発送 vs 配送 vs 配達 vs 出荷: Japanese Shipping, Dispatch, Delivery, Shipment Status, Tracking, and EC Order Vocabulary

You placed an order on a Japanese shopping site. A few hours later, an email arrives — but the status message is full of words you have never seen before. Is your package actually on its way? Has it left the warehouse? Is the courier already at your door?

Japanese EC (e-commerce) order emails and tracking pages use four words that all translate loosely to “shipping” or “delivery” in English: 発送（はっそう）, 配送（はいそう）, 配達（はいたつ）, and 出荷（しゅっか）. Each one describes a different stage in the journey from seller’s shelf to your doorstep. Mixing them up is one of the most common frustrations for English-speaking shoppers in Japan.

This guide explains every word, shows you exactly where each one appears, and gives you the vocabulary you need to read tracking screens, re-delivery slips, and customer service emails with confidence.

Quick Answer: 発送 vs 配送 vs 配達 vs 出荷

Think of the four words as four moments in a single journey. The seller dispatches (発送) your order after the warehouse releases it (出荷). The carrier then moves it through the delivery network (配送) until a driver makes the final delivery (配達) to your door. In English, “shipping” and “delivery” cover all four stages at once — in Japanese, each stage has its own word.

発送 (はっそう) — Dispatch

発送（はっそう）is the seller’s action of sending the item out. When an online shop says “発送しました,” it means they have handed the package over to a carrier. This is the customer-facing term — you will see it in confirmation emails and on order status pages.

Example:
ご注文の商品を本日発送いたしました。
Gotyuumon no shouhin wo honjitsu hassou itashimashita.
We have dispatched your ordered item today.

配送 (はいそう) — The Delivery Process

配送（はいそう）refers to the entire process of moving a package through the carrier’s network — from the moment it is picked up until it reaches the local depot near you. It is a broader, more abstract word than 配達. You will see it in phrases like 配送状況（はいそうじょうきょう）”delivery/shipping status” on tracking pages.

Example:
現在、配送中です。
Genzai, haisou-chuu desu.
Your package is currently in transit.

配達 (はいたつ) — Final Delivery

配達（はいたつ）is the last step: a delivery person physically brings the package to your address. It is specific and personal — it involves a person, a doorbell, and a signature. This is the word on missed-delivery slips (不在票）and re-delivery request forms.

Example:
本日14時から18時の間に配達いたします。
Honjitsu juuji yoji kara juuhachi-ji no aida ni haitatsu itashimasu.
We will deliver your package today between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

出荷 (しゅっか) — Warehouse Shipment Release

出荷（しゅっか）is a warehouse and logistics term. It means an item has been released from inventory and prepared for shipment. End customers rarely use this word themselves, but they often see it in EC order status screens — especially on Amazon Japan and large shopping sites — before the seller sends the 発送 notification.

Example:
出荷準備中です。しばらくお待ちください。
Shukka junbi-chuu desu. Shibaraku omachi kudasai.
We are preparing your shipment. Please wait a little longer.

What Does 配達 Mean?

配達（はいたつ）is the word that means a package is physically coming to your door right now, or has already arrived. It is the most personal and concrete of the four words. When you see 配達中（はいたつちゅう）on a tracking page, a driver is already in your neighbourhood making deliveries.

Here are the key 配達 compounds you need to know:

配達中 — Out for Delivery:
ただいま配達中です。本日中にお届けします。
Tadaima haitatsu-chuu desu. Honjitsu-juu ni otodoke shimasu.
Your package is currently out for delivery. We will deliver it today.

再配達 — Re-delivery Request:
不在票に記載の番号から再配達をご依頼ください。
Fuzaihyou ni kisai no bangou kara saihaitatsu wo goirai kudasai.
Please request a re-delivery using the number on the missed-delivery slip.

置き配 — Unattended Delivery:
置き配をご希望の場合は、玄関前にお届けします。
Okihai wo gokibou no baai wa, genkan-mae ni otodoke shimasu.
If you would like unattended delivery, we will leave the package at your front door.

Yuka

I keep missing the delivery because I’m at work all day. Is there a way to ask for a specific time in Japanese?

Rei

Yes! Look for 配達時間帯指定 (haitatsu jikan-tai shitei) — “specify delivery time slot” — on the order screen. Most Japanese carriers like Yamato and Sagawa let you pick a window from 8 AM to 9 PM.

What Does 出荷 Mean?

出荷（しゅっか）is a supply-chain and warehouse term. It literally means “goods leaving a place” — specifically, stock leaving a warehouse or fulfillment centre to begin its journey. Customers see this word on EC status screens, but it is fundamentally a backend operation word used by sellers and logistics companies.

The important thing to remember: 出荷 does not mean your package has arrived or even that a carrier has it yet. It means the warehouse has processed your order and the item is ready to go — or has just left the building.

出荷準備中 — Preparing to Ship:
現在、出荷準備中です。準備が完了次第、発送通知をお送りします。
Genzai, shukka junbi-chuu desu. Junbi ga kanryou shidai, hassou tsuuchi wo ooksuri shimasu.
We are currently preparing your shipment. We will send you a dispatch notification once it is ready.

出荷済み — Shipped from Warehouse:
商品は出荷済みです。追跡番号は以下をご確認ください。
Shouhin wa shukka-zumi desu. Tsuiseki bangou wa ika wo gokakunin kudasai.
Your item has been shipped from our warehouse. Please check the tracking number below.

出荷日 — Shipment Date:
出荷日は注文から2営業日後を予定しております。
Shukka-bi wa chuumon kara ni-eigyoubi-go wo yotei shite orimasu.
The shipment date is scheduled for two business days after your order.

発送 vs 出荷 — Customer-Facing vs Warehouse

This is the pair that confuses learners the most. Both words appear in EC order flows, and both relate to an item leaving a location — but they describe two different perspectives on the same event.

発送 is the seller’s communication to the customer. When the seller says “発送しました,” they are telling you: “We have sent your item — it is no longer with us.” This is a customer-service action as much as a logistics one.

出荷 is the warehouse operation. It means stock has been released from inventory. The customer may never see this word in a direct message, but it appears in the order status timeline on the website itself.

Here is a typical EC order sequence showing both words in context:

Order status page (website timeline):
注文確認 → 出荷準備中 → 出荷済み → 配送中 → 配達中 → 配達完了

Email from seller (sent around the 出荷済み stage):
【発送のお知らせ】ご注文の商品を発送いたしました。
【Hassou no oshirase】Gochuumon no shouhin wo hassou itashimashita.
[Dispatch Notification] We have dispatched your ordered item.

Follow-up line in the same email:
追跡番号を使って配送状況をご確認いただけます。
Tsuiseki bangou wo tsukatte haisou joukyou wo gokakunin itadakemasu.
You can check the shipping/delivery status using your tracking number.

Common learner mistake: Thinking that 出荷済み means “delivered.” It does not — it only means the item has left the warehouse. The package still needs to travel through the carrier’s network (配送) and be brought to your door (配達).

発送 vs 配送 — Sending Out vs the Delivery Process

発送（はっそう）is a one-time event: the seller hands the item to a carrier. 配送（はいそう）is the ongoing process that follows: the carrier’s network moves the package across sorting centres and regional depots until it reaches the delivery area.

Think of it this way: 発送 starts the clock. 配送 is everything that happens while the clock is running.

発送通知 — Dispatch Notification:
発送通知メールをご確認ください。
Hassou tsuuchi meeru wo gokakunin kudasai.
Please check your dispatch notification email.

配送状況 — Delivery Status (Tracking):
ヤマト運輸のサイトで配送状況をご確認いただけます。
Yamato Un’yu no saito de haisou joukyou wo gokakunin itadakemasu.
You can check the delivery/shipping status on the Yamato Transport website.

Tracking screen vocabulary you will often see:

Natural customer email usage:
お荷物の発送が完了しました。配送業者は佐川急便です。
Onimotsu no hassou ga kanryou shimashita. Haisou gyousha wa Sagawa Kyuubin desu.
Your package has been dispatched. The shipping company is Sagawa Express.

Yuka

So when I get a 発送通知 email, that means my package is already with the carrier?

Rei

Exactly. 発送通知 means the seller has handed your package to the carrier. After that, look for 配送状況 updates on the carrier’s tracking page — you’ll move from 配送中 to 配達中 to 配達完了.

配送 vs 配達 — Whole Network vs Final Mile

配送（はいそう）and 配達（はいたつ）are the two words learners confuse most on tracking screens, because both involve movement toward the customer. The difference is scale and specificity.

配送 covers the entire carrier network — sorting facilities, long-distance trucks, regional distribution centres. It is abstract and systemic. 配達 is the final, personal act of a delivery person bringing the package to your specific address.

配送業者 vs 配達員:
配送業者はヤマト運輸です。
Haisou gyousha wa Yamato Un’yu desu.
The shipping company (carrier) is Yamato Transport.

配達員が玄関先に荷物を置いてくれました。
Haitatsuin ga genkan-saki ni nimotsu wo oite kuremashita.
The delivery person left the package at the front door for me.

配送中 vs 配達中:
現在、お荷物は配送中です。
Genzai, onimotsu wa haisou-chuu desu.
Your package is currently in transit (moving through the carrier network).

現在、お荷物は配達中です。本日お届けします。
Genzai, onimotsu wa haitatsu-chuu desu. Honjitsu otodoke shimasu.
Your package is currently out for delivery. We will deliver it today.

Here is the full EC status progression you will see on most Japanese tracking pages:

Shipping Status Words You Must Know

Beyond the four core words, Japanese EC and carrier sites use a set of standard vocabulary that you will encounter every time you shop online. Here is a complete reference.

Using 不在票 to request 再配達:
不在票が入っていたので、再配達をお願いしたいのですが。
Fuzaihyou ga haitte ita node, saihaitatsu wo onegai shitai no desu ga.
A missed-delivery slip was left, so I would like to request a re-delivery.

Asking about your tracking number:
追跡番号を使って、現在の配送状況を確認できますか？
Tsuiseki bangou wo tsukatte, genzai no haisou joukyou wo kakunin dekimasu ka?
Can I check the current shipping status using the tracking number?

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Because English uses “shipping” and “delivery” loosely for the entire process, English speakers run into predictable problems when reading Japanese EC messages. Here are the most common errors:

Mistake 1: Translating every “shipping” as 配送

English speakers often default to 配送 for everything. But when you want to say “I sent the package,” the correct word is 発送: 荷物を発送しました（にもつをはっそうしました）. 配送 describes the carrier’s process, not the sender’s action.

Mistake 2: Thinking 発送済み means delivered

発送済み（はっそうずみ）only means the seller has sent the item. It is not delivered yet. If you are waiting at home, you need to wait for 配達完了（はいたつかんりょう）before celebrating.

Mistake 3: Thinking 出荷 means delivered

出荷（しゅっか）is the earliest stage — the warehouse releasing the stock. 出荷準備中 means your item has not even left the building yet. There are still multiple stages between 出荷 and 配達完了.

Mistake 4: Confusing 配送業者 and 配達員

配送業者（はいそうぎょうしゃ）is the shipping company (Yamato, Sagawa, Japan Post, etc.). 配達員（はいたついん）is the individual delivery person who comes to your door. You complain to the 配送業者 about a lost package, but you thank the 配達員 when they hand you your box.

Mistake 5: Misreading EC order status emails

Many learners see a 発送通知 email and immediately go to the door, thinking delivery is imminent. In reality, 発送 only means the carrier has it. Delivery (配達) may still be one or more days away. Check 配送状況 with the 追跡番号 to see how close it is.

Which Shipping Word Should You Use? — Decision Flowchart

Use this flowchart to pick the right word for any shipping or delivery situation:

Are you talking about a package in the context of a warehouse or inventory system?
  ├─ YES → Are you saying the item is being prepared to leave the warehouse?
  │          ├─ YES, it is being prepared    → 出荷準備中 (shukka junbi-chuu)
  │          └─ YES, it has already left     → 出荷済み (shukka-zumi)
  │
  └─ NO → Are you talking about the seller sending the item to the customer?
             ├─ YES → Did the seller send the item? (email / notification action)
             │          ├─ YES, it was just sent       → 発送済み / 発送しました (hassou)
             │          └─ NO, you want to say "send"  → 発送する (hassou suru)
             │
             └─ NO → Are you talking about movement through the carrier network?
                        ├─ YES, package is in transit  → 配送中 (haisou-chuu)
                        ├─ YES, tracking/status info   → 配送状況 (haisou joukyou)
                        └─ NO → Is the driver on their way to the door right now?
                                   ├─ YES, driver is coming   → 配達中 (haitatsu-chuu)
                                   └─ YES, it was delivered   → 配達完了 (haitatsu kanryou)

Quick Quiz

Test yourself. Fill in the blank with the correct word from the box: 発送 / 配送 / 配達 / 出荷 / 再配達 / 追跡番号

1. The tracking page shows “______中” — the driver is on the way to my apartment.
(Hint: final-mile delivery, personal, to your address)

2. I received an email saying “商品を______しました.” The seller has just sent my item.
(Hint: seller’s dispatch action, customer-facing)

3. The warehouse status shows “______準備中.” My item has not left the building yet.
(Hint: warehouse release term)

4. I want to check the real-time tracking. I need to use my ______番号 on the carrier’s website.
(Hint: “tracking number”)

5. A missed-delivery slip was left at my door. I need to request ______.
(Hint: “re-delivery”)

6. The carrier’s website shows “______中” — my package is still moving through sorting centres across Japan.
(Hint: the carrier network process, not the final mile)

Answers:
1. 配達（配達中）
2. 発送
3. 出荷（出荷準備中）
4. 追跡（追跡番号）
5. 再配達
6. 配送（配送中）

Have you ever been confused by a Japanese EC order status email? Which shipping word do you see most often when shopping online in Japan? Let us know in the comments!

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