International mail from Japan, can't you send it with a handwritten label? | Ireland | Workhorinet

Living abroad When I'm doing it, I'm thankful for my parents' brothers and sisters. About once or twice a year, my parents who live in Japan regularly send me ingredients such as furikake (furikake) and curry roux, as well as Japanese sweets. However, the other day, my mother said, "When I went to the post office with a package to send it over there, the post office staff told me, ``From this year, international mail and packages with handwritten labels will not be accepted. It may be delayed or returned.” From this year, you will have to enter the label on your computer or smartphone, print it, and send it.

　"I can't do such a complicated thing, and I don't think I'll be able to send you a package from now on...", said the weak-willed mother. She said that the package addressed to me that she tried to send this time was accepted, but she was warned that there was a risk that it would be returned. According to the post office, from January 2021, customs information for international mail must be sent to the destination country as electronic information in advance, so handwritten labels may be returned depending on the destination country. ,is what they said. In particular, it seems that international mail to the United States cannot be accepted unless it has been digitized, but what about Ireland and other European countries? "My parents are very ignorant about computers and the Internet." Entering and printing labels online would be a mission with a high hurdle for my parents (bitter smile).

Therefore, I decided to send an email to the post office and ask them, ``How should people who do not use computers and the Internet send international mail in the future, and are there any alternatives?'' The answer I got after that was like this (excerpt). ✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱ Requesting the customer to use the online shipping tool With regard to the matter that we are doing, from the viewpoint of anti-terrorism, the need for security of postal items has increased worldwide, so "customs clearance electronic data transmission" is obligated under the "Universal Postal Convention", an international agreement between nations. This is due to being made If you do not have a computer or smartphone, you can rent a tablet at the post office counter. Please use this. Please note that due to the limited number of tablets, it may take some time before you can rent them out if other customers are using them. In addition, depending on the destination country, if you accept the risk of delays and returns, it is possible to send with a handwritten label. ✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱

　In other words, depending on the destination country, there is a risk of delays and returns, but it seems that it will be possible to send international mail and parcels with handwritten labels in the future. In the future, I hope that the post office will be able to provide an easy-to-understand terminal for electronic labels, and I will be able to teach simple input. (laughs) Well, this time, the post office reluctantly (?) accepted the international package with the handwritten label. (Reference) ・Regarding mandatory electronic customs clearance data (EAD) for international mail (https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ead/index.html) ・International mail My Page Service (https://www. post.japanpost.jp/intmypage/whatsmypage.html)