Japan Post Year-End Guide: 85-Yen Nengajo New Year Postcard Rules and Saving up to 280 Yen per Box with the Yu-Pack App

Every year on November 1, post offices and convenience stores across Japan begin selling lottery-numbered New Year’s postcards (お年玉付年賀はがき – Nengajo), kicking off the busy winter mailing season for holiday greetings and year-end parcels (お歳暮, winter coats, and care packages). Following Japan Post’s postal rate revision, standard Nengajo postcards now cost 85 yen per card, while domestic parcel rates add up quickly if you fill out paper waybills by hand at the counter.

Here are the essential rules for mailing 85-yen Nengajo cards on time and how to use the free ゆうパックスマホ割 (Yu-Pack Smartphone Discount) app to knock 180 to 280 yen off every box up to 25kg.

1. Mailing 85-yen 年賀状 (Nengajo) postcards: The December 15–25 window and etiquette rules

Sending 年賀状 (Nengajo) to supervisors, professors, landlords, and business contacts remains an important year-end custom in Japan. Four practical rules apply under the 85-yen postcard rate:

1. Drop cards into the mailbox between December 15 and December 25 for January 1 delivery:
   • Although Nengajo postcards go on sale on November 1, Japan Post only begins holding New Year mail on December 15 (12月15日から引受開始). If you drop a Nengajo card into a street postbox in November or early December, it will be delivered immediately like a normal postcard!
   • To guarantee morning delivery on New Year’s Day (元日 – January 1), mail your cards between December 15 and December 25 using the dedicated 年賀状専用ポスト (Nengajo slot).
2. Using leftover 63-yen postcards from previous years:
   • Do not mail an old 63-yen postcard as-is, or the recipient will be billed for insufficient postage (不足料金). Buy a 22-yen supplement stamp (22円切手) at any post office and stick it directly beneath the printed stamp box to bring the total to 85 yen.
3. Exchanging misprinted or spoiled cards (書き損じはがき):
   • Never throw away a smudged or misprinted 85-yen Nengajo card. Take it to any post office window and pay a 6-yen exchange fee (交換手数料) per card to swap it for a fresh postcard, regular postage stamps (切手), or Letter Pack envelopes.
4. Mourning postcards (喪中はがき) and polite opt-outs (年賀状じまい):
   • If a colleague or acquaintance sends you a mourning notice (喪中はがき – Mochu Hagaki) in November or early December stating that a family member passed away during the year, do not send them a celebratory Nengajo card. Instead, send a winter greeting card (寒中見舞い – Kanchu Mimai) after January 8.

2. Why ゆうパック (Yu-Pack) beats private couriers for heavy boxes: Flat 25kg limit across all sizes

When shipping heavy boxes of rice, textbooks, canned goods, or winter clothing within Japan, most residents compare Yamato Transport (クロネコヤマト Takkyubin) and Japan Post (ゆうパック Yu-Pack).

Yu-Pack’s biggest advantage is its flat 25kg weight allowance across every box size (全サイズ一律25kgまで):

• At Yamato Transport: Pricing is determined by whichever is larger—the 3-side box dimensions (縦＋横＋高さ) OR the strict weight cap per tier (Size 60 caps at 2kg, Size 80 at 5kg, Size 100 at 10kg, Size 120 at 15kg). Packing 12kg of rice or books into a compact Size 80 box forces Yamato to charge you the much higher Size 120 rate!
• At Japan Post (ゆうパック): Every size tier—from a compact Size 60 box up to Size 170—allows up to 25kg at no extra charge. Whenever you ship dense items like rice, beverages, cookware, or books, Yu-Pack saves 400 to 800 yen per box.

3. Saving 180 to 280 yen per box with the ゆうパックスマホ割 (Yu-Pack Smartphone Discount) app

Writing a paper shipping label by hand at the post office only gives you the standard 120-yen drop-off discount (持込割引 120円). Installing Japan Post’s free ゆうパックスマホ割アプリ (Yu-Pack Sumaho-wari App) unlocks three stackable discounts:

1. Instant 180-yen discount off base postage (基本運賃から180円割引):
   • Enter the recipient’s address in the app (and save it to your address book for one-tap repeat shipping) and pay online by credit card. Your rate is immediately discounted by 180 yen per parcel—60 yen cheaper than handwritten counter labels.
2. Extra 100-yen Post Office Pickup Discount (郵便局受取割引):
   • Selecting a destination post office, convenience store, or Hakopos locker as the delivery point takes another 100 yen off—for a combined 280 yen off a single parcel.
3. Additional 10% Continuous Use Discount (継続利用割引):
   • Once your account ships 10 or more parcels within the past 12 months, every subsequent parcel receives an extra 10% off on top of the 180-yen app discount.

At the post office, printing takes seconds: open the QR code (二次元コード) generated inside the app, scan it at the white ゆうプリタッチ (Yu-Puri Touch) kiosk beside the counter (or a Loppi terminal at Lawson), and hand the printed sticker label and box to the clerk.