Japan will replace red mailboxes with golden ones in locations linked to champions at the upcoming Tokyo Games, in honor of their achievements, the government and Japan Post Co. have said.
Every time a Japanese athlete wins a gold medal at the Olympics or Paralympics, a mailbox will be replaced by a golden one in a location linked to them such as their hometown or training base, according to the Cabinet Secretariat and the postal services unit of Japan Post Holdings Co.
"I hope we can install as many (golden mailboxes) as possible throughout the country," Japan Post President and CEO Kazuhide Kinugawa told a news conference Monday.
The golden mailboxes will display the medalist's name, sport and hometown in Japanese, English and Braille. For team sports, the names of coaches will also be displayed, according to Japan Post.
The mailboxes will be set up with the approval of the medalists, and will remain in place after the games.
Royal Mail Group, the U.K.'s postal service operator, repainted around 110 mailboxes gold throughout the country to honor champions at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, attracting sports fans and tourists, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.
