Postal Day

What Is Postal Day?

Every April 20th is "Postal Day" (郵政記念日, Yūsei Kinenbi) in Japan. On April 20, 1871 (the 1st day of the 3rd month of Meiji 4 in the old calendar), Japan's modern government-run postal service began, replacing the old hikyaku courier system, with service initially running between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. The day was established in 1934 by the Ministry of Communications as "Communications Day" (逓信記念日) and, after several name changes, is now called Postal Day.

Maejima Hisoka and the Birth of Japanese Mail

Maejima Hisoka (前島密) proposed the creation of a postal system to the Meiji government in 1870. Interestingly, when the service actually launched he was in Britain, partly to observe its postal system, and the preparations were carried on by his successor Sugiura Yuzuru and other officials. After returning in 1871, Maejima led the postal service for many years and laid its foundations, earning the title "father of Japanese postal service." His portrait has long appeared on Japan's one-yen postage stamp. Before the modern postal system, letters were carried by hikyaku — couriers who relayed letters and packages between post stations — and the new government mail changed how people across Japan communicated.

The Evolution of Japan Post

Japan's postal service grew into a nationwide network of post offices, including in remote island communities and mountain villages, handling mail, packages, savings, and insurance. Postal savings, which Maejima introduced after seeing the system in Britain, began in 1875. The postal business was privatized in 2007 after a hotly contested political debate.

Japan's Stamp Culture

Japan has a lively stamp-collecting culture. Commemorative stamps are issued for many events, seasons, and cultural occasions, and stamp design is treated as a form of applied art.

Fun Facts

• First stamps: Japan's first postage stamps, issued in 1871 with the start of the postal service, featured a dragon design (竜文切手).
• Postal codes: Japan introduced seven-digit postal codes (〒) in 1998.
• Changing names: The day began as "Communications Day," was renamed Postal Day in 1950, went back to "Communications Day" for a time, and has been called Postal Day again since 2001.