International Mail Day

What Is Foreign Mail Day?

January 8th is "Gaikoku Yubin no Hi" (Foreign Mail Day) in Japan. On January 8, 1875, an opening ceremony for foreign mail service was held at the Yokohama Post Office (today's Yokohama Port Post Office). Until then, the American post office in Yokohama's foreign settlement had handled international mail, but from this point on the Japanese government took over the service itself. A plaque commemorating this stands at the Yokohama Port Post Office.

Maejima Hisoka, the Father of Japan's Postal System

In the early Meiji era, post offices run by Britain, France, the United States and others in Japan's open ports handled international mail, and Japan did not fully control its own postal rights.

• Maejima Hisoka's efforts: Maejima Hisoka, known as "the father of Japan's modern postal service," led the creation of the government postal system launched in 1871 and worked to bring foreign mail under Japanese control.
• The Japan-U.S. Postal Convention: A postal exchange convention was concluded with the United States in 1873, and under it Japan began handling foreign mail in Yokohama in January 1875. The U.S. post office in Japan was closed at the same time.
• Joining the Universal Postal Union: Japan joined the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1877, becoming a full member of the international postal network.

International Mail Today

Even now that email and online calls are part of everyday life, international mail remains essential for sending letters and parcels overseas. Japan Post offers airmail and surface mail as well as services such as EMS (Express Mail Service) for fast delivery of documents and packages.

Fun Facts About Foreign Mail

• Airmail borders: The red and blue diagonal stripes often seen on airmail envelopes are a design meant to make airmail recognizable at a glance.
• Blue postboxes: Japan once had blue postboxes dedicated to airmail. Some areas still have blue postboxes today, for express mail and other uses.
• UPU headquarters: The Universal Postal Union, founded in 1874, is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, and its founding date of October 9th is observed as World Post Day.
• Country names on stamps: Under UPU rules, stamps must show the name of the issuing country -- except those of the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the postage stamp, which is identified by the monarch's portrait instead.

Ways to Spend Foreign Mail Day

• Write a card or letter to a friend or acquaintance living overseas
• Compare stamp and postcard designs from around the world at a postal museum or online
• Look into the Yokohama Port Post Office and the history of mail in the Meiji era
• If you deal with overseas partners at work, double-check shipping methods and postage for documents

January 8th is the day Japan began exchanging mail with the world on its own. Why not think of the efforts of the Meiji-era pioneers the next time a letter crosses borders?