Why is the postal code "01" for Akita and "10" for Tokyo?
March 19th 11:09am
A 7-digit postal code used to deliver mail.
For example, NHK Akita Broadcasting Station is 010-8501.
The first two digits indicate the prefecture.
Akita is numbered ``01'', neighboring Iwate is numbered ``02'', and Tokyo is numbered ``10''.
Why is Akita “01” and Tokyo “10”?
We looked into the history of postal codes.
(Akita Broadcasting Station reporter Yu Yokoyama)
“Does the postal code start from Akita?”
The first two digits of a postal code indicate the prefecture, and the remaining digits indicate a more detailed region.
The mystery of Akita being "01".
First of all, if you ask Akita prefecture residents and mail carriers...
Female in her 90's
: "I've never thought about the reason. I don't know."
Male, in his 20's
: "Is it because postal services first started in Akita?"
Deliveryman:
"Is it '01'? I'm also a long-time delivery person, but I've never thought about it, so I don't know."
Everyone had a "If you ask me..." look on their faces.
So I visited the Akita Central Post Office, the oldest in Akita.
The person I spoke to was Satoshi Namioka, the postal manager.
Mr. Namioka told us about the history of the postal code system.
Satoshi Namioka, Postal Manager, Akita Central Post Office
``The postal code system was started with the aim of streamlining and mechanizing the work of sorting mail and streamlining the transportation process.Thanks to the introduction of sorting machines at the time of the system's launch, We can now work approximately seven times faster than human power.”
What is a postal code?
The postal code system was introduced to improve work efficiency.
It started in 1968, 56 years ago.
Initially it was 3 or 5 digits, but since February 1998 it has changed to the current 7 digits.
By being able to specify even more detailed areas, it has become possible to deliver more efficiently.
Along with the introduction of the system, a sorting machine that automatically sorts postcards and other items by region was put into operation.
When it was first introduced, it was able to sort approximately 6 emails per second, and currently it can sort approximately 11 emails per second.
According to NEC, which supplies the sorting machines, the sorting machines are common throughout the country and have a reading rate of over 95%.
On the other hand, there are some mail items that cannot be sorted, such as items with incorrect postal codes or thick items.
In order to improve efficiency, mail delivered to Akita Prefecture is centrally sorted using a sorting machine located in Iwate Prefecture.
Mail that cannot be sorted here will be sorted by hand in Akita.
Akita's "01" Actually...
So why is Akita numbered "01"?
.
Satoshi Namioka, Postal Manager
: ``People often ask me why the postal code for Akita is ``01'' and the first one, but in reality, the first postal code is ``10'' for Tokyo, which has the most mail.''
Isn't Akita's "01" the start?
What does it mean?
The key lies in the number "1".
Since ``1'' was the easiest number for sorting machines to read, they first decided on Tokyo as ``10'' with ``1'' first, and then assigned other prefectures.
Mr. Namioka
: ``Due to the volume of mail, we assigned numbers starting from Tokyo and moving westward to Kyushu.After that, numbers were assigned along the railway mail line from Osaka to Aomori.''
Railway mail was also affected in turn.
According to Japan Post, Railway Mail was largely involved in assigning numbers.
In 1872, the first railway in Japan opened between Shinbashi and Yokohama, and from the beginning, mail was also transported.
Later, special vehicles for transporting mail also appeared.
Until 1986, they carried letters and packages while sorting mail on the train.
Numbers were assigned from Tokyo to the west in accordance with the development of transportation networks such as railways and the amount of mail.
Then, numbers were assigned to Hokuriku and Tohoku along the flow of railway mail that ran along the Sea of Japan between Osaka and Aomori, resulting in Yamagata being numbered 99 and Akita being numbered 01.
Mr. Namioka
: ``People tend to think that 01 was the first, but the truth is that Akita was at the back.''
There are also special cases within each prefecture.
For example, Okinawa.
When the system began, the number ``90'' had not been returned yet, but in anticipation of the return, the number ``90'' was assigned in advance.
I asked if it was possible that Akita would have been numbered 99 if the numbers had been off...
Mr. Namioka
: ``Although I can't say for certain, there was a strong possibility that it would happen.When I started working, I was very happy that Akita was ``01''.''
There are various theories about postal codes.
The first two digits may not match the prefecture.
For example, the postal code for Shimomiya, Fujioka-cho, Tochigi-shi, Tochigi-ken is 349-1221.
"34" indicates Saitama Prefecture, and this seems to be due to the fact that this location is close to the prefectural border with Saitama Prefecture.
By the way, the postal code with the smallest number in Japan is "001-0010" in Kita-Jujo Nishi, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido.
The largest postal code was ``999-8531,'' part of Sugari, Yuza-cho, Yamagata Prefecture.
A roadside station in Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture advertises itself as ``This is the biggest number in Japan.''
However, the number of postal codes may increase due to the creation of new residential areas, or may be abolished due to mergers, etc.
There are also numbers where the last four digits are all "0".
For example, "100-0000" for Tokyo does not indicate a specific location, but is used when you want to send something to Tokyo but don't know the exact area.
In that case, staff will sort the items by looking at the addresses written on them.
Finally, according to Japan Post, there are various theories regarding the origin of the "〒" symbol in postal codes.
▽A vertical line was added to the horizontal "Nihon" line to match the word "Nihon", and the initial letter "TE" of the Ministry of Communications, which was in charge of postal services at the time, was added. ▽
There is also a theory that it was
based on the Ministry of Communications' "T", but because it resembled the international symbol indicating a shortage of charges, it was changed to "〒" by adding one horizontal bar.
It's a postal code that I usually use casually, but when I looked into it, I realized that it has a lot of meaning.
March and April are the months when many people move.
Isn't there a lot of people who are starting their lives in a new place?
It might be fun to think about the postal code of the area.
(Broadcast on “News Komachi” on March 5th)
Akita Broadcasting Station reporter
Yu Yokoyama Joined Akita Broadcasting Station in
2020
Covering government, medical care, etc. at Akita Broadcasting Station
When I remember, zip codes were 7 digits.