..that it was one of the more expensive type of 
IPMO.  In addition to the pink IPMO, which is 
used for Canada and many other "not so foreign" 
countries, there is also another type, which has 
to go through all sorts of processing before it 
reaches its destination, and is signifigantly 
more costly.  My guess would be the clerk heard 
Japan, and immediately thought "exotic, foreign 
country, must be the second type of IPMO"  That 
would also explain why he thought there would be 
a delay in the sending time (and possibly even 
higher costs if there were more forms), was 
because of the time it takes to process the 
second type of IPMO.  I have on more than one 
occaision had to tell new clerks at the PO where 
I usually do business "trust me, the pink one 
works in Japan."  they're just not used to 
sending there, and don't know what methods work.  
NOT that this excuses him from costing you so 
much money through his ignorance.  You truly have 
my sympathies about this, it sounds like you just 
got an idiot waiting on you. But rest assured 
that from here on out, you can insist, "the 3.25 
money order works in japan, airmal will get it 
there."    Just ask anyone on the forum, it's the 
truth.