If you have ever wondered how you may mail a letter if you are stuck living deep in the ocean, then don’t worry you can do that from Susami Bay, Japan. That is right if you are ever stuck in the waters, you can post your letter from a postbox that is 10 meters deep off the coast. Situated in a popular fishing town in the Wakayama Prefecture area of Nishimura, the town of Susami is a popular tourist attraction due to its unique postbox. It is an underwater postbox, and it receives around 1,000 to 1,500 pieces of mail each day. Many family members post letters to their loved ones from this place, just because this unique piece of Japanese infrastructure has a special significance.
Famous for being the world’s deepest underwater postbox, and most likely the only one, it lies at the depth of 10 meters. Many people go there specifically to mail a letter from the famous underwater postbox. It is a great tourist trap because not only do you have to travel there to post your letter from that postbox, you also require buying a water-proof card that is written on using oil-based paint markers.
Once you are ready, you then have to dive down and post your letter. The underwater postbox was created in 1999 as part of a regional fair trying to raise attention for Susami Bay. And the idea was, of course, put forth by a retiring postmaster called Toshikiho Matsumoto he wanted to make his successor’s job much harder. It didn’t take long for Guinness Book of World Records to take notice, giving the postbox the award of most letters posted from underwater in 2002. There are several submarine postboxes in various countries, but the one in Susami Bay remains unique to this day – which is why it is in the book of world records.
One of the reasons it is considered unique is because the type of waterproof cards you have to buy is always receiving innovation. Some of the local businesses around Susami Bay have created waterproof edible cards that are flavored, meaning you can send a tasty snack to your best friend. Over 32,000 pieces of mail have been sent since it was opened, and they rotate two post boxes every 6 months to ensure the one underwater is always clean and looking fresh for the diver’s photos.
