Job Discussion Forums

Karoons · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 10

I`m leaving Japan in about a month Sad

and am in the process of sorting out all my stuff .It is completely beyond me how I`ve aquired so much in only a few years. Anyway, I have a lot of books and some of them I`d like to take home with me but they are, of course, pretty heavy. I heard that there is a special deal or package or something you can get if you`re sending only used books. Does anyone know anything about it?
Thanks

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:04 pm Post subject:

Do you mean sending via land/sea mail (ie not airmail). Takes ages but it's cheap.
?

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

I think most countries have a further-reduced sea mail rate for `Printed Matter Only`. I think you have to show the PO that the package only contains books, or sometimes they put a slit in the package to prove it is only printed matter. Ask at the PO.

Karoons · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 10

Sea mail would be fine as I don`t mind how long they take to arrive. I`ll check with the P.O. Thanks for the advice

G Cthulhu · Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:50 am Post subject:

"Printed matter" is another thing altogether.

At regional post offices (the larger ones) you can ask for a thing called "M Bag". This is literally a large canvas sack and you package your books up in smallish boxes and throw them in the bag. The bags can be up to 30 kilogrammes each. Take the bags back to the regional post office (you can't send it from most PO's) and ypou have the standard choices of sea, air and SAL. They'll seal the bag at the PO. They may or may not inspect it to make sure it only contains printed stuff. It's the cheapest way to send books internationally AFAIK.

Be patient, most Japanese PO employees have never dealt with M Bag before, so it may take them a while to find the info (and the bags!) and sort out how to charge you the correct rate.

The rates to zone 2 countries (most of the Eu, Nth America and Australasia) are:
first 5 kg - 2,200
each extra 1 kg - +450

The details (including the wording in Japanese (I can't enter it from this machine & eslcafe can't display it anyway)) are up on the JPO website here:
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/

M Bag info specifically is here:
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/fee/intel/sal.html

(or follow the M Bag link from here, if the one above doesn't take you exactly there):
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/sitemap.html