How Much Postage for a Kaku 2 Envelope? How Many A4 Sheets for ¥140 and ¥180, and the Rate with a Clear File
When you mail A4 documents unfolded in Japan, such as a résumé, application form or original contract, you use a Kaku 2 envelope. A Kaku 2 is larger than teikei (standard-size) mail, so it can't go for ¥110, and the postage rises with the weight of the contents: ¥140, ¥180, ¥270 and so on. This article explains why a Kaku 2 counts as teikeigai within limits, gives a rate table by number of A4 sheets, shows how many sheets fit for ¥140 with a clear file inside, works out the real weight of a full job application set, compares it with Kaku A4, Kaku 20 and Kaku 3, lists stamp combinations for ¥140 and ¥180 from stamps you have on hand, and covers how to add tracking.
A Kaku 2 is teikeigai within limits, from ¥140
A Kaku 2 envelope measures 240 × 332 mm. Teikei mail only goes up to 12 × 23.5 cm, so a Kaku 2 is never teikei, however light the contents, and goes as teikeigai mail. It does fit the within-limits conditions of up to 34 cm on the long side, 25 cm on the short side, 3 cm thick and 1 kg, so its category is teikeigai within limits.
| Weight | Teikeigai within-limits postage | Sheets of A4 copy paper in a Kaku 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 g | ¥140 | 1–8 sheets |
| Up to 100 g | ¥180 | 9–21 sheets |
| Up to 150 g | ¥270 | 22–33 sheets |
| Up to 250 g | ¥320 | 34–58 sheets |
| Up to 500 g | ¥510 | 59–121 sheets |
| Up to 1 kg | ¥750 | 122–246 sheets |
These are the rates from the October 2024 revision, unchanged as of October 2026. The sheet counts assume a kraft Kaku 2 envelope of about 15 g and about 3.99 g per sheet of A4 copy paper (64 g/m²). The key point is that a Kaku 2 weighs about three times as much as a Nagagata 3 on its own, so 15 g is used up before you add any paper.
By paper thickness: sheets you can send for ¥140 and ¥180
Contracts and notices are sometimes printed on woodfree paper thicker than copy paper. Thicker paper weighs more per sheet, so fewer sheets fit for the same postage.
| Paper (A4, unfolded) | Weight per sheet | ¥140 (up to 50 g) | ¥180 (up to 100 g) | ¥270 (up to 150 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy paper 64 g/m² | About 4.0 g | Up to 8 sheets | Up to 21 sheets | Up to 33 sheets |
| Thick woodfree 81.4 g/m² | About 5.1 g | Up to 6 sheets | Up to 16 sheets | Up to 26 sheets |
| Extra-thick woodfree 104.7 g/m² | About 6.5 g | Up to 5 sheets | Up to 13 sheets | Up to 20 sheets |
As for thickness, even 33 sheets of copy paper come to only about 3 mm. You'd need hundreds of sheets to reach the 3 cm within-limits thickness, so for documents alone the weight decides the postage. Thickness becomes an issue when you include a booklet, a file or a small box.
How many sheets fit for ¥140 with a clear file?
Putting documents in a clear file so they don't bend or get wet is good manners. But an A4 clear file weighs about 20 g on its own, the same as five sheets of paper. A Kaku 2 (15 g) plus a clear file (20 g) already comes to 35 g, so the paper you can fit for ¥140 drops sharply.
| Contents (A4 copy paper) | ¥140 | ¥180 | ¥270 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No clear file | Up to 8 sheets | 9–21 sheets | 22–33 sheets |
| 1 clear file | Up to 3 sheets | 4–16 sheets | 17–28 sheets |
| 2 clear files | — (55 g with no paper) | Up to 11 sheets | 12–23 sheets |
Clear files range from about 15 to 25 g depending on the material and thickness. When you're around 3 sheets, on the line between ¥140 and ¥180, weigh the real thing or put on ¥180 to be safe. Choosing a thin clear file gives you more room before the limit.
How much for a résumé and application set?
Let's calculate a common combination for postal job applications in Japan: an A3 résumé (folded in half), one sheet of work history and one cover letter in a clear file, sent in a Kaku 2.
- 1
Envelope and clear file
Kaku 2 about 15 g + clear file about 20 g = 35 g.
- 2
Résumé
Ready-made résumé forms are often on thicker paper. An A3 sheet of thick paper (81.4 g/m²) weighs about 10.2 g.
- 3
Work history and cover letter
Two sheets of A4 copy paper, about 8.0 g.
- 4
Total
35 + 10.2 + 8.0 ≈ 53.2 g. That's just over 50 g, so ¥180.
Without the clear file it would be about 33 g and fit within ¥140, but application documents are usually put in a clear file to keep them from bending or getting dirty. With two or three sheets of work history it goes over 50 g all the more, so plan on ¥180 for application documents and you won't go wrong. For how to fill in the documents, also see Western or Japanese era dates on a résumé? and Résumé photo size and how to attach it.
How Kaku A4, Kaku 20, Kaku 3 and Kaku 0 differ
The Kaku 2 isn't the only envelope that takes A4 unfolded. Sizes differ slightly and so do envelope weights, which changes how many sheets fit for ¥140.
| Envelope | Size | Category | Approx. envelope weight | Sheets for ¥140 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaku 2 | 240×332mm | Teikeigai within limits | About 15 g | 8 A4 sheets |
| Kaku 20 | 229×324mm | Teikeigai within limits | About 14 g | 9 A4 sheets |
| Kaku A4 | 228×312mm | Teikeigai within limits | About 13 g | 9 A4 sheets |
| Kaku 3 | 216×277mm | Teikeigai within limits | About 12 g | 12 B5 sheets (A4 only fits folded) |
| Kaku 1 | 270×382mm | Teikeigai oversize | About 20 g | — (¥260 up to 50 g) |
| Kaku 0 | 287×382mm | Teikeigai oversize | About 22 g | — (¥260 up to 50 g) |
Kaku A4 is a slightly smaller envelope that fits A4 documents snugly. It's about 2 g lighter than a Kaku 2 and takes one more sheet for ¥140. On the other hand, it's a tight fit for an A4 clear file or flat file, so if you're including a file, the Kaku 2 is the safer choice. Kaku 1 and Kaku 0 are longer than 34 cm, so even one sheet costs the ¥260 oversize rate. For the difference between within limits and oversize, see Teikeigai within limits vs oversize.
Making up ¥140 and ¥180 with stamps you have
Having ¥140 and ¥180 stamps is easiest, but sometimes all you have are ¥110 stamps or old-rate ¥84 and ¥63 stamps. Common combinations are below.
| Postage | Using ¥110 stamps | Using ¥84 stamps | Using ¥63 stamps |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¥140 | 110 + 20 + 10 | 84 + 50 + 5 + 1 | 63 + 63 + 10 + 2 + 2 |
| ¥180 | 110 + 50 + 20 | 84 + 84 + 10 + 2 | 63 + 63 + 50 + 2 + 2 |
| ¥270 | 110 + 110 + 50 | 84 × 3 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 1 | 63 × 4 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 1 |
One ¥84 stamp and one ¥63 stamp make ¥147 by themselves, which you can use on ¥140 mail by overpaying ¥7. If overpaying is fine, you can use fewer stamps, and if you have lots of low-value stamps, you can match the postage exactly. How to use old-rate stamps and the amounts to add are in How much to add to an ¥84 stamp?.
Adding express, Tokutei Kiroku or Kan'i Kakitome to a Kaku 2
When sending documents with a deadline or important originals in a Kaku 2, you'll often add an option. The surcharges are ¥210 for Tokutei Kiroku, ¥350 for Kan'i Kakitome, and ¥300 for express (sokutatsu) up to 250 g. Here are the totals for the weight ranges common with Kaku 2.
| Contents (A4 copy paper) | Base | + Tokutei Kiroku | + Kan'i Kakitome | + Express | + Express + Tokutei Kiroku |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 8 sheets (up to 50 g) | ¥140 | ¥350 | ¥490 | ¥440 | ¥650 |
| 9–21 sheets (up to 100 g) | ¥180 | ¥390 | ¥530 | ¥480 | ¥690 |
| 22–33 sheets (up to 150 g) | ¥270 | ¥480 | ¥620 | ¥570 | ¥780 |
| 34–58 sheets (up to 250 g) | ¥320 | ¥530 | ¥670 | ¥620 | ¥830 |
If you want tracking on documents over 150 g, it's cheaper to drop the Kaku 2 and use Letter Pack Light (¥430). Letter Pack Light is large enough for A4 as is (34 × 24.8 cm) and has a flat rate up to 3 cm thick and 4 kg. Even when you want both express delivery and tracking, Letter Pack Light or Plus, which are also delivered on weekends, can work out cheaper than adding express and Tokutei Kiroku to a Kaku 2 (from ¥650).
Points to watch when sending a Kaku 2
- Put stamps in the top left with the envelope held vertically. With several stamps, group them in the top left so they don't overlap the address
- You don't need to write "teikeigai" on the front. If the postage is enough, it will be delivered as is
- Thick white envelopes and gusseted envelopes can weigh around 18 to 25 g. Weigh it if you're near a limit
- Take anything too thick for the postbox slot to a counter
- Ordinary mail isn't delivered on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. If there's a deadline, allow extra days or use express
FAQ
- How much postage does a Kaku 2 envelope need?
- A Kaku 2 is teikeigai within limits, so ¥140 up to 50 g and ¥180 up to 100 g. For A4 copy paper, up to 8 sheets cost ¥140, 9–21 sheets ¥180, and 22–33 sheets ¥270.
- Can I send a Kaku 2 with just one A4 sheet for ¥110?
- No. A Kaku 2 is larger than teikei size (12 × 23.5 cm), so even with one sheet it goes as teikeigai mail, from ¥140.
- Does a clear file change the postage?
- It can. An A4 clear file weighs about 20 g, so in a Kaku 2 up to 3 sheets of copy paper cost ¥140 and 4–16 sheets ¥180. Without the clear file, up to 8 sheets cost ¥140, so the limit arrives about five sheets sooner.
- What postage do I need to send a résumé in a Kaku 2?
- An A3 résumé (folded in half), work history and cover letter in a clear file in a Kaku 2 weighs about 53 g, so ¥180. Without the clear file it's about 33 g and ¥140.
- Which is cheaper to send, Kaku 2 or Kaku A4?
- Both are teikeigai within limits with the same rate table. Kaku A4 is about 2 g lighter than Kaku 2, so one more sheet of copy paper (9 sheets) fits within the ¥140 up-to-50 g rate. If you're including a file, Kaku 2 has more room.
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