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Under Emperor Meiji’s reign (1867–1912), Japan transformed from a feudal society into a modern nation-state. A key reform was the establishment of a centralized postal system in 1871, inspired by Western models. The Meiji government introduced uniform postal rates, stamps, and postal savings, and joined the Universal Postal Union in 1877, integrating Japan into global mail networks. Post offices spread rapidly across the country and into newly acquired territories. Emperor Meiji’s modernization policies made the postal system a symbol of national unity, communication, and modernization.
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