By TOMOYA FUJITA/ Staff Writer
May 27, 2025 at 15:00 JST
Japan Post Co. has rolled out its new "Digital Address" service that links individual residential addresses with unique seven-character alphanumeric codes.
The service, which began on May 26, aims to simplify address input and reduce errors, particularly in online interactions, and requires users to sign up to receive a code.
Until now, entering a postal code online typically displays the corresponding town or district name. With a Digital Address, users can have the full address automatically filled in, including street number and apartment.
The feature is currently only available on Japan Post's app for creating shipping labels for the company’s Yu-Pack parcels.
Future applications may extend to other businesses and systems beyond Japan Post, such as registering delivery or membership information online. Entering destinations into car navigation systems, booking taxis and completing forms at hotels or medical facilities are other processes where a code may someday come in handy.
Notably, Japan Post has clarified that it does not plan to use Digital Addresses for physical mail delivery.
To obtain a Digital Address, users must first register for a "Yu ID," which serves as the account for Japan Post’s overall services. As of the end of April, 15 million Yu IDs had been issued.
This address code remains constant even if the user moves; updating the associated address only requires filing a change-of-address notification.
With privacy as a key concern, the Digital Address links only to a physical location, not to any individual’s name. The service is free of charge, both for initial registration and updates.
Japan Post will allow third-party businesses to integrate the service into their platforms free of charge.
This would enable companies to manage customer address data more efficiently and receive real-time updates on address changes. Major entities such as Rakuten Group Inc. are reportedly considering adoption.
A spokesperson for Japan Post emphasized the initiative’s long-term potential to enhance convenience and drive new revenue streams.
“We’re aiming to promote widespread use over the next 10 years,” the representative said.
Rakuten ties up with Japan Post to push mobile phone service
March 13, 2021
VOX POPULI: Convenience of digital age can also create many inconveniences
April 27, 2022
Tokyo subsidy to support buying smartphones for elderly residents
February 27, 2025
China steps up online controls with new rule for bloggers
February 17, 2021
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Japan Post Co. will share its new Digital Address system with businesses across various sectors, streamlining address registration and customer information management. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
