If a parcel or registered mail cannot be delivered because you are out, it will be taken back to the post office or delivery center and a non-delivery notice will be left at your apartment or house. The non-delivery notice will look different depending on the delivery company and the instructions will be mostly or entirely in Japanese, but if you phone the number on the notice, you can have the item re-delivered at a time of your choosing, for free.

If the notice is from Japan Post, you can take the non-delivery notice and your certificate of alien registration to the post office and collect the item yourself.

These notices are usually left in apartment door mailboxes for safety. Be sure to check this mailbox regularly if you are expecting a parcel or registered mail, as it will be returned to the sender if not claimed within a certain period of time (usually 7–14 days).