This page Sumida City Guide Communication

Communication

Postal Service (Yubin)

Ordinary post offices that handle collection and delivery of mail (in Sumida City, the Honjo Post Office and Mukojima Post Office) are open 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Other post offices are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.
You can identify post offices by the redmark. Postcards and postage stamps are sold at all post offices and at cigarette stands with the redmark.

Ordinary Post Offices in Sumida

Honjo Post Office: 4-21-2, Taihei, Tel. 3622-1274
Mukojima Post Office: 2-32-25, Higashi-Mukojima, Tel. 3619-2002

Types of Domestic Mail

Postcards:

Regular postcards are 50yen. To mail a picture postcard, a 50yen postage stamp must be affixed.

Return postcards:

Return postcards with a pre-paid portion to be mailed back to the sender are 100yen.

Letters (regular):

Length 14-23.5 cm. width 9-12 cm. thickness less than 1 cm, weight less than 50 grams - Up to 25 grams = 80yen; up to 50 grams = 90yen.

Letters (irregular):

Larger than the regular size, and weighing less than four kilograms, charged by weight.

Parcels:

Must be less than one meter in length, the total combined length, width and thickness less than 1.5 meters and weighing 12 kg or under. Rates differ depending on weight and destination.

Types of Delivery

Special Delivery:

If you want faster delivery, use the special delivery service, or sokutatsu in Japanese. For special delivery, additional fees (270yen-630yen for letters and postcards, and 310yen-570yen for parcels depending on weight) are added to the regular postal rates.

Registered Mail:

For an additional fee, registered mail ensures delivery of important documents and similar material. If lost, you can claim the insured amount at the post office. Rates vary according to the amount of insurance needed.

Registered Mail for Cash:

You can mail cash through the mail. Use the special registered mail service for cash. Special envelopes for the purpose are available at post office counters - ask for genkin kakitome.

Notice of Delivery While Absent

If no one is at home when a registered envelope or parcel is delivered, a "Notice of Delivery While Absent" will be left in the mailbox. To claim the registered item, present the notice at the designated post office, along with your foreign resident registration card and family stamp if you have one. If you prefer to have it re-delivered, written down the desired date and place in the designated column on the notice and mail it back.

International Mail

Postcards by air are 70yen for all areas; an aerogram, which is a letter, envelope and stamp all in one, costs 90yen for all areas. When you send letters or parcels overseas, the fee varies depending on the type of delivery, size and weight. Please ask for the correct price at your post office.

Airmail

The most popular service. Airmail can reach all areas of the world within four to eight days.

Surface Mail

If item is not important, this service is less expensive. Delivery normally takes 20 to 80 days.

SAL Mail

This category is less expensive than airmail and is faster than surface mail. Delivery takes two to three weeks.

EMS

Can reach major cities in the world within a days or two. The service accepts any item which is accepted by regular international mail service.

Special Delivery Fees

260yen for regular mail and 450yen for a parcel will be added to the regular fees.

When You Are Out

If you send a tenkyo-todoke (redirecting card), you can receive letters at the new address for one year after transfer.

You Can Send Money Abroad from a Post Office

Overseas remittance services are handled only at ordinary post offices that handle collection and delivery of mail. There are two types of service available: Telegraphic Money Orders, and Ordinary Postal Money Orders. For ordinary postal money orders, the post office sends a certificate of payment to the overseas party by airmail. Telegraphic money orders are more convenient, since they are handled by telegram, and are much faster when you are in a hurry.

Useful Phrases

Telephone Service (Denwa)

There are two types of telephones in Japan, subscriber and public.

Subscriber Telephones (Kanyu denwa)

These are the telephones installed at companies or private homes. To have a new telephone installed, go to the nearest NTT office and fill out a subscription contract. You have to submit your foreign resident registration card or your driver's license to establish your identify and to confirm your address. Installation is done by reservation, and someone must be at home on the date specified. Telephone ownership rights cost 72,800yen plus consumption tax. If special installation work is required, the cost will be billed after. If you want to install or transfer telephones, avoid the months of March and April when many people move. Moving before or after these months is recommended.

NTT Branches in Sumida

NTT Kinshicho Branch:
4-27-14 Kotobashi, Tel. 3632-5000
NTT Mukojima Branch:
1-44-3 Kyojima, Tel. 3619-9006

Useful Phrases

Little Museum Guide Map

NTT Telephone Information Service

Concerning installation and transfer: 116 (toll-free) Concerning other problems: 113 (toll-free)

Cellular Phones (including PHS phones)

Application is also available at telephone shops and agents of telephone companies.

Pay Phones

By inserting 10yen or 100yen coins or a pre-paid card, you can use the public telephone system. Within the 23 cities of Tokyo, you can converse for a minute for 10yen. Fees for long distance calls vary depending on distance and time. No change will be returned when you use 100yen coins. Pre-paid telephone cards can be used on almost all pay telephones.

Overseas Calls

Overseas calls are handled by KDD, IDC and Japan Telecom.

Direct Calls

You can place an overseas call by dialing directly. For example, if you wish to make a call to a party in New York, U.S.A., dial as shown below.

(Access No.)		(Country Code)	(Area Code)	(Subscriber No.)
KDD	001	1	212	XXX-XXXX
IDC	0061	1	212	XXX-XXXX
Japan Telecom	0041	1	212	XXX-XXXX

Service coverages and rates differ from company to company. For details, please contact each company.
KDD: 0057 (toll-free)
IDC: 0120-03-0061 (toll-free)
Japan Telecom: 0088-41 (toll-free)

Operator-Assisted Calls

This service is provided by KDD only, and you dial 0051 first to place your call. There are three kinds of operator-assisted calls: station-to-station, person-to-person, and collect.

International Public Telephones

To place an international call from a pay phone, use a grey international public telephone.

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