Where is my parcel? - How to understand Japan Post’s tracking

Some of the most frequently asked questions are “Where is my parcel? My parcel’s tracking hasn’t been updated in days.”, “What does dispatch from outward office of exchange mean?”, “What does retention mean?” Every day we get lots of questions regarding the whereabouts of your parcels, so we are here today to guide you through the tracking system and put all your worries and doubts at ease.

What is Japan Post's delivery status report?

After shipping your package internationally, you will be granted a tracking number to keep an eye on where your package is every step of the journey to the delivery point. In general, the most common actions are: The postal service picks up your package from our warehouse (posting/collection, the package goes to the airport (arrival at outward office of exchange), it gets shipped abroad (dispatch from outward office of exchange), the postal service in the destination country picks up the parcel and makes the delivery (final delivery). After those steps, you will be presented with your ZenMarket package.

Where do I find my package tracking number?

All parcels that leave our warehouses include free tracking and shipping insurance. You can easily find this number in My Account → Packages.

Where to find tracking number on ZenMarket

What does each delivery status mean?

By following the steps above, you will be able to see the shipping information step by step. The page should look something like the image below.

A typical Japan Post Tracking search result

1. Item number

This is your tracking number. If you need any advice on your shipment, this is the number to keep in hand.

2. Class of goods

The shipping service that is shipping your goods. EMS and UPS are the fastest and most reliable, but you can also opt for cheaper services such as AVIA (economic air) and SAL.

3. Posting/Collection

This means that the goods you ordered have been picked up by Japan Post. In our case, as the postal service picks up the parcel from one of our warehouses, it automatically marks the date and time. If you find that your tracking page is blank, it means that even though your parcel has been assembled, it has not been picked up yet.

Posting and collection using takes about 1 day

4. Arrival at outward office of exchange

Since all our shipments are by air, it means that your package has arrived at the corresponding airport in Japan and will be sent on the next plane.

Arrival at outward office of exchange and sent

5. Dispatch from outward office of exchange

Your package has been shipped by plane and is currently on its way to your country. Keep in mind that for some countries there are no direct flights from Japan. Therefore your package may need to go through one or more intermediate countries/states to arrive, depending on the final destination. However, the tracking will never be updated when it reaches neutral countries; it will only be updated once it arrives in your country.

This means that after your package leaves Japan, it is normal that the tracking does not update for several days.

In general, this is the most important step and the one that occupies the most time in the delivery of the package. Since in this step your package has already left Japan ZenMarket cannot intervene in the delivery. We recommend that you patiently wait for your package to arrive in your country. When it arrives in your country it should be registered and the tracking should be updated automatically.

6. Arrival at inward office of exchange

Great news! Your package has arrived in your country. The inward office in your country has received and registered your parcel (depending on the speed of your local postal services this step may be shipped and the status may not be updated until later). From this step, all questions and queries you have regarding the status of your package should be made with your local postal force.

delivery time

7. Item presented to import customs

This is the next step after your package arrives in the country of destination and can vary significantly on the strictness and customs laws of each country. All countries have different customs laws, so we do not have detailed information on all customs processes. If your parcel is presented to import customs they may try to contact you by the phone number you provided, so please try to keep an eye out for any unusual phone calls during this time.

Japan Post shipments often go unnoticed by customs, so in many cases, it is only a matter of waiting from one to several days. Note: your local customs office may be more or less occupied by the number of shipments handled, we have nothing to do with customs, and we can not be responsible for any collections, delays or customs decisions, only the government of your country has control over customs.

Parcels going through customs

8. Item returned from import customs

The article left customs successfully and is now on its way to your nearest post office depot to post it locally. If your shipping status is updated to retention, be sure to get in touch with your local post office immediately.

Some countries add more details so you can see which post office your parcel is being held at.

parcel held in retention

"Departure from the Inward Office of Exchange” or “Departure from the internal delivery office” means that your central mail depot is sending the package to your nearest post office. Sometimes it may take a while for your mail to be sorted for shipment.

"Processing at delivery Post Office” or “Processing at the shipping post office” means that your nearby post office is currently getting ready to ship your parcel in one of the next shipping rounds. The time of this process depends on the speed of the mail service in your country.

9. Final delivery

Your package has arrived!🎉

Final delivery run

If the tracking says that your parcel has arrived, but you have not received it, please do not panic. It is a good idea to confirm with your email who has signed for the goods. First, ask your family or those who live with you if they have not received it for you while you were absent. If you live in a multi-department building, ask your building manager whether they received it for you. If you still haven’t been able to find it, contact us and we will investigate it for you.