The Letterpack Plus and Letterpack Lite are envelopes than can be used to mail A4-size documents and other items anywhere in Japan. Their delivery can be tracked through the Japan Post website with a tracking number.
Make sure to remove the tracking number sticker or take a photo of the tracking number before mailing the Letterpack.
The most important difference between the two is that the Letterpack Plus is hand-delivered to its recipient while the Letterpack Lite is dropped into the mailbox.
Letterpack Plus (レターパックプラス)
Easily recognizable by its red color and the number 520 (for ¥520) on its label, this is the standard envelope to mail important documents.
Because it is delivered personally to its recipient and not dropped into the mailbox, you would use this instead of the Letterpack Lite to mail items like important company documents, passports, residence cards, etc.
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo requires a self-addressed Letterpack Plus to mail items like passports and legal documents to applicants.
Letterpack Lite (レターパックライト)
Cheaper than the Letterpack Plus, the Letterpack Lite is recognizable by its blue color and the number 370 (for ¥370) on its label.
It is somewhat less secure than the Letterpack Plus as the package is dropped into the mailbox and not personally delivered to the recipient, so you would use this to mail relatively unimportant items.
Letterpack Plus vs Letterpack Lite
Below are the main differences of the Letterpack Plus and Letterpack Lite in a table.
Because the Letterpack Plus has no limits on its thickness, people have used it to mail irregularly shaped items that are more than 3cm thick.
| Letterpack Plus | Letterpack Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Red | Blue |
| Price | ¥520 | ¥370 |
| Size | 340×248mm | 340×248mm |
| Weight | Up to 4kg | Up to 4kg |
| Thickness | No limit | Up to 3cm |
| Delivery method | Personal delivery | Mailbox drop |
| Request collection | Possible | Not possible |
| Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Loss/damage compensation | None | None |