Thursday, November 5, 2009

電報の日(denpo no hi): Day of Electrical Telegraph

They say November 5 (11.5) is denpo no hi(電報の日), Day of Electrical Telegraph. Why? Because when you want to send the electrical telegraph, we dial 115.
In Japan the first telegraph service started on December 25, 1869 between Tokyo and Yokohama.
In 1960s the telephone became popular, in the latter 1980s the facsimiles became popular, and in the latter 1990s cellphone, Internet, and emails became popular. Therefore as a measure of telling emergency, telegraph is not so popular as before any more.
However in Japan we still use telegraph service when there are ceremonial occasions such as wedding, funeral, and other special events. There are special covers using embroideries or pressed flowers which cost a lot. The most expensive one costs like yen12,000 plus yen25 per one character or so.
Telegraphs for happy occasion is called shukuden(祝電), congratulatory telegram and telegraphs for sad occasion is called choden (弔電), telegram of condolence.

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