For a domestic mailing containing Japanese yen cash, use 現金書留 — genkin kakitome, Japan Post’s cash registered-mail service, and present it at a postal counter. The special envelope is packaging, not prepaid postage. Your total mailing cost combines the envelope, the basic postal rate and the cash-registration surcharge.
Make sure this is the right category
Japan Post’s registered-mail guidance requires cash to be sent using currency registration. Its domestic cash category covers Japanese legal-tender notes and coins; it does not include foreign currency or old coins. The English FAQ directs foreign banknotes to ordinary registered mail instead.
This article explains sending yen within Japan. It is not an international currency-mailing guide. Do not use it to decide what customs rules or destination-country restrictions allow.
If an organisation asks you to pay by mail, check that the payment instructions really belong to that organisation before preparing anything. A postal receipt records the mailing; it does not verify the legitimacy of the payment request or mean that an application has been processed.
Separate the three parts of the price
The official Japanese service page lists the cash envelope at ¥21. It also explains that oversized items which do not fit the counter-sold cash envelope can have a different packaging arrangement; ask the counter about that exception before packing.
| Cost component | What determines it |
|---|---|
| Cash envelope | ¥21 for the designated envelope in the cited guidance |
| Basic postage | The finished postal item’s size and weight |
| Cash-registration surcharge | The declared compensation amount |
Thus, buying a ¥21 envelope does not pay for the mailing. Nor is the registration surcharge the complete price. Include any letter, ceremonial envelope and other permitted enclosure when the finished item is weighed.
Japan Post allows a letter or goods to accompany cash within the relevant standard/non-standard letter conditions, but says Yu-Pack cannot be made into cash registered mail. Do not assume that adding a parcel security option creates a cash service. Source: cash-mail enclosure FAQ
Work out the surcharge without mistaking it for the total
The optional-service rate table lists ¥480 for cash registration with a declared amount up to ¥10,000, then ¥11 for each additional ¥5,000, up to a declared amount of ¥500,000.
These are worked examples using exact ¥5,000 increments. They assume the declared amount equals the yen cash enclosed, with no additional optional service:
| Cash and declared amount | Calculation | Registration surcharge | Envelope + surcharge, before basic postage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¥10,000 | ¥480 | ¥480 | ¥501 |
| ¥20,000 | ¥480 + 2 × ¥11 | ¥502 | ¥523 |
| ¥30,000 | ¥480 + 4 × ¥11 | ¥524 | ¥545 |
For example, sending ¥20,000 does not cost ¥523 in total. It costs ¥523 plus the basic postage for that prepared item. Leaving that rate separate avoids giving a false universal price for envelopes of different weights and dimensions. Ask the counter for the final total, particularly for an amount between the example increments or a bulky enclosure.
Declare the amount; do not rely on a default
Japan Post says the declared amount cannot exceed the cash enclosed. If no amount is declared, its stated default for cash registration is ¥10,000. Compensation is based on the applicable conditions and actual loss, rather than a promise of an automatic payout equal to the highest available limit. Source: declared-value conditions
For a hypothetical ¥30,000 gift, write “cash enclosed: ¥30,000” on your preparation note and tell the clerk that amount. This avoids copying the ¥10,000 default into your mental calculation simply because it appears first in the rate table. Keep the cash amount separate from the money you bring to pay postage.
Prepare it for the counter
Take the recipient’s full address and name, your sender details, the yen cash and any permitted enclosure. Ask for a 現金書留用の封筒 — a cash registered-mail envelope. Complete the envelope and follow its sealing instructions; if you are unsure, ask before sealing it incorrectly.
Japan Post’s counter procedure calls for a registered-mail dispatch form. Present the mailing at the counter, state the cash amount, pay the confirmed charges, and keep the receipt. The receipt’s acceptance number is used for tracking. Do not treat putting a special envelope into a street mailbox as a substitute for this counter process.
This guide is desk research, not a test transaction. Rates were checked on October 2, 2026; no purchase or mailing was made. Recheck the official rates when sending, and leave enough time for both postal delivery and any processing by the recipient.