"Dear Sir, How are you?"-Penpals spreading in Corona-October 28, 19:33
Take the time to choose words and write letters while thinking of the faces of parents, friends, lovers, and loved ones.
It seems that more and more people are daring to start "pen pal" as SNS and email exchanges become more commonplace.
What has captured the hearts of many?
(Reporters, Network News Department, Ken Memida, Kenta Hayashida)
Correspondence partner is a 79-year-old mother
"I think I wouldn't have corresponded without the new coronavirus." The person
who responded to the interview over the phone said that he started correspondence about three months before the infection of the new coronavirus began to spread again. , A 53-year-old man in Tokyo.
The partner is a 79-year-old mother who lives in Fukushima prefecture.
I always went home during the year-end and New Year holidays and during the Golden Week holidays, but due to the influence of the new coronavirus, I couldn't do that.
I used to communicate by short mail on my mobile phone or by phone, but suddenly I heard that I thought about this.
"If it's handwritten, my mother will read it over and over again." The
man decided to write a letter to his mother for the first time in more than 20 years.
A letter that I haven't written for decades.
While feeling "I'm embarrassed" when writing "Dear Sir," I took more than 30 minutes to write a letter and wrote a letter that cares about my family's current situation and physical condition.
The mother's letter, which was soon returned, said,
"Please let me know if you have something you want,"
and
"I'm glad I can read it over
and
over again."
Changes in everyday life Exciting about the mailbox
By starting correspondence, men's daily lives have changed a little.
Man:
"I'm worried that the letter has arrived safely, and I'm excited to see the mailbox that I might get a reply soon. This year, I used Japanese paper. I never imagined that it would be fun to choose and send a clean letter, and go to a stationery store. "
A man who was able to reaffirm the appeal of correspondence with the new coronavirus.
Male
"Since it cannot be erased and rewritten like an e-mail, I started to organize it before writing and write the letters carefully while thinking about the other person. The habit of writing is also attractive due to the individuality of the person. However, I think that even a mistake in writing is a "taste", and above all, I remember my mother's face. "
It's slowly coming!
"Handwriting" needs
Needs such as "I want to be able to write beautiful characters!" Are also increasing.
Takarajimasha, a publisher that sells more than 10 types of pen-character practice books, is said to be increasing sales of practice books due to the fact that they spend more time at home.
From April to July, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the popular series recorded nearly double sales compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to the person in charge, there are many people who buy the same thing over and over and practice it over and over again.
E-mail and SNS exchanges are commonplace both at work and in private, but on the other hand, the appeal of handwriting is gradually expanding.
"Penpal" is new to the SNS generation
"Children of the SNS generation may have something new." At
Chitosebashi Junior High School in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, we started "pen pal" between students and teachers.
Until now, students and teachers had the opportunity to meet face-to-face and respond to their concerns, but in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection, we changed to a correspondence system.
Students are free to decide which teacher to “pen pal”.
Then, write a consultation or trouble on a special questionnaire called "Story Card" and hand it directly to the teacher.
"Who is your favorite baseball player?"
"What should I do if I want to create a new club?" The
first questions that students ask are questions and consultations that are an extension of everyday conversation.
On the other hand, the teacher said, "That baseball player and I are actually classmates. That's why I'm so happy to be active." First of all, he is trying to add words to let him know about himself. ..
It is said that by repeating the number of times and getting to know each other, he became able to confess that he was having troubles and stress at home.
The school has decided to continue this "pen pal" for the time being, as the students said, "It has become easier to discuss problems with correspondence."
Chitosebashi Junior High School Principal Toyoshige Kobayashi
"If the students write in letters, the teacher will be able to respond politely. The students will be able to read back the words later and understand each other's personality better through" correspondence ". Now. "
"Letter Marriage" at Ale's Hometown
And the thought to convey in a letter is, after all, the message of love.
In NHK's serial TV novel "Ale," the scene was depicted in which the main characters, Yuji Koseki, and his wife, when they were young, were enthusiastic about their correspondence and looked forward to hearing from them.
In Fukushima City, the hometown of Yuji Koseki, who became the model for the main character, efforts have begun to support the birth of the second couple, Yuji Koseki.
Its name is "Letter Marriage".
The city will bridge the correspondence between local men and women who wish to get married.
With the name and address hidden, only a simple profile such as age, occupation, and hobbies will be introduced, and a letter will be handed to the desired person through the city and will be corresponded for 3 months.
And if they wish, they will meet and exchange contact information, which is a marriage activity that dates back to the time when the ale was set.
The idea was a 54-year-old female employee from Fukushima City.
Due to the new coronavirus, the annual wedding party was canceled, and instead I thought about this "letter marriage".
When I was a student, I remembered that a magazine had a post asking for a correspondent, so I planned it, but from the beginning, I was told that it wouldn't suit the times.
However, so far, 11 groups have developed into correspondence exchanges, of which 2 groups have visited and 1 group has been able to exchange contacts.
Participants say, "It's good to know your personality through a letter before you actually meet," and the unique taste of the letter is popular.
Staff
"Letters have different hobbies, letter shapes, and sizes depending on the person, so I think it's easy to convey your personality. I enjoy both the time to think about what to write and the time to wait for a reply. I think you are here. "
Female staff members say that because it is easy to convey requirements with an emphasis on speed, correspondence that takes time to convey feelings to the other person may be catching people's hearts.
Employee
"I think that there are many people in the world who have a fast tempo of various things, and they are overwhelmed by it. Marriage events are short-term decisive battles and tend to be influenced by the first impression. Write a letter at your own pace and look forward to your reply. I think there is a need for something like warmth that cannot be experienced in the world of the web, because of this era. "