The New Tokyo International Airport Post Office at Narita airport held a ceremony Monday marking the beginning of the delivery of Christmas letters and cards arriving from overseas.
The post office said it expects to handle some 16.47 million letters and cards this year, up 470,000 from last year. The post office has hired 160 part-time workers including housewives and high school students to help deal with the increased workload.
"This is an important job that ties together the hearts of people around the world," said Aika Takahashi, a 28-year-old cabin attendant of All Nippon Airways serving as a symbolic one-day post office chief.