You have moved to a new address in Japan, but letters may still be on their way to your old apartment. Japan Post’s tenkyo todoke (転居届) lets you request forwarding of postal items addressed to the old address. It is free, and the forwarding period is one year from the date you submit the form, not one year from your requested start date.
Submit it early: Japan Post says registration takes 3–7 business days. This is a postal procedure, separate from notifying city hall that you have moved. It also does not update the addresses held by banks, employers, insurers or other senders.
Three ways to submit a forwarding request
| Method | What to prepare | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| At a post office counter | A relocation form and identification. Ask the counter which documents are needed for the person submitting and anyone moving. | Useful if you want to check the form with staff. |
| By post box | Pick up the official form and its envelope at a post office, fill it in and attach a copy of the submitter’s accepted ID. | Use the supplied envelope; Japan Post says no stamp is needed. |
| Online with e-Tenkyo | A verified Yu ID, identity check if needed, and old and new address details. | Available through the official website or Japan Post app; follow the current on-screen steps. |
Japan Post lists a residence card (在留カード) among accepted identity documents for the post-box route. Requirements differ by route and by who submits the form, so check the current official instructions before preparing copies. Its English e-Tenkyo walkthrough explains the online steps.
What to enter and when
- Write the old address exactly, including building and room number.
- Enter the new address and the names of the people whose mail should be forwarded. If only one person in a shared home is moving, make sure the moving person’s name is entered correctly.
- Choose the requested forwarding start date and submit by one of the three methods.
- Keep the receipt or application number. Allow time for registration before relying on the forwarding service.
- Tell important senders your new address directly. Prioritize your bank, employer, insurance provider, phone company and anyone sending time-sensitive documents.
If you are unsure about a shared household, ask at the counter: 「一人だけ転居します。この人の郵便物だけ転送できますか。」 (Hitori dake tenkyo shimasu. Kono hito no yūbinbutsu dake tensō dekimasu ka?) — “Only one person is moving. Can just this person’s mail be forwarded?” Japan Post’s FAQ for a family where only one person moves says to list that person in the moving-resident field.
Japanese words on the form
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 転居届 | tenkyo todoke | Japan Post’s relocation notice in this context |
| 旧住所 | kyū jūsho | Old address |
| 新住所 | shin jūsho | New address |
| 転送開始希望日 | tensō kaishi kibōbi | Requested forwarding start date |
| 転居者氏名 | tenkyosha shimei | Name of the person moving |
| 本人確認書類 | honnin kakunin shorui | Identity document |
| 転送不要 | tensō fuyō | Do not forward |
What forwarding does not solve
“Do not forward” mail will not be forwarded. A sender may mark an item 転送不要 so it is returned if the addressee no longer lives at the old address. This makes direct address updates especially important for documents from banks and other organizations; do not assume that every important item will arrive through forwarding. See Japan Post’s explanation.
The one-year period ends one year after filing. Japan Post says that after it expires, postal items sent to the old address are returned to the sender. If you still need forwarding, submit a new form. If you are moving overseas, check with Japan Post: its English guide says it cannot forward mail overseas.
Postal forwarding and city-hall registration are different
Both procedures may be called tenkyo todoke in Japanese, which causes confusion. Japan Post’s form deals with delivery of mail. Your municipal office deals with residence registration and related procedures. Filing one does not complete the other.
For the wider sequence, use our moving and address-change checklist. If you need help with other counter services, read how to use a post office in Japan. The latest rules and application paths are on Japan Post’s relocation page.
