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Letters

Japan Post Service to hold super-kawaii pop-up event in Shibuya aimed at Gen Z-ers

The aim is to make good ol’ fashioned letter writing fun again.

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Japan’s postal service: So great it’ll even deliver a single leaf to your home

Handled with care and delivered in perfect condition.

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Who actually writes Japan’s Letters from Little Sister and schoolgirl love letter capsule toys?

It turns out there’s a division of labor between who comes up with the words and who writes them on the papers.

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Nintendo brightens the life of a Game Boy-loving 95-year-old Japanese grandmother

Another heartwarming tale of Nintendo’s legendary God-like customer service.

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Elementary student asks Nintendo when the new Animal Crossing comes out, gets a letter in reply

This little girl is frantically waiting for Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch… Sounds like a job for Nintendo’s legendary customer service!

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Japanese artisan keeps traditional culture of yabumi alive with this adorable arrow letter set

From carrier pigeons to messages in bottles, there’s something uniquely appealing about using the forces of nature to carry a passage of prose between two human beings. With Japan’s long history of archery, messages once travelled through the air in the form of yabumi (lit. arrow text), a folded letter attached to an arrow that acted as a speedy delivery service between individuals or warring clans.

Sadly, the culture of yabumi dwindled and gradually disappeared as we moved slowly towards the world of much less dangerous (though sometimes just as impactful) emails and instant messaging. One traditional artisan is keeping the culture alive though, with a new letter set that contains everything you need to create your own yabumi, this time with adorable, user-friendly arrows.

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Japan Post provides sample letters for marriage proposals and other personal messages

The Internet is full of sample sentences and letter structures to use when writing business mail, cover letters, or press releases. They’re an invaluable resource if you wish to be taken seriously, especially when you’re not used to writing letters for professional purposes.

Now, the Japan Post is extending their helpful how-to section to include more than just business examples. They’ve got sections for season’s greetings, ceremonial matters (such as invitations and notifications), and even personal letters! Apparently, the art of letter writing is so lost on Japanese people that they require a standard format to follow for the confidence of writing to one another. There are 19 categories outlined in the personal letters section, including advice, requests, and even marriage proposals! It’s like Japan has been taken back to the days of passing notes in middle school! “Do you like me? Check yes, no, or explain your decision using the standard letter format outlined by the Japan Post.” Read More