How Do You Polish Your Skills for Riding on Snowy Roads?

Mr. Mori riding through a snow-covered residential alley.

Next, we asked about his driving skills. Mr. Mori had no experience riding a motorcycle before joining the post office. How did he become able to ride on snowy roads in the middle of winter?

As expected, they don't send you out to deliver mail with zero experience riding on snow. Still, the training course only lasts a day or two. After that, they head out into the field. That sounds pretty nerve-wracking...

Even for Mr. Mori, who rides his bike every day, rain or shine, it took about two years before he felt he had finally gotten used to driving on snowy roads.

"I've Had Many Close Calls"

Slowing down and cornering require extreme caution.

Naturally, the way you drive changes between summer and winter.

As it turns out, riding a motorcycle in a snowy region is quite difficult and challenging. This led us to ask Mr. Mori something we'd been wondering. What do they do on days with fierce blizzards or after a heavy snowfall? They can't just take the day off from deliveries, can they...?

Postal Workers Who Ride Motorcycles on Snowy Roads Are Truly Amazing

Postal workers delivering mail without a day off, whether in heavy rain or a blizzard.

Listening to his story, we realized that delivering mail in a snowy region is an incredibly tough job. They must be mentally sharp while driving on slippery, snowy roads and physically strong to walk through unplowed snow... The fact that mail arrives in our postboxes even on days when heavy snow has shut down trains and buses is thanks to the hard work of these postal workers. The mail carriers who ride their bikes on snow- and ice-covered roads are, indeed, amazing.

Thank you for your daily hard work!

With cooperation from: Japan Post Co., Ltd. Hokkaido Branch, Sapporo Minami Post Office

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