The Atlas Obscura Podcast Mr. Kaor’s Letters (Classic)
Nov 14, 2025
Chris Nordstrande, former general manager of Hotel Sponder in Volendam, shares his intriguing journey into the mysterious letters from Mr. Kaor in Japan. Discover how his curiosity led him to investigate stacks of identical airmail letters filled with whimsical messages. Chris explores theories about their meaning, even traveling to Japan to meet Mr. Kaor. Through polite hospitality and a lack of clear answers, the mystery becomes a reflection on the simple human urge to connect, leaving listeners pondering the beauty of ordinary gestures.
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Artists, Paintings, And A Curious Mail Habit
- Hotel Sponder collected paintings and attracted artists who sometimes paid with art instead of money.
- For decades the hotel received thousands of identical handwritten letters from the same sender asking "How are you and how is the weather?"
Manager Finds Stacks Of Identical Airmail
- Chris Nordstrande discovered piles of airmail letters addressed in big block letters and asked the sales manager to stop throwing them away.
- He opened several and found each contained the same short message and return address from Japan.
Distance Amplified The Mystery
- The envelopes bore red-and-blue airmail markings and a handwritten return from southeastern Japan, nearly 6,000 miles away.
- The distance and foreign origin made the repeated messages feel special and mysterious to Chris.