Green Okinawa (6) Declining junk mail and receiving deliveries

Dear OISTers,

One small way to reduce the amount of paper you need to recycle is to decline junk mail. But how do you do this in Japanese? And what phrase do you use to strike the right polite tone?!

Some OISTers have asked for advice on how to ask delivery drivers to leave their packages outside thier door. As long as the package doesn’t need to be signed for, this is a good way to save the driver having to do another trip and can also be helpful if you wish to reduce face to face contact. 

Here are a few phrases that you can use. Either practice your kanji or print them out and tape the note to your mailbox or entrance door.  

Declining junk mail

チラシの投函は結構です    No flyers, thank you.

チラシ投函お断り    We decline flyers

Receiving deliveries, phrase 1

配達員の方へ

Dear Delivery person

いつも配達ありがとうございます。

Thank you always for your delivery service.

不在の場合、署名不要でしたら玄関の前に荷物を置いて下さい。

Please leave parcels outside my door if I am not in and they do not need my signature.

よろしくお願いします。

Thank you for your cooperation.

Receiving deliveries, phrase 2

配達員の方へ

Dear Delivery person

いつも配達ありがとうございます。

Thank you always for your delivery service.

サインの必要がない荷物・郵便は呼び鈴を鳴らして、玄関の前に置いていただきたいです。もしサインが必要な場合は呼び鈴を鳴らして下さい。

If the parcel does not need my signature, please leave the parcel outside my door and ring the doorbell to let me know they are there.

ご理解・ご協力ありがとうございます。

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Share your own tips/comments for the post: https://groups.oist.jp/resource-center/green-okinawa-6

We hope some of these tips help! Read previous Green Okinawa tips here

This Green Okinawa post was developed in collaboration between Mai Barnes (OIST Resource Center) Yoshimasa Nakamura (OIST Resource Center) and Kate Whitfield.

Photo credit : The New York Times