How to send items through post office

Many times, I want to send some items through the post office but each time i found it difficult because I do not know all the possible options available and I could not ask because I cannot speak Japanese.
So I decided to search on internet about shipping in Japan. This is a summary of what I found.
For a summary about shipping rates through post office, see the following page: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/fee/simulator/kokunai/parcel.html#02

1-Yuu-pack ( ゆうパック)

• Use for: heavier items over 500g
• Cost: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/fee/simulator/kokunai/parcel.html#01
  
• More information: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/parcel/you_pack/index.html (Japanese)

For heavier items, postal Yuu-Pack is probably the best option. You need to fill in a blue form with the receiver's and the sender's details, including phone numbers. You can specify a certain time of day for delivery. The fee will depend on the overall size, not the weight, of the package, so try to squeeze it into a small box! You receive a 100yen discount on the price if you take it to the post office by yourself,rather than having the parcel picked up from your home. A few days later you will receive a postcard to let you know the package has been delivered.

Options for Yuu-pack:

Yuu-pack can be sent 着払　Chakubarai　(in english, COD for cash on delivery) or 　代金引換　daikin hikikae　(in english POD for payment on delivery).

1. Chakubarai: The receiver pays the Yuu-mail rate, plus 20 yen for this service. sender fills out a pink COD form. The receiver's phone number is needed. sender can specify a time of delivery (morning, afternoon, late afternoon, evening).
   
2. Daikin hikikae: Payment on Delivery allows the sender to post the parcel to the receiver at the receiver's expense AND collect an extra amount on top of the postal fees.

For more details about options available for Yuu-Pack:
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_pack/add.html

2-Yuu-mail (ゆうメール), called before "sasshi kozutsumi "（旧冊子小包）

• Use for: books, magazines, cds, dvds, videos up to 3kg, H+W+D limit: 1.7 m
• The flat rates for anywhere in Japan are:
  
  up to 150 grams: 180 yen
  up to 250 grams: 210 yen
  up to 500 grams: 290 yen
  up to 1 kg: 340 yen
  up to 2 kg: 450 yen
  up to 3 kg: 590 yen
• For more information about Yuu-mail (in japanese) http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/index.html
  http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/use.html

Yuu-mail can also be sent chakubarai (in english, COD for cash on delivery), entailing an extra 20 yen collection fee or sent Daikin hikikae (POD for Payment on Delivery) (see Options for Yuu-Pack for more information).
For more details about options available for Yuu-mail : http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/you_mail/add.html


3-EXPACK500（エクスパック）500
Sometimes it is possible to cram something that would be going for the top rate of 590 yen of the Yuu-mail into a 500 yen ExPack envelope, saving 90 yen.

• Use for: anything that will fit inside the envelope
• Fix cost: 500 yen for whatever you can fit inside the envelope (248mm×340mm) and the weight limit is 30 kg.
• More information (japanese) http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/expack/index.html

There is a flat 500 yen charge nationwide, as long as the parcel fits inside the envelope provided. There is no need for complicated postage calculations and affixing stamps, and in addition to collection by postal workers, the "EXPACK 500" can also be mailed in a post box 24 hours a day. Moreover, by entering the barcode, tracking information can be checked via PC, and a seal to confirm receipt can be obtained from the recipient.
You can track EXPACK500 on the internet or cell phones. There is no insurance for these so you should not use them for valuable or irreplaceable items and it is not permitted to use them to send money. These envelopes will not fit in the mouth of some older mailboxes.