Sending Flowers to Tokyo: Ordering, Etiquette and Timing

Yes, you can send flowers to Tokyo with Turboflora: Tokyo is on our list of delivery cities abroad, and you order it the same way as a bouquet within Russia. Choose a bouquet on the Tokyo delivery page, enter the recipient's address and your card text, and pay online in rubles; the price shown already includes delivery.

Below we explain how to fill in a Japanese address so the courier finds the door first time, which flowers carry the right meaning in Japan and which are better avoided, when the big gifting dates fall, and how the recipient can keep the bouquet fresh through a humid Tokyo summer or a dry, heated winter apartment.

How ordering flowers to Tokyo works

An order abroad follows the same steps as one inside Russia. You pick a bouquet on the country or city page, type the delivery address and the message for the card, and pay on the site with a bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. The price is already converted to rubles and already includes delivery to Tokyo, so there is no separate fee to calculate at checkout.

Tokyo is one of 22 Japanese cities on our list. If your friend or relative lives elsewhere in the country, open the Japan page to check the city; the full list of 53 countries and more than 1630 cities is on the page Flower delivery abroad, which is in Russian but easy to navigate by country name.

If something is unclear, write to a manager on WhatsApp. You can ask for help choosing a bouquet, agree the delivery time and address, check the wording of the card and ask for a photo of the bouquet before it goes out. Delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier will not name you unless you put your name on the card, which is free.

Writing a Tokyo address correctly

Japanese addresses run from large to small: postal code, prefecture (for Tokyo it is Tokyo-to), ward or city, district, then the block numbers written as chome, ban and go, for example 3-12-5. After that comes the building name and the room number. Most delivery problems in Tokyo come from a missing room number or a building name left out, because many apartment blocks share one street number.

Ask the recipient, or someone close to them, for the address exactly as it appears on their parcels, and copy it in Latin letters. Add a phone number that works in Japan. A short note such as 'office reception, 5th floor' or 'apartment intercom 402' saves time at the door.

If you want the flowers to arrive at a workplace, check first whether the company accepts personal deliveries. Some Tokyo offices have a strict reception desk, and a bouquet left there for hours loses much of its charm. A home address on a day off is often the safer choice.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Japanese flower etiquette: what to send and what to avoid

Japan has its own language of flowers, hanakotoba, and many people still notice it. Roses speak of love and admiration, as they do in Europe; pink and orange shades feel warm and friendly rather than romantic. Gerberas, sunflowers and tulips read as cheerful and are good for birthdays and congratulations. Carnations are firmly linked with Mother's Day.

White chrysanthemums and white lilies are associated with funerals and Buddhist altars, so avoid all-white arrangements for a happy occasion. Camellias drop their whole flower head at once, which is why many people find them unlucky for someone who is ill. For a hospital visit, a potted plant is a poor choice too: the idea of 'taking root' suggests a long stay.

Numbers matter as well. Four (shi) sounds like the word for death and nine (ku) like suffering, so bouquets with four or nine stems are best avoided. An odd number such as five, seven or eleven is a safe choice. When in doubt, choose a mixed bouquet in soft colours; it is hard to get wrong.

Good occasions and timing for Tokyo

Mother's Day in Japan falls on the second Sunday of May, and carnations are the classic gift. Respect for the Aged Day is the third Monday of September, a lovely moment to send flowers to grandparents. Birthdays, graduations in March, a new job in April and Christmas Eve, which in Japan is a romantic date rather than a family holiday, are all popular reasons to order.

Remember the time difference: Tokyo is six hours ahead of Moscow and nine hours ahead of London in winter. A message timed for 'morning' in Europe arrives in the Tokyo afternoon or evening. Agree the day and convenient time window with the recipient's routine in mind, especially if they commute far for work.

Plan ahead for busy dates. Around Mother's Day and the end of the year, order a few days early so you can agree the details calmly instead of rushing on the day itself.

Choosing a bouquet that suits the person

Think about the recipient's home before the flowers themselves. Many Tokyo apartments are compact, so a tall, sprawling arrangement can feel overwhelming on a small table, while a neat, rounded bouquet of medium size fits almost anywhere. Japanese taste often leans towards restraint: a few well-chosen stems in harmonious colours can say more than a huge armful.

For a colleague or business contact, choose calm pastel tones and avoid deep red roses, which read as romantic. For a partner, red or burgundy roses are perfectly clear. For an older relative, soft pink, peach or lilac flowers feel respectful and kind. Strongly scented flowers such as oriental lilies are best skipped if the person lives in a small flat or has a baby at home.

Keeping the bouquet fresh in Tokyo's climate

Tokyo summers are hot and humid, and the rainy season, tsuyu, usually runs through June into July. Warm water in a vase grows bacteria fast, so the recipient should change it every day in summer, trim two to three centimetres off the stems at an angle with a sharp knife, and remove any leaves that sit below the waterline.

Keep the vase away from a window in direct sun and away from the air conditioner's stream, which dries petals. In winter, apartments are often heated with a floor heater or an air conditioner running warm air; again, a cooler corner of the room adds days to the bouquet's life. Roses and chrysanthemums typically last about a week with this care, carnations and alstroemerias often longer.

If the flowers arrive in a water box or a wrapped bouquet with a water pack, it is still worth recutting the stems before putting them in a vase. Stems seal over during transport, and a fresh cut lets them drink again.

Writing the card in English or Japanese

A short message works best on a small card. If the recipient reads English, a simple line such as 'Happy birthday, with love from Moscow' or 'Thinking of you, see you soon' is perfect. If you know a few Japanese phrases, 'Otanjoubi omedetou' (happy birthday) or 'Itsumo arigatou' (thank you for everything) is a warm touch, written in Latin letters.

Avoid long jokes or slang that may be lost in translation, and sign with the name the person knows you by. If you would rather stay anonymous, leave the signature off: the courier does not name the sender unless you do. Once the address and card are ready, you can choose a bouquet in the Tokyo section and place the order in a few minutes. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.