In the days before government postal service was established, letters were carried back and forth by couriers who were the first 'postmen.' In 1871, stalls selling stamps started appearing on street corners, mailboxes were set up, and a letter could be sent simply by putting a stamp on it and posting it. Thus the postal system was born, a system that today is a basic service of everyday life. The new postal system was one of several innovative systems that symbolized Westernization. Particularly in an age when Japanese clothing was the norm, the novel and stylish Western-style uniforms worn by the employees who delivered the mail attracted a great deal of attention.
Postal employees in the Meiji Era were classed as either collection and delivery personnel (mailmen), forwarding personnel, or postal officers. This report follows the changes over the years in the uniform worn by the personnel who delivered the letters--the collection and delivery personnel.
 | The new postal service was established on April 20, 1871. Mailboxes were set up at twelve locations in Tokyo. The collection and delivery personnel wore a dark blue happi coat with the characters for 'Mail' displayed in white on the back of the coat where the material had not been dyed. Each collection and delivery employee wore a bamboo hat, drawers, leggings and straw sandals. |
| A relay system was set up, and collection and delivery personnel carried mail between Tokyo and Osaka in three days and six hours. | |
 Bamboo hat | |
| At the establishment of the postal service (1871) |
