Sending Flowers to Tokyo: Ordering, Etiquette and Flower Meanings
You can send flowers to Tokyo through Pyat Tsvetov: Tokyo is on our list of delivery cities in Japan. Choose a bouquet on the Tokyo page, enter the address and the text for the card, and pay online; the price is already converted to rubles and already includes delivery.
Japan is a country where flowers carry very specific meanings, and a well-meant bouquet can send the wrong message if you choose it the way you would for Saint Petersburg or London. Customers who order to Tokyo from our shops usually ask three things: how to pay from abroad, how to write a Japanese address, and which flowers are safe for the occasion. Below we answer all three, with the practical detail a florist would give you at the counter.
How to place an order to Tokyo
An order to Japan is placed the same way as an order in Russia. Open the Japan page or the Tokyo page directly, choose a bouquet, then fill in the recipient's name, address, phone number and card text. The price you see already includes delivery and is shown in rubles.
Payment is online on the site: Russian bank cards, SBP, Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards through Robokassa. Your bank converts the ruble amount into your currency, so the final figure on your statement depends on its rate. If a foreign card is declined, confirm the transaction in your banking app and try again; banks often block the first international payment to a new merchant.
Besides Tokyo, we deliver to 22 cities in Japan, including Hiroshima, Kamakura, Asahikawa and Chitose. If the person you have in mind lives in Greater Tokyo but outside the city itself, check the Japan page for their town before ordering. For any question about an order, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Writing a Japanese address so the courier finds it
Japanese addresses are built differently from European ones. They go from the largest unit to the smallest: postcode, prefecture (Tokyo-to), ward (for example Shibuya-ku or Setagaya-ku), district, then block numbers, and finally the building name and room number. Many streets have no names at all, so the block numbers do the work that street names do elsewhere.
Ask the recipient or a mutual friend for the address exactly as it is written on their mail, including the seven-digit postcode and the full building name. In Tokyo most people live in apartment buildings, often called 'mansion' or 'heights' in their names, and a missing room number is the most common reason a courier has to call. Write the address in Latin letters if you cannot copy the Japanese version precisely.
Add the recipient's phone number with the +81 country code. The name should be written the way the person uses it officially; Japanese people usually put the family name first, and it is worth checking which order your recipient prefers so the card and the delivery name match.
Bouquets we can deliver
Flowers and numbers to avoid in Japan
The question we hear most about Japan is what not to send. White chrysanthemums are strongly associated with funerals and graves, so they should never go into a birthday or congratulations bouquet. White lilies and white carnations carry a similar mood. For happy occasions, choose warm and bright colours instead.
Numbers matter as well. Four is pronounced 'shi', like the word for death, and nine is 'ku', which sounds like the word for suffering, so bouquets of four or nine stems are best avoided. Japanese etiquette does not have the Russian rule about even numbers, but steering clear of four and nine is considered polite.
For someone in hospital, avoid potted plants: a plant with roots suggests that the illness will 'take root' and the stay will be long. Camellias are another flower to skip for patients and older relatives, because the whole flower head falls at once, which some people associate with misfortune. Cut flowers in cheerful colours, without a strong scent, are the safe choice for a hospital visit, if the ward accepts them.
Good choices by occasion
For a birthday, roses in pink, peach or orange, gerberas and mixed seasonal bouquets work well. Pink roses are associated with gratitude and gentle affection, which makes them suitable for friends, colleagues and family alike. Red roses carry a romantic meaning in Japan just as they do in Europe, so keep them for a partner.
Mother's Day in Japan falls on the second Sunday of May, and red and pink carnations are the traditional gift. Sunflowers are popular in summer and read as cheerful and warm. For a business contact or a teacher, a neat, moderately sized bouquet is more appropriate than a large one; Japanese etiquette values restraint, and an oversized gift can make the recipient feel obliged to give something of equal value back.
Space is another practical consideration. Tokyo apartments are compact, and many people do not own a big vase. A rounded hand-tied bouquet or an arrangement in a box with floral foam is easy to place on a small table or shelf. Our bouquets catalogue lists the size of each arrangement, which helps you choose one that will fit.
The card: tone, language and anonymity
Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender. If you want the recipient to know the bouquet is from you, sign the card; the card with your text is free. For a Japanese recipient, a short, polite message in English is usually understood, and a few simple words of thanks or congratulation go a long way.
Keep the tone modest. Effusive declarations that sound natural in Russian can feel overwhelming in Japanese culture, where understatement is a sign of respect. A line such as 'Thank you for everything this year. With warm wishes from Saint Petersburg' fits well for a colleague or host family.
If the recipient is a Russian speaker living in Tokyo, write in whichever language you normally use with them. Check the spelling of names carefully, because a card cannot be corrected once the bouquet has been handed over.
Care advice for Tokyo's climate, and orders to Russia
Tokyo summers are hot and very humid, and indoor air-conditioning dries the air. In summer the water should be changed daily, the stems trimmed at an angle, and the vase kept away from both direct sun and the cold air stream of an air conditioner. In winter, keep the bouquet away from heaters. Arrangements in floral foam simply need the foam topped up with water so it never dries out.
If you also have family in Russia, the same site works for them. Our three shops have been in Saint Petersburg since 2011, and in Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock. Across Russia city delivery costs 500 RUB, and for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In large Russian cities express delivery takes one to two hours after confirmation, or you can choose an exact time, a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or a pre-order up to thirty days ahead. All 53 countries we deliver to are on the flower delivery abroad page. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deliver flowers to Tokyo?
Yes. Tokyo is on our list of delivery cities in Japan. You order on the Tokyo page and pay online; the price already includes delivery.
Can I pay with a non-Russian card?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, and the amount is charged in rubles. Russian cards, SBP and Yandex Pay also work.
Which flowers should I avoid sending in Japan?
Avoid white chrysanthemums and other all-white bouquets for happy occasions, since they are linked to funerals. Avoid bouquets of four or nine stems, and potted plants for hospital patients.
Where else in Japan do you deliver?
We deliver to 22 cities in Japan, including Hiroshima, Kamakura, Asahikawa and Chitose. The full list is on the Japan page.
How can I ask a question about my order?
Call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05. We will help with the bouquet, the address and the card text.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
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