Monday, November 25, 2024
On Thursday, November 21, the "Yellow Post of Happiness" was installed next to the entrance of the Hokuryu Town Joint Government Building. This is a postal box No. 1 (round type) that was previously installed, painted sunflower yellow.
Yellow mailbox of happiness @ Hokuryu Town Joint Government Building, next to the entrance
Weekdays: Around 16:40 Saturdays: Around 15:00 Sundays: Around 15:00
◉ According to Ishisan's Round Post Photo Gallery, there are 22 "yellow round postboxes" across the country (as of February 7, 2025).[Ishisan's Maru Post Photo Gallery: Rare Posts]The following is a list of the most common problems with the
"Yellow Post of Happiness" Dialogue
This is a conversation between Postmaster Kazuhiro Kiyohara of Kazu Post Office in Kitaryū Town and Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki.
Yasuhiro Sasaki, Mayor, Hokuryu Town
"We have been applying to the post office to change our mailboxes to yellow for the past six years. However, it has been difficult to make the change a reality, and after six years our application has finally come to fruition.
According to an online search, there are about five yellow postboxes installed across Japan.
It would be interesting to see local post stamp rallies and the like expanded nationwide in the future.
I want to increase the value of letters. I think it's also important to reconsider the value of writing a handwritten, heartfelt letter and posting it.
The realization of the "Happy Yellow Post" is thanks to the efforts of Postmaster Kazuhiro Kiyohara.
"Yellow is the color of good luck. By sending a letter through this yellow postbox, people are entrusting their wishes that their 'happiness' will spread to many people," said Mayor Sasaki with a smile.
Postmaster of Hokuryucho Post Office, Kazuhiro Kiyohara
"The reason we decided to use yellow postboxes is because the symbol of Hokuryu Town is the yellow sunflower.
There aren't many areas where round postboxes (No. 1 round mail box) still remain, so I have long felt that it would be nice to have a sunflower yellow postbox.
This was Mayor Sasaki's idea, and after much research and years of problem-solving we were finally able to achieve this color scheme.
We have also considered changing the name of the post office from "Wa Post Office" to "Himawari Post Office." This is possible if certain conditions are met, but the application process is quite difficult.
"A dozen years ago, there was talk that it would be possible to change the name of the post office if the name of the town or place actually contained the word 'Himawari', and the town name would not change. We will consider this in the future," said Postmaster Kiyohara.
Himawari Saki rushed over to celebrate!
History of the Postbox
- The first post box in Japan (made of black wood) was installed in 1871. The following year, "black-painted post boxes (black post boxes)" appeared, and the construction of a nationwide postal network progressed.
- The red round iron mailboxes were started in 1901 (34th year of the Meiji era).
- Since 1949, the "Mailbox No. 1 (round type)" has been installed next to the entrance of the Hokuryu Town Joint Government Building.
- In recent years, colorful mailboxes that reflect the characteristics of each region have been installed (yellow, pink, white, and gold).
- The yellow postboxes are located at: ① Nishioyama Station, Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture (installed in 2010); ② Aoshima, Miyazaki Prefecture (installed in 2014); ③ Kintetsu Kashihara-Jingu-mae Station, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture (installed in 2016); ④ Kanayama Station on the Fukuoka City subway in Fukuoka Prefecture; ④ Mojiko Retro "Yellow Banana Postbox" in Fukuoka Prefecture (to be repainted in April 2022); and ⑤ Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture (installed during the Rape Blossom Festival, which is held every year from early January to the end of March).
- Unique local mailboxes have been installed all over the country, including a blue mailbox with a whale motif in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, a black and white mailbox with a panda design at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, and a "Gold Post" mailbox in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, in honor of Tokyo Olympic women's judo gold medalist Hikaru Sone.
- 【reference】Postal Museum, ,Genspark AI
Hokuryu Town's sunflower-colored "Yellow Postbox of Happiness" emanates the power of happiness!
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we send these letters to Hokuryu Town's great "yellow postbox of happiness," where the bright, cheerful vibrations filled with sincerity are carried by the wonderful words written in the letters and delivered to many people.
More Photos
Related Articles and Websites
On Friday, February 7, 2025, the internet site [Ishisan's Round Post Photo Gallery] published the "Yellow Post of Happiness" in Hokuryu Town...
January 9, 2025 (Thursday) The Hokkaido Shimbun Press (Sapporo City) runs an internet site called "Hokkaido Shimbun Digital" and the article "Postbox, Hi..." was published.
Thursday, November 28, 2024 On Thursday, November 21, the No. 1 round mailbox next to the entrance of Hokuryu Town Hall was painted sunflower yellow.
We introduce the evolution of postboxes from the first postboxes in Japan to the current postboxes. Museum Notes is a column from the Postal Museum...
Do you think that postboxes are just for dropping off letters? In fact, if you travel around Japan, you will find many cute postboxes that are perfect for photos.
◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi) 
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