Articles Prohibited under the Universal Postal Convention

Narcotics and psychotropic substances as defined by the International Narcotic Control Board (excluding those included in small parcels addressed to countries that permit the mailing of the same for medical or academic purposes) as well as other unauthorized substances prohibited by the destination country

Obscene or immoral articles

Counterfeit or pirated articles

Articles for which the import or distribution is prohibited by the destination country (Note 1)

Articles which, due to their nature or the way in which they are packaged, pose a threat to the delivery agent or the general public or which may be harmful to other parcels, the postal facilities or the property of a third party

Private documents (excluding documentary records) to be exchanged between persons other than the sender and recipient (including those in the same domicile)

Live animals cannot be sent in all categories of items.
Exceptionally, the next animal can send it as letter-post items (Insurance mail is excluded.) (Note 4) or international speed mail. (EMS with the proposal of the amount of damage claim for damages more than 20,000 yen is excluded.) (Note 5)

• bees, leeches and silk-worms;
• parasites and destroyers of noxious insects intended for the control of those insects and exchanged between officially recognized institutions;
• flies of the family Drosophilidae for biomedical research exchanged between officially recognized institutions.

Uninsured packages (regular or small parcels) should not include coins, banknotes, paper money, securities of any kind payable to the bearer, travelers' checks, processed or unprocessed platinum, gold or silver, precious stones, jewels or other valuables.

• Letter-post items except insurance letter-post items. However, if legally recognized by both the country of origin and the country of destination, these items can be sent as registered mail in a sealed envelope.
• Small parcels except the insurance small parcels.
• International Express Mail

The following actions should not be undertaken in relation to printed materials and items for the blind.

• Elements of correspondence shall not be included on printed matter or Braille mail, nor shall documents containing such elements be included with them.
• A canceled or non-canceled postage stamp should be included or, alternatively, a payment voucher or valuable instrument. However, this does not apply if the parcel is imprinted with the address of the sender or a proxy in the originating or destination country for a reply and the postage fees are included in the form of a prepaid postcard or in an envelope or wrapper band.

The following actions should not be undertaken in relation to small parcels.

• Documents containing correspondence addressed to a specific person shall not be included in small packets. However, correspondence may be included in the form of an unsealed accompanying letter or an invoice attached to the packet.

Items specified under the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (excluding some dangerous items established by the existent enforcement regulations, radioactive materials, and transmissible agents). Likewise, the items specified under the current edition of the Technical Instructions established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as well as under the Dangerous Goods Regulations by the International Air Transport Association are prohibited from shipping using any method.