Japan Post Tracking

Japan Post tracking follows any domestic or international shipment sent through Japan's national postal operator, from an EMS express parcel to a Yu-Pack delivery inside Japan. Japan Post moves mail and parcels to more than 190 countries, and each tracked service carries a number that can be followed end to end. Paste the tracking number into the tracker on this page to see the latest scan, current location, and delivery status.

Japan Post Tracking Number Format

A Japan Post tracking number takes one of two shapes: a 13-character international format built on the Universal Postal Union S10 standard, or an 11-to-13-digit domestic format used inside Japan. The format alone signals whether the item is crossing a border or staying within the country.

The international format is two letters, nine digits, and two more letters, and it always ends in the country code JP, for example EE123456789JP. The leading letter pair identifies the service: EMS numbers begin with E (commonly EE or EA), while tracked Small Packet and International Air Packet items can carry other letter pairs. The domestic format is a numeric string, most often 12 digits, printed on Yu-Pack, Letter Pack, and registered-mail (Kakitome) slips. Japan Post uses several names for the same identifier depending on the service, including tracking number, item number, and inquiry number, but they all refer to the barcode used to trace the item.

Not every barcode on a package is a trackable number. Japan Post states plainly:

"Barcode numbers starting with 'U' (for example, UL123456789JP) attached to small packets or customs declaration forms that are treated as ordinary packages are not tracking barcodes." (Japan Post, Notices Concerning EMS Track & Trace Service, 2024.)

Where to Find the Japan Post Tracking Number

The Japan Post tracking number is printed on the receipt, label, or dispatch slip issued when an item is sent, and it appears in a few predictable places depending on the service.

• On the EMS waybill, printed near the barcode, usually beginning with two letters such as EE or EA.
• In the top-right corner of the Yu-Pack waybill, as a numeric string.
• On the peel-off receipt portion of a Letter Pack Plus or Letter Pack Light envelope.
• In the shipping or dispatch confirmation email from an online store or marketplace.
• On the sender's copy of the receipt, when a third party shipped the item.

The tracking number is separate from any order ID a shop assigns. An order confirmation number identifies the purchase in the seller's system and cannot be traced through the postal network; only the postal tracking number, in one of the two formats above, returns scan events.

Japan Post Tracking Number Example

The table below sets out every Japan Post number format, the services that use it, and where the number is seen. Prefix meanings are shown only where Japan Post documents them; a leading letter pair beyond the E-for-EMS rule does not by itself guarantee a particular service.

The final two letters of the international format are the UPU country code, JP for Japan, and they stay the same regardless of service. The service is signalled by the leading pair, with E-prefixes reserved for EMS.

Japan Post Tracking Status Guide

Japan Post records six core scan events as an international item moves from posting in Japan to final delivery abroad, alongside several exception statuses. The table below explains what each status means and whether action is needed.

Why Japan Post Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

The most common reason Japan Post tracking appears stuck is a normal transit gap after the item leaves Japan, when no new scan is recorded until the destination country receives it. A pause of 3 to 10 days after the "Dispatch from Outward Office of Exchange" scan is expected and does not mean the item is lost.

Awaiting the first scan. A newly created label may show no information for a day or two until the item is physically accepted and scanned at a counter. Tracking goes live only after that first Posting / Collection event.

In transit between exchange offices. International items travel long distances between the outward office in Japan and the inward office abroad, with no scans in between. Silence during this leg is normal rather than a fault.

Customs clearance. An item held at Customs Presentation or Customs Clearance can sit for several days while duties or documents are assessed, without a fresh scan appearing.

Handover to the local carrier. Once abroad, the final leg is delivered by the destination country's postal operator, whose scans may appear on that carrier's system rather than on Japan Post. Checking the destination carrier's tracking often reveals the missing updates.

Wrong or incomplete number. A mistyped prefix or a missing JP suffix returns no result. The full 13-character international number, or the complete domestic string, must be entered exactly as printed.

Genuinely delayed. If an international item shows no movement for 7 to 10 days past the last scan, the sender, who holds the contract of carriage, can open an inquiry with Japan Post.

International Services and Delivery Times Compared

Japan Post runs four main international services, EMS, International Parcel, International Air Packet, and Small Packet, and EMS is the fastest and most fully tracked. Delivery speed and tracking depth differ across them, as summarised below.

"EMS is handled with top priority among international mail items, and is delivered promptly." (Japan Post, Comparing respective shipping types, 2026.)

EMS is the priority option, delivered in about 2 to 4 days to most destinations, with full tracking and built-in compensation of up to 2 million yen. International Parcel can be sent by Airmail, by Economy Air or SAL, or by Surface, trading speed for cost while keeping tracking on each. International Air Packet is a tracked small-packet airmail service, renamed from International e-Packet Light on June 1, 2026, with a transit window of roughly 5 to 21 days. Small Packet is a low-cost route for light items, with air, SAL, or surface speed and tracking on the recorded version. Japan Post publishes country-by-country EMS delivery-day tables for exact estimates.

Effective June 1, 2026, the service formerly called International e-Packet Light was renamed International Air Packet. Older labels and store listings may still show the previous name.

Domestic Yu-Pack and Letter Pack Services

Inside Japan, the two most common tracked services are Yu-Pack for parcels and Letter Pack for documents and small items, and both include tracking with an 11-to-13-digit number. They differ in handling, weight limits, and whether compensation is included.

• Yu-Pack: the standard domestic parcel service, accepting items up to 25 kg and combined dimensions (length plus width plus height) of up to 170 cm, with a heavy variant for items up to 30 kg. It offers full tracking, optional delivery scheduling within 10 days across six time slots, and included compensation for loss or damage.
• Letter Pack Plus: a flat-rate tracked envelope delivered to the door with a signature on receipt.
• Letter Pack Light: a flat-rate tracked envelope left in the recipient's postbox, with no signature required.

The key difference is insurance: Yu-Pack includes compensation, while neither Letter Pack option carries cover. Japan Post also offers registered mail, known as Kakitome, which adds tracking and limited compensation to letters and documents; a registered item is scanned at handover and on delivery and usually requires a signature. Ordinary letters and postcards without a recorded option are not tracked, so there is no number to follow for standard mail.

EMS Insurance and Compensation

EMS includes compensation of up to 2 million yen for actual loss or damage, regardless of the destination country, as part of the service. Cover for items declared at up to 20,000 yen is provided at no extra cost.

Above that threshold, coverage can be added up to the 2 million yen ceiling for a premium of 50 yen for every additional 20,000 yen of declared value. (Japan Post, EMS Insurance Program.) The sender in Japan usually starts any claim, so the EMS receipt and evidence of the item's value and condition should be retained.

Which Countries Does Japan Post Deliver To?

Japan Post international tracking covers shipments to more than 190 countries and territories, spanning every populated continent through its EMS, International Parcel, International Air Packet, and Small Packet services. The reach rests on Japan's membership of the Universal Postal Union, whose framework lets Japan Post hand items to each destination's national post for the final leg.

Domestically, Japan Post serves all 47 prefectures of Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, through one of the densest postal networks in the world, with more than 24,000 post offices nationwide. Every address in the country is reachable through Yu-Pack, Letter Pack, and ordinary mail.

Internationally, the outbound flow moves through Japan's exchange offices and then onto partner posts abroad. Representative destinations by region include:

• Asia Pacific: South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. Regional handoffs pass to operators such as Korea Post, China EMS, Singapore Post, and Australia Post.
• North America: the United States and Canada, where the final delivery in the US is handled by USPS.
• Europe: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, among others.
• Middle East and Africa: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Egypt, subject to service availability.

Japan Post publishes a service-availability list by country, since some routes and services are periodically suspended or restricted. The destination scan, and the final delivery, appear under the receiving country's postal operator once the item clears customs.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

International Japan Post tracking commonly pauses for several days after an item leaves Japan, because the next scan appears only once the destination country receives it. This gap is a normal feature of cross-border postal transit, not a sign of loss.

Every international shipment travels with a customs declaration form, a CN22 for lower-value items or a CN23 for higher-value parcels, which the destination's customs authority uses to assess duties or taxes. Most items are sent on a delivered-duty-unpaid basis, so the recipient pays any import duties, taxes, or handling fees, and the item can be held under a Retention status until they are settled.

After clearance, the local postal operator delivers the item. Japan Post hands the parcel to that carrier for the final leg, in the same way other Asian cross-border services such as China Post route tracked packets through destination posts. For deliveries to the United States, that final carrier is USPS, so the last scans typically appear under USPS rather than Japan Post.

Marketplace Collaborations

Japan Post is the default fulfilment carrier for many parcels bought on Japanese e-commerce platforms, and a large share of items shipped from Japan to overseas buyers travel on a Japan Post number. Shoppers most often meet a Japan Post tracking number on items from Mercari, Japan's largest consumer-to-consumer marketplace, and Rakuten, one of Japan's biggest online shopping malls, both of which lean heavily on Yu-Pack and Letter Pack for domestic delivery.

For cross-border orders, sellers on Amazon Japan and eBay frequently ship internationally with EMS or International Air Packet, and proxy and forwarding services that consolidate purchases from Japanese shops hand parcels to Japan Post for the export leg. Because the destination country's postal operator completes delivery, buyers should track on both Japan Post and their local carrier to catch the handover scan.

What Is Japan Post

Japan Post is the national postal operator of Japan and part of Japan Post Holdings, which took its current group structure in 2007 following the privatization of the state postal system. Japan's organized postal service dates back to 1871, making it one of the oldest continuous mail networks in Asia.

The network today spans more than 24,000 post offices and reaches every address in Japan's 47 prefectures, while its international arm carries mail, parcels, and express shipments to more than 190 countries. Japan Post handles domestic delivery through Yu-Pack and Letter Pack and cross-border shipping through EMS, International Parcel, International Air Packet, and Small Packet, all traceable through a single tracking number on this page.