Plz Mr.Postman, let us look and see your “MAILBOX COLOR”(#24)

Do you know the existence of RED WING’s “Postman” shoes?
As the name suggests, it is said to have been manufactured and sold as a homage to the shoes worn by Postman.
Their postman’s job is to travel around the area, relying on maps and their own sense of land and legs, sometimes for delivery and sometimes for gathering.
These work shoes support Postman’s legs.

By the way, the something gathered by Postman are carried from one country to one country by car or airplane, and are delivered to individual addresses.
It’s one of the landscapes that are still staying, even now that unmanned and automated are progressing,isn’t it?
The first thing the Postmen do is to gather.
From where does he do?
If limited to letters and postcards, many people must be mailed them into the mailbox on your nation.
Then do you remember what color of mailbox?
In fact, the mailboxes you take for granted may be different colors outside of your nation.

“Postman” (1928) by Yuzo Saeki
Postman Joseph Roulin”(1888) by Vincent van Gogh

Communism was “BLUE REVOLUTION” only in mailbox⁈

Is it too emphatic that Mailbox is one of infrastructure?
But color is a national symbol .
An simply example is the national flag.
In France, blue means freedom, white means equality, and red means fraternity, so-called “tricolor”.
In Islamic countries, the color of the national flag reflects black and green.
The color of a nation influenced by the communist nations is the “red”.
The Soviet Union, China and Vietnam and so on, the origin of this color flag must be traced back to the French Revolution.
This flag used in France under martial law, so it has the original of a martial law flag.
Protested the flag under martial law and eventually became a “symbol of resistance”, which was then taken over by class struggle.

“Bolshevik” (1920) by Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev

The red color is also the color of blood hidden under the skin, so it goes well with communism in the sense of “common to all humankind.”
However, does it ask the mailbox of communist nations put on red, it is not same.
Far from it, during the Cold War after World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union put the mallbox of similar color that is blue.

Even China and Vietnam have not put red posts.
In China, the mailbox are put on green.

Photo quote: 红动中国

Although the Navy’s blue was adopted under the influence of Britain at the end of the Qing dynasty( the end of 19th century), the rules of postal administration were subsequently set by France.
It is the beginning of the current green color.
It enable to find the influence of the imperialist era remains ever.
Green is also a symbol of peace and prosperity.

Relation to between “TOILET” and “RED REVOLUTION of the MAILBOX” in Japan

On the other hand, red is the mainstream in Japan.
Why?
At the end of the 19th century, public toilets gradually spread throughout the country in line with the spread of mailboxes.
The mailbox in Japan was put on black before.
Initially, both mailboxes and public toilets were “boxes” (it means toilet was called “boxes” as well) by Japanese language.
So there are “many mistakes” then by people who got drunk in the darkness of the night.

Black mailbox

Needless to say, mailbox is mailbox, is not toilet…

And the red, which is still used by many of the Commonwealth of Nations, was used so as not to be mistaken for a toilet.
The story is also a symbolic event in which Japan has a toilet power.

During World War II, metal was given priority to war, and mailboxes were no exception.
Iron mailboxes were replaced by concrete mailboxes at that time.
However, red continues to be used from now on.

Mailbox made in concrete

Can see mailbox of various colors.
so would like to introduce some.
● Red (standard type)


● Yellow (local limited )

Both is in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki prefecture

● Blue (local limited)

In Kobe-city, Hyogo prefecture

● White (local limited)

In Choshi-city, Chiba prefecture


● Pink (local limited)

In Matsue-city, Shimane prefecture

And others, there are several mailboxes put on many colors, such pink, Green, Gold and so on, as a local limited in Japan.

Having a worth to go to “Postal museums” as a peaceful place

There is still no ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia in the former Soviet Union.
The current Ukrainian post is yellow, faster than NATO or EU accession.
Especially about the color of the mailbox, Ukraine is closer to Europe (yellow is used in many Europian countries such as France and Germany and so on).

On the other hand, Russia has kept putting on blue like the United States since the former Soviet Union era.
Strangely, there is a dispute over the color of the Ukrainian flag, which is blue and yellow.
Refraining from political comments, but in the end, just hoping that peace will come soon, not what is good.

There are postal museums in each countries.
Mailboxes have individual tinkings, loves and feelings.
So if you plan a trip abroad, it might have a good idea to visit the postal museum in there.

“Commemoration of Peace”(1919) by Kiyokata Kaburagi

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