The most reliable place to buy postage stamps in Japan is a post-office counter. Some convenience stores and other contracted postage-stamp retailers also sell them, but their available denominations vary. Japan Post also operates an online stamp store, which is more useful for planned or larger purchases than for mailing one letter today.

Where to buy Best for Main limitation
Post-office counter Exact postage and a category check Must visit during the relevant counter’s hours
Contracted convenience store or stamp retailer A common denomination outside post-office hours Stock and denominations vary by store
Japan Post online store Planned orders and collectible designs Not an immediate solution for one finished letter

If you already have the sealed mail item, take it to the post office. The clerk can check its dimensions and weight before selling postage. That avoids the most common mistake: buying a stamp for the paper size while ignoring the envelope’s finished thickness and total weight.

The post office is the safest first choice

At the postal counter, say that you want to send the item rather than guessing a denomination:

この封筒を国内に送りたいです。
Kono fūtō o kokunai ni okuritai desu.
“I’d like to send this envelope within Japan.”

For an overseas postcard:

このはがきをカナダへ航空便で送りたいです。
Kono hagaki o Kanada e kōkūbin de okuritai desu.
“I’d like to send this postcard to Canada by airmail.”

This phrasing lets the clerk determine what you actually need. It is especially useful for a thick envelope, an A4 document, or anything close to a weight boundary.

Japan Post’s post-office and mailbox finder shows addresses, business hours, collection times, and locations with a Yu-Yu counter. The page is in Japanese, but the map and opening-hour fields are still useful.

Buying stamps at a convenience store

Look for a store that acts as a 郵便切手類販売所—a contracted seller of postal products. Participating convenience stores commonly keep stamps behind the counter, so ask the clerk; do not expect to find them on a self-service shelf.

Japan Post confirms that contracted convenience stores can sell postal products such as Letter Pack envelopes, but also warns that each store’s lineup differs. Apply the same practical rule to stamps: ask for the exact value, and use a post office when a missing denomination would stop you from mailing the item.

Do not assume that a convenience store will weigh the envelope, verify the mail category, add a postal option, or accept the item at its checkout. If the building has a red Japan Post mailbox, you may deposit eligible stamped mail in that mailbox. The retail counter and the mailbox are separate services.

How to ask for a stamp in Japanese

切手 (kitte) means postage stamp. Use the value followed by the counter for flat objects, 枚 (mai):

110円切手を1枚ください。
Hyaku-jū-en kitte o ichimai kudasai.
“One ¥110 stamp, please.”

85円切手を2枚ください。
Hachijū-go-en kitte o nimai kudasai.
“Two ¥85 stamps, please.”

You can also show the number on your phone and say この金額の切手をください—“Please give me stamps for this amount.”

Do not ask for 収入印紙 (shūnyū inshi). That is a revenue stamp used for taxes or official documents, not postage. A revenue stamp will not pay to mail a letter.

Know the amount before you buy

Current common values as of September 12, 2026 include:

  • ¥85: one standard domestic postcard;
  • ¥100: one international postcard by airmail, worldwide;
  • ¥110: one standard-size domestic letter up to 50 g;
  • ¥140: one domestic non-standard letter within the specified size, up to 50 g.

Those are categories, not universal envelope prices. A large or thick domestic envelope uses a weight-based non-standard rate. Optional services also add charges and may need counter acceptance.

Use the Japan Postage Calculator for a sealed domestic item, or read How to send a postcard from Japan for the domestic-versus-overseas postcard decision.

Can you pay by card or phone?

Japan Post says participating postal counters accept credit and debit cards, supported electronic money, and QR payments for postage, stamps, postcards, and Letter Pack products. Availability depends on the location, so use the cashless filter in Japan Post’s office search or carry another payment method.

Payment at a contracted convenience store follows that retailer’s own rules. A method accepted for ordinary store purchases is not a promise that every postal product or transaction will be handled the same way.

Stamp placement

Attach stamps to the front of the item:

  • upper-left for a vertically oriented letter or postcard;
  • upper-right for a horizontally long letter or postcard.

Do not overlap stamps or let them hang over an edge. Several stamps can be combined to reach the required amount. If a large group of stamps makes the address difficult to read, have the counter handle the item.

Four mistakes to avoid

  1. Buying before sealing and weighing. Tape, the envelope, and every enclosure count toward the rate.
  2. Assuming the store knows the required price. Ask for a denomination only after you know the mail category.
  3. Confusing a postage stamp with a revenue stamp. Ask for 切手, not 収入印紙.
  4. Dropping special-service mail into an ordinary box. Tracking, registered handling, or uncertain contents may require a counter procedure.

For a complete start-to-finish sequence, continue with How to mail a letter in Japan.

Sources checked

Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Store inventories, payment methods, opening hours, and postal rates can change.