Michael Cash wrote:

> I have sent several letters and mailed dozens upon dozens of parcels
> to Japan from the US, with the address done completely in Japanese
> (kanji, etc) with only the word "Japan" written in roman letters. The
> people at the local post office protested that it couldn't be handled.
> I pointed out that all they had to do was get it on the right boat and
> the folks in Japan would handle the rest. Everything arrived fine.

Similar experiences - I sent a bunch of postcards and aerogrammes (do 
they still exist?) to Japan in the early 90's during a 4 month long 
bicycle trip with only the "Japan" part of the address written in 
Romaji. I can't recall the staff of the various post offices scattered 
across Austria even raising an eyebrow. According to my diary, the only 
comment I remembered was from a post office agent in the desert 
(township of maybe 20 people), and his question was "Are you Japanese?".

-- 
"Oh don't give me none more of that Old Janx Spirit/ No, don't you give 
me none more of that Old Janx Spirit/ For my head will fly, my tongue 
will lie, my eyes will fry and I may die/ Won't you pour me one more of 
that sinful Old Janx Spirit"