Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Branches
holidays)
is on the north side of Kyoto Station. Poste restante mail can be collected here.
There's a service counter on the south side of the building open 24 hours per day for air-
mail, small packages and special express mail services.
until 7pm on weekdays, 3pm on Saturdays but is closed on Sundays and holidays. There is
a 24-hour service window on the west side of the building.
Postal Rates
The airmail rate for postcards is ¥70 to any overseas destination; aerograms cost ¥90. Let-
ters weighing less than 25g are ¥90 to other countries within Asia, ¥110 to North Amer-
ica, Europe or Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand), and ¥130 to Africa and
South America. One peculiarity of the Japanese postal system is that you will be charged
extra if your writing runs over onto the address side (the right side) of a postcard. All post
offices provide a reliable international Express Mail Service (EMS), which is as good or
better than private express shipping services.
Sending & Receiving Mail
The symbol for post offices is a red T with a bar across the top on a white background (
〒
). Mail can be sent to, from or within Japan when addressed in English (Roman script).
CURRENCY WARNING
Exchange rates for the US dollar and the euro are reasonable in Japan. All other currencies, including the Aus-
tralian dollar and the currencies of nearby countries, fetch very poor exchange rates. If you want to bring cash to
Japan, we suggest US dollars or euros. Or, if you must change other currencies into yen, we suggest doing so in
your home country.
