns

vocab荷物にもつnimotsu

parcel / luggage

vocab送りますおくりますokurimasu

to send

vocab受け取りますうけとりますuketorimasu

to receive

vocab国際便こくさいびんkokusaibin

international mail

vocab国内便こくないびんkokunaibin

domestic mail

vocab航空便こうくうびんkōkūbin

airmail

vocab船便ふなびんfunabin

surface / sea mail

vocab重さおもさomosa

weight

vocab不在票ふざいひょうfuzaihyō

delivery absence slip

vocab再配達さいはいたつsaihaitatsu

redelivery

grammar〜まで〜を送りたいです

I'd like to send 〜 to 〜. (destination + object)

  • カナダまで、荷物を送りたいです。
    kanadamade,nimotsuwookuritaidesu.
    — I'd like to send a parcel to Canada.
  • 東京まで、本を2冊送りたいです。
    tōkyōmade,honwonisatsuokuritaidesu.
    — I'd like to send 2 books to Tokyo.
grammar何日で届きますか

How many days to arrive?

  • EMSで、何日で届きますか。
    īemuesude,nannichidetodokimasuka.
    — By EMS, how many days to arrive?
  • 船便は、何日くらいかかりますか。
    funabinwa,nannichikuraikakarimasuka.
    — By surface mail, roughly how many days?
dialogue倶知安町の郵便局で、カナダへスキーウェアを送る

At the Kutchan post office, sending ski gear to Canada

Aこんにちは。カナダまで、荷物を送りたいです。
konnichiwa.kanadamade,nimotsuwookuritaidesu.
— Hello. I'd like to send a parcel to Canada.
Bはい。重さを量ります。……4キロです。EMSと航空便と船便があります。
hai.omosawohakarimasu.……yonkirodesu.īemuesutokōkūbintofunabingārimasu.
— Sure. I'll weigh it. ... 4 kg. EMS, airmail, and surface are the options.
AEMSで、何日で届きますか。
īemuesude,nannichidetodokimasuka.
— By EMS, how many days to arrive?
B4日から7日くらいです。料金は、1万2千円です。
yokkakarananokakuraidesu.ryōkinwa,ichimannisen'endesu.
— About 4 to 7 days. The fee is 12,000 yen.
AEMSでおねがいします。
īemuesudeonegaishimasu.
— EMS, please.
04

Drills

Q01translate_x2ja

Ask: 'How many days to arrive by EMS?'

Q02pick

Which is the slowest but cheapest international option?

Q03reorder

Order: 送りたいです / を / カナダまで / 荷物

Q04translate_ja2x

不在票が入っていました。

Q05output_free

Write your side of a 4-turn post-office conversation to send a 4 kg parcel to Australia by airmail. Ask about delivery days and fee.

05

Common pitfalls

Forgetting the hotel/room name in the address
CAUSE Overseas addresses rarely include a building label
FIX Hirafu lodges share land blocks. Always include 『〜ホテルの〜号室』 or the parcel wanders for days.
Choosing 船便 for anything you'll need this season
CAUSE 'Surface' sounds normal in English
FIX 船便 is 1–3 MONTHS. Use only for heavy gear you'll pick up at home. For season-urgent items pick EMS or 航空便.
Missing the 不在票 under snow
CAUSE Winter buries mailboxes
FIX Clear the mailbox every day. The 不在票 has a short pickup deadline — miss it and the parcel is returned to sender.
Tomorrow

Tomorrow: cars. Driving licence, rental, and gas-station Japanese in one shot.