Shipping from Japan to Philippines: Cost Table for Japan Post

Japan Post is one of the cheapest methods to send items from Japan to the Philippines. This article provides a cost breakdown for items you may be planning to ship home. 

Bookmark this page for Japan Post’s pricing charts for any time you need to know shipping costs from Japan to Philippines in a hurry.

Note: Japan Post has a number of delivery services. We include each service’s pricing chart in order of fastest delivery speed.

Japan Post vs. DHL, FedEx, and LBC: which should you use?

LBC doesn't operate branches inside Japan directly. Filipino senders use a Japan-based consolidator (such as Balikbayan Box Japan) that collects the box locally and hands it off to LBC's network for delivery within the Philippines.

As of August 2026, ¥1 is worth approximately ₱0.38–0.39. Multiply any yen price above by that rate for a rough peso equivalent, or check a live converter for the exact number at the time you ship — exchange rates shift daily.

Japan Post EMS pricing: from Japan to Philippines

The Japan Post's Express Mail Service (EMS) can get your item from Tokyo to the Philippines in 12 to 14 days.

The dimension requirements:

• Maximum length: 1.5m or less

• Length + Circumference: 3m or less

• Maximum weight: 20kg

Note: EMS to the Philippines is capped at 20kg per parcel — heavier items need to be split into multiple EMS shipments or sent via a courier like DHL or FedEx.

EMS is only delivered directly to the recipient's door in Metro Manila and nearby cities in Cavite and Laguna. If the delivery address is anywhere else in the Philippines, here's what actually happens and what to do about it:

1. Your parcel still ships and clears customs normally

   — the area restriction only affects the last-mile delivery step, not eligibility to send.

2. PhilPost will send a notice

   (by letter, notice card, or a call to the recipient) once the parcel reaches the local post office serving that address. There's no fixed timeline for this beyond the standard 12–14 day EMS window — it can take longer if the parcel is held for customs review.

3. The recipient picks it up at that local post office

   , bringing a valid ID. If the declared value is over ₱10,000, they'll also need to pay the assessed tax there or at PhilPost's Pasay office, plus proof of purchase (invoice, receipt, or payment confirmation) to support the customs valuation.

4. If it's been unusually long with no notice,

   the recipient can call PhilPost's hotline directly — (02) 8288 7678, Monday–Friday 8am–5pm — rather than waiting indefinitely, since notice cards can go missing or get delayed.

5. If door delivery matters more than cost,

   Japan Post's airmail service and couriers like DHL or FedEx deliver to the recipient's address nationwide, without the Metro Manila/Cavite/Laguna restriction that applies specifically to EMS.

Japan Post airmail pricing: from Japan to Philippines

The Japan Post's airmail service (航空便 = koukubin) can get your item from Tokyo to Philippines in about 19 days on average.

For letters: standard-sized mail

Standard-sized letters = 手紙 定形, tegami teikei, in Japanese.

Dimension requirements for standard-sized letters:

• Long side: 14～23.5cm

• Short side: 9～12cm

• Thickness: up to 1cm

For letters: nonstandard-sized mail

Nonstandard-sized mail = 手紙 定形外, tegami teigai, in Japanese.

Dimension requirements for nonstandard-sized mail:

• Longest side: 60 cm

• Length + Width + Height = 90 cm for rolled item

• Diameter×2 + Length = 104 cm

For small packets

Small packets = 小形包装物, kogata housoubutsu in Japanese.

Dimension requirements for small packets:

• Length + width + thickness = 90 cm (permissible deviation: 2 mm)

• Provided the maximum length is 60 cm (permissible deviation: 2 mm)

Japan Post surface mail pricing: from Japan to Philippines

The Japan Post's surface mail service (船便 = funabin) can get your item from Tokyo to Philippines in 2 to 3 months. 

For letters: standard-sized mail

Standard-sized mail = 手紙 定形, tegami teikei in Japanese

Dimension requirements for standard-sized mail:

• Long side: 14～23.5cm

• Short side: 9～12cm

• Thickness: up to 1cm

For letters: nonstandard-sized mail

Nonstandard-sized mail = 手紙 定形外, tegami teigai in Japanese.

Dimension requirements for nonstandard-sized mail:

• Longest side: 60 cm

• Length + Width + Height = 90 cm for rolled item

• Diameter×2 + Length = 104 cm

For small packets

Small packets = 小形包装物, kogata housoubutsu in Japanese.

Dimension requirements for small packets:

• Length + width + thickness = 90 cm (permissible deviation: 2 mm)

• Provided the maximum length is 60 cm (permissible deviation: 2 mm)

How to ship from Japan to Philippines

Here are the steps to ship your document or parcel from Japan to the Philippines.

Step 1: Fill out a Japan Post International Parcel Label

Handwritten labels are still fine for simple letters and documents with no declared goods value. But if you're sending an item with a declared value (anything that counts as "goods" rather than correspondence), Japan Post now requires Electronic Advance Data (EAD) submitted through their online My Page service before you can send it — a handwritten customs form alone is no longer accepted for these items.

Here’s a step-by-step article on how to fill out a Japan Post International Parcel label.

Step 2: Pack your item

Make sure they are properly sealed for letters, cards, and envelopes.

For parcels, use protective materials such as paper or packing peanuts to absorb shock. Additionally, tape all edges of the cardboard box.

Here are detailed instructions for how to pack your items: How to pack an item .

Step 3: Send your parcel

There are two options when sending your parcel to Japan Post.

Bring the parcel to your nearest Japan Post office if it isn't too heavy. Once the staff has checked everything, you will pay the shipping amount.

However, if the parcel is too heavy, you can call or fill out an online form to have a Japan Post staff visit your location. From there, they will do the checks, and you will pay the amount. 

What happens once it lands in the Philippines?

PhilPost (the Philippine Postal Corporation) handles Japan Post EMS, airmail, and surface mail items once they arrive in the Philippines. If your parcel is going to an area outside Japan Post's direct EMS delivery zone, PhilPost is who the recipient will need to contact or visit to pick it up.

Customs duties and taxes when shipping from Japan to the Philippines

Any package entering the Philippines can be assessed duty and tax by the Bureau of Customs, depending on its declared value and what's inside.

Under ₱10,000 (FOB value): duty- and tax-free. The Customs Modernization and Tariff Act sets this de minimis threshold — goods valued at ₱10,000 or below clear without duty or VAT (Section 423, CMTA).

Over ₱10,000: duty plus 12% VAT applies. The exact duty rate depends on the item's tariff classification, not a flat percentage — look up the specific rate for your item on the Philippines' official Tariff Finder by product description or HS code.

Sending a balikbayan box? A separate, more generous exemption applies. If you're an OFW, a Filipino residing abroad, or a Filipino who has retained citizenship after moving abroad, you can send balikbayan boxes containing only personal and household items (not for resale) duty- and tax-free up to ₱150,000 total value, up to 3 times per calendar year. The recipient must be family up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity. Anything over that ₱150,000 cap is taxed on the excess.

If your parcel gets flagged for review: PhilPost will notify you by letter or notice card. If your item's declared value is over ₱10,000, you'll pay the assessed tax either directly to the Customs cashier at PhilPost's Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City, or via Postal Money Order at your local post office. PhilPost's customer service line is (02) 8288 7678, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm — worth calling directly if a parcel seems stuck, rather than waiting.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship from Japan to the Philippines?

The cost of shipping from Japan to the Philippines via Japan Post varies based on the service used and the weight of the package. For example, using Express Mail Service (EMS), the cost to send a package up to 500g is ¥1,900, and delivery takes about 12 to 14 days. A more economical option, such as standard airmail for a letter up to 25g, costs ¥120 and takes about 19 days for delivery.

What's the cheapest method for shipping from Japan to the Philippines?

The cheapest method for shipping from Japan to the Philippines is via Japan Post's surface mail service. For standard-sized letters up to 25 grams, the cost is ¥120. However, this service is also the slowest, typically taking 2 to 3 months for delivery.

How many days does EMS take from Japan to the Philippines?

EMS takes 12 days to Metro Manila and nearby areas in Cavite and Laguna that Japan Post delivers to directly. Everywhere else in the Philippines, it takes about 14 days, and the recipient picks the parcel up at their local post office rather than getting door delivery.

Is LBC or Japan Post cheaper for sending a package to the Philippines?

Japan Post is generally cheaper for smaller, lighter items — its EMS and airmail rates undercut most courier and balikbayan-box pricing for anything under a few kilograms. LBC (accessed in Japan through a local consolidator, since LBC has no branches in Japan itself) becomes more competitive for bulkier, heavier shipments like a full balikbayan box, since its flat-rate box pricing doesn't scale with weight the way Japan Post's per-kilogram rates do.

Do I have to pay customs duty on a package from Japan to the Philippines?

Packages valued at 10,000 pesos or below clear Philippine customs duty and tax free under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Above that value, duty depends on the item's tariff classification plus a 12 percent VAT. OFWs and Filipinos residing abroad get a separate, larger exemption for balikbayan boxes containing personal items only, up to 150,000 pesos total value and up to 3 times per calendar year.

What happens if my package is too heavy for EMS?

Japan Post's EMS to the Philippines is capped at 20 kilograms per parcel. If your item is heavier, you'll need to either split it into multiple EMS shipments or switch to a courier like DHL or FedEx, which allow much higher weight limits per shipment.

What happens if my package address is outside Metro Manila for EMS?

EMS only delivers directly to the door within Metro Manila and nearby cities in Cavite and Laguna. Everywhere else, PhilPost sends a notice once the parcel reaches the recipient's local post office, and the recipient picks it up there with a valid ID, paying any assessed customs tax if the declared value exceeds 10,000 pesos. If door delivery matters more than cost, Japan Post airmail or a courier like DHL or FedEx deliver nationwide without this restriction.

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