COVER N.13 - Japan

Postmark: Kobe Japan
Posted on the 4th june; received on the 21stJune.
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Fi­ttingly, my­ first cover from the Land of the Rising Sun arrived on my mailbox on the lo­ngest­ day of the year, the first day of summer, what I can only take as a good omen for the season, even if I really think that of all four, this is the season I like the less.

For me, August, not April, - sorry T.S. - is the cruellest of the months, breeding queues out of the museum doors, mixing sweat with sunburn... etc. etc.

I got this lovely cover through Postcrossing and I’m really thankful for all the care put into it, with 7 nice stamps on the cover and a beautiful postcard inside. My most sincere Thanks Ren. You’ve made my first summer’s day!

Stamps from left top right:

The 1 Yen Stamp depicts the founder of the Japanese Postal System, that began operating on April 1871,  Baron Maejima Hisoka (January 24, 1835 – April 27, 1919). The stamp is part of a 12 stamps definitive emission, issued on 02FEB2015.

The 2 Yen Stamp depicting an arctic hare (Lepus Timidus) is part of  a 7 stamp definitive set, issued on 03MAR2014, themed on Fauna, Flora and Cultural Heritage.

The 7 Yen Stamp is illustrated with a detail of one of the works - Canary and Peony - of the great  woodblock print master Katsushika Hokusai ( 31 October 1760 – 10 May 1849). It is part of a set of 2 stamps (7 Yen and 70 Yen) issued on 10SEP2020 to commemorate the International Letter Writting Week.

The second 7 YEN Stamp was also issued in commemoration of the international Letter Writing week, this time on 09OCT2019. Its is part of a 6 stamp.

The 10 Yen Stamp depicts a Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia Nippon). The stamp is part of a 12 stamps definitive emission, issued on 02FEB2015.

The last 1 Yen stamp depicts Posukuma, the Mascot of the Japanese Post and was issued on 14APR2121 as part of a 2 stamp set (1YEN; 84 Yen).

The 82 Yen stamp is part of a set of two even priced stamps, also issued in se-tenant format, issued on 01JUN2017 that constitute series 2 of an emission dedicated to Japanese Architecture (series 1 having been issued in 2016). It depicts the 5 storey pagoda of the Kyo-o-gokoku-Ji budist temple, in Kioto. Its sister stamp depicts the Eiffel Tower inspired Tokyo Tower, in Tokyo.