Buying Flowers in Japan: A Practical Guide for Senders Abroad
Buying flowers in Japan starts with choosing a bouquet for the occasion and checking that delivery covers the recipient’s city. With Pyat Tsvetov (5 Flowers), you can order online for delivery to 22 Japanese cities, choose from the relevant country or city catalogue and pay in rubles with delivery included in the displayed price.
Customers often begin with a colour or a favourite flower, but the most useful details are who will receive the bouquet, where it will stand and what the gift should express. We have worked with these everyday choices in our Saint Petersburg flower shops since 2011. This guide explains how to select flowers for someone in Japan, prepare an international order and avoid applying Russian delivery conditions to a Japanese address.
Check the Japanese destination before choosing a bouquet
Our delivery coverage in Japan includes 22 cities, with Asahikawa, Chitose, Ebetsu, Eniwa, Hiroshima, Ishikari, Iwamizawa and Kamakura among them. These examples are not the complete list. Start with the Flower delivery to Japan page and check the destination before becoming attached to a particular bouquet.
Use the recipient’s actual delivery address to identify the destination, rather than assuming that a nearby, better-known city covers it. Prepare the postcode, prefecture, city, street or district, building name and apartment number where applicable. Copy an address supplied by the recipient carefully, preserving its Japanese characters if available. A recognisable city name alone does not provide enough detail for delivery.
Our international service covers 48 countries and more than 1,550 cities, listed on the Flower delivery abroad page, which is in Russian. For a Japanese order, use the relevant country or city selection to see the bouquets offered for that destination. A bouquet found in the Russian catalogue should not be treated as confirmation that the same arrangement is offered in Japan.
Choose flowers around the recipient and the occasion
For a birthday, begin with the recipient’s preferred colours and the space available at home. A compact bouquet may be easier to enjoy on a small table than a wide arrangement that needs clearing space around it. If you know little about their taste, a balanced mixture of colours gives you a practical starting point. Check the pictured shape as well as the flower names.
For a romantic gift, personal preference is more useful than a rigid list of flower meanings. Red roses are widely associated with romance, but they may feel too intimate for a colleague or a new acquaintance. A softer palette can suit a warm, affectionate message without making the flowers carry the whole explanation. Use the card to say clearly whether you are celebrating, thanking or expressing love.
Consider scent and household needs before choosing lilies or other strongly scented flowers. A fragrance that feels pleasant in a spacious room can be intrusive beside a desk or bed. If the recipient has a cat, avoid lilies because they are highly toxic to cats, including through pollen exposure. For a workplace gift, a manageable size and restrained scent are sensible priorities.
Bouquets we can deliver
Use Japanese flower etiquette with context
Japanese flower symbolism matters most when the occasion has a clear social meaning, such as a funeral, formal visit or business celebration. White chrysanthemums have strong funeral associations, particularly in arrangements that resemble condolence flowers. For a cheerful personal gift, choose an arrangement whose overall colour and presentation communicate celebration. One flower’s presence does not explain the meaning of every mixed bouquet.
For someone recovering from illness, check whether flowers are welcome before arranging delivery to a hospital or care setting. Facilities may restrict flowers, and the recipient may have allergies or little space. Potted plants can also be an awkward choice in a recovery context because their roots have an unfavourable association in Japanese gift etiquette. A cut-flower gift still needs the facility’s permission.
For a business recipient, keep the card professional and make the reason for the gift explicit. Include your name or company when recognition matters, rather than relying on the recipient to identify the sender from the bouquet. For condolences or another sensitive occasion, follow the family’s stated preferences. When the context is unclear, ask someone close to the recipient before choosing a symbolic arrangement.
Prepare the order, payment and delivery date
An order for Japan follows the same basic checkout sequence as an order for Russia: choose a bouquet on the country or city page, enter the address and card text, then pay online. The international price is already converted to rubles and includes delivery. The 500 RUB city delivery charge applies to Russian cities. Do not add that domestic charge to your Japanese order calculation.
Online checkout uses CloudPayments. Check the payment options displayed at checkout before relying on a particular card, especially if it was issued outside Russia. We do not guarantee acceptance of every foreign card. Review the destination, bouquet and recipient details before paying, so an address transcription error does not become part of the submitted order.
Plan around the calendar date at the recipient’s address in Japan, particularly when ordering from North America or Europe. Check the delivery date and any timing options shown for the destination; Russian express delivery and time windows do not establish availability in Japan. For an occasion tied to a specific day, check the offered conditions early. Do not assume an unlisted arrival time can be provided.
Make the message useful and help the flowers last
A card with your text is free, and a short, specific message usually works better than a formal greeting copied from a template. Mention the birthday, achievement or shared memory that prompted the gift. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. Sign the card if you want the recipient to know immediately who sent the flowers.
Once cut flowers arrive, start with a clean vase and fresh water. Remove leaves that would sit below the waterline, then trim the stems with a clean, sharp tool before placing them in water. Use supplied flower food according to its instructions if any is included. Keep the bouquet away from direct sun, radiators and ripening fruit.
Check the water daily, replenish it as needed and clean the vase when changing the water. Remove fading flowers so they do not spoil the appearance of healthier stems. Different flowers develop and fade at different rates, so avoid treating one tired bloom as a reliable measure of the whole bouquet’s condition. These simple habits support vase life without promising a fixed number of days.
Sending flowers to Russia while you are abroad
If your search began in Japan but your recipient is in Russia, we deliver flowers across Russia as well. Start with the Bouquets catalogue, then enter the Russian delivery address and card text. City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order.
In large Russian cities, express delivery is available within 1–2 hours after order confirmation. Other options include an exact time with a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes, the windows 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 and 18–21, or pre-ordering 1–30 days ahead. Saint Petersburg delivery operates around the clock. These conditions describe Russian delivery and should not be transferred to an order for Japan.
For Russian deliveries, the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. If the recipient is absent, we agree a second delivery that day or handover to a neighbour or concierge with the sender’s consent. Read Delivery and payment when preparing the order. Questions can be directed to 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy flowers for someone in Japan while living abroad?
Yes, you can order online for a destination within our Japanese delivery coverage. Choose a bouquet on the country or city page, enter the recipient’s address and card text, and pay online in rubles.
Which cities in Japan do you deliver to?
We deliver to 22 Japanese cities, including Asahikawa, Chitose, Ebetsu, Eniwa, Hiroshima, Ishikari, Iwamizawa and Kamakura. Check the Japan destination page for the full selection before ordering.
Is delivery included in the price for Japan?
Yes, the international bouquet price is displayed in rubles and already includes delivery. The 500 RUB city delivery fee applies to Russian cities.
Can I pay with a card issued outside Russia?
Checkout uses CloudPayments, and acceptance of every foreign card is not guaranteed. Check the payment options displayed at checkout for your order.
Can I use the Russian express delivery times for Japan?
No, the 1–2 hour express service and specified time windows describe delivery in Russian cities. Check the date and timing options offered for the Japanese destination before paying.
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