Japan Post has launched a 'digital address' that allows addresses to be written in 7 alphanumeric characters to simplify the creation of shipping labels, but mail and packages cannot be sent by simply writing the digital address
Japan Post has announced a ' digital address ' that combines postal codes and addresses into a seven-digit alphanumeric code. Digital addresses can be obtained for free, and they can simplify the creation of shipping labels.
Digital Address | Japan Post Co., Ltd.
When sending a package, you need to write the postal code and address of the recipient. The address includes the prefecture name, city, town, village name, house number, building name, room number, etc., and problems such as 'the writing frame is too small to write everything' and 'it is a hassle to write the same address multiple times' tend to occur. Digital addresses were developed to solve such problems.
A digital address can combine a postal code and address into a seven-digit alphanumeric string.
This will allow various services to automatically enter postal codes and addresses just by entering a digital address. At the time of writing,
There is no charge for using a digital address, and you can issue one via the Japan Post app or the following link. You will need a Yu-ID to issue a digital address.
Digital Address Web Version | Japan Post Co., Ltd.
When you hear the explanation of digital addresses, you might think, 'It seems convenient because you no longer have to write long addresses when sending mail or packages!' However, unfortunately, the official website of Digital Address states, ' You cannot send mail or packages by only writing the digital address. Please write the postal code, address, and name .' So, when writing the shipping address by hand, you will still need to write the long address.
In addition, when a digital address is issued, there is a risk that 'if a third party knows the digital address, the corresponding address may be known' and 'if the digital address is entered randomly, the corresponding address may be displayed.' As a measure to reduce this risk, Japan Post has introduced 'a mechanism to immediately delete digital addresses' and 'a mechanism to detect and prevent abnormal attempts such as mass searches in a short period of time.' In addition, digital addresses are managed in a database separate from personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers, reducing the risk of individuals being identified.
At the same time as the announcement of the digital address, the official API 'Postal Code / Digital Address API' was also released, which allows users to obtain addresses from postal codes and digital addresses.
Postal Code/Digital Address API | Postal Code/Digital Address for Biz | Japan Post Co., Ltd.
In addition, the list of services that support digital addresses has a section called 'Partner Companies,' so it is expected that digital address-compatible services will appear from companies other than Japan Post in the future.
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in Software, Web Service, Posted by log1o_hf