How Long Does Japan Postal Services Take?

Hello,
I have ordered an item via rakuten and it was shipped via Japan Post Economy Airmail(SAL) with no tracking number and also I ordered an item via ebay and that was shipped via Japan Post Registered Mail / Insured Mail with tracking number, and I just wanted to know how long will Japan Post Economy Airmail(SAL) and Japan Post Registered Mail / Insured Mail take to arrive within United Kingdom
Thank You
Matthew

I assume the japan Post Registered Mail is by air? Air mail from Japan to UK should arrive in 7 - 10 days or so. Note however that even with tracking number provided from Japan Post, as soon as it enters the UK, it is likely that the tracking update will not be available (personal experience).

I have not used SAL, but probably 14 - 20 days or so.

Japan post is pretty reliable. For example, SAL can take 2-3 weeks depending on your destination. However once it arrives in the destination country it can sit in customs for an unspecified amount of time before being delivered, during which time the status can't be updated on the JP side. This situation regular occurs for packages going to the UK, so I would suggest contacting the customs bureau where you expect it to be coming in at for an update.

The registered parcels(EMS) are the fastest mail/parcel service offered by JP Post. It will depart JP within 1-3 working days, but after it get in UK, the items are handed to Royal Mail, Royal Mail may get slow delivery in UK.
SAL takes 3-7 days before shipping to UK.

Note however that even with tracking number provided from Japan Post, as soon as it enters the UK, it is likely that the tracking update will not be available (personal experience).

Not through JP Post, but maybe through whichever carrier handles delivery on the UK side?

Thank you for your replies

I bought a couple of Cd's from the very fine Japanese indie label Noble on Nov 27th and they arrived in the UK via Japan Post today. Dec 3rd

Not through JP Post, but maybe through whichever carrier handles delivery on the UK side?

I think it should be possible to track items shipped EMS on the Royal Mail site, but probably not those shipped by airmail or SAL. The JP tracking will be updated when delivered, but anecdotally it seems that Royal Mail is relatively slow to update the status and items appear to get held up in customs pretty regularly.

Firas,

Exactly; precisely because the postal authorities on the UK side does not properly scan the label bar code/number as they should, the update on JP tracking page will stop as well. At times I've received an email from the recipient (in the UK) saying thanks before I saw any movement on the tracking page after the parcel left Japan.

Hello,
Thank you for your kind replies I still haven't received the packages but I will let you know when they arrive
Thank You
Matthew

I have just tracked the tracking number: RR376886521JP on the Royal Mail website and the latest tracking information is 05/12/15 17:52 ARRIVED IN THE UK HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC so that means that I should receive it this week but it depends on how fast customs take to clear the packages