To send a domestic letter by Japan Post express mail, or sokutatsu (速達), pay the normal postage plus the express surcharge and mark the envelope with the required red line. A qualifying standard-size letter weighing no more than 50g currently costs ¥410 with express service: ¥110 basic postage plus ¥300. The red line alone does not pay for the service. Japan Post express instructions, basic letter rates
This is a guide to domestic letters, based on official documents rather than a test mailing. International EMS and express charges for Yu-Mail are outside the calculations below.
Calculate two prices from the finished envelope
Measure and weigh the envelope after adding the documents and protective materials. Establish the ordinary-mail category first, then look up the express surcharge for that same packed weight.
| Packed weight of the letter | Express surcharge, added to basic postage |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 250g | ¥300 |
| Over 250g, up to and including 1kg | ¥400 |
| Over 1kg, up to and including 4kg | ¥690 |
These are the letter/postcard bands on the Japanese express service page. They are not complete mailing prices.
Here are three hypothetical document mailings, using the checked official rates:
| Hypothetical item | Basic postage | Express | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40g, meeting the standard-size letter requirements | ¥110 | ¥300 | ¥410 |
| 250g, nonstandard letter within the specified size | ¥320 | ¥300 | ¥620 |
| 251g, nonstandard letter within the specified size | ¥510 | ¥400 | ¥910 |
For the last two rows, “within the specified size” means no more than 34cm long, 25cm wide and 3cm thick, with a 1kg maximum for that category. Other nonstandard dimensions use a different base-rate column. Japan Post’s basic rate table
The 250g-to-251g example is useful because both prices change. The basic charge rises by ¥190 and the express surcharge by ¥100, making the total ¥290 higher. Do not simply add another ¥100 to the earlier total. If your scale is uncertain at a boundary, have the sealed item weighed at the counter; do not round down.
Put the red line on the correct edge
Japan Post’s instructions distinguish the orientation of the envelope:
- On a vertically oriented envelope, mark the upper-right part of the front.
- On a horizontally oriented envelope, mark the right side of the front.
The official illustrated instructions show the placement. This is an express-service mark, separate from the address and postage. The service can be submitted at a postal counter or through a postbox when no additional option requires counter acceptance.
If you are unsure of the category or marking, take the sealed letter to the counter and say:
速達でお願いします。料金も確認してください。
Sokutatsu de onegaishimasu. Ryōkin mo kakunin shite kudasai.
Please send this by express mail and check the postage.
This is an editorial phrase example, not a required form of words.
Express delivery does not mean the recipient must be home
Japan Post says express items are generally handed over, but an unregistered item may be put in the recipient’s mailbox when they are absent. Items that do not fit, and registered items, receive different treatment with a delivery notice. Express delivery FAQ
If your document instructions also require registration, request that separately at the counter. “Send it quickly” and “use the required recorded service” are separate requirements; a red line does not replace the latter.
Check the route before relying on a deadline
Express mail has weekend and public-holiday delivery, but Japan Post cautions that weather and road conditions can delay arrival beyond the displayed estimate. Use the official delivery-day search linked from its delivery guidance with your origin and destination.
Also read the recipient’s deadline carefully. A requirement for arrival by a date is different from a postmark-by deadline, as explained in the Tokyo metropolitan foundation’s English mailing vocabulary guide. For a time-sensitive application, take those instructions to the counter alongside the letter. The useful final check is the combination of the correct total, the express marking and a realistic route estimate—not the red line by itself.