COVER N.103 - JAPAN

Postmark: ? - Japan - 12.04.22 (?)
Posted on the 12th April (?); received on the 20th April 2022
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I like to receive mail from Japan. Not only are the envelopes usually embellished with a fair number of stamps, but also the handwriting on the addresses is, most of the time, quite interesting.

This is one such case. Thank you so much Kanna, for the nice envelope (I think I have already mentioned that I love these classic airmail envelopes...). and postcard (#75). 

 

Kanna being a postcrosser who also collects stamps, was responsive to my request that whenever possible and if it raises no incovenience, postcrossing postcards sent to me be  sent inside an envelope, so that I can put it in my collection.

Stamps left to right.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Probably one of the most splendid pieces of legislation ever written, and  sadly one of the most overlooked....just look back any number of years until the present and I'm sure anyone will always find an example of Human Rights beeing overlooked in favour of Imperialism, xenophobism, nepotism, racism, classism and whatever negative ism you can think of.

For more than 10 years I was reminded of this everyday. I used to work in and office in Lisbon and on my last leg of my way to work, I'd take the underground and would exit at what I consider the most beautiful metro station of all those I ever been to: Parque Station. The vault of the station is completely covered in Portuguese ceramic tiles wherein the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are inscribed. If ever you, my friend, who are kind enough to read these lines, visit Lisbon, do not return home without taking the "Metro" and visiting its stations, quite a museum for the price of a one way ticket. and most especially Parque Station!

- Ten Yen stamp, issued on 10DEC1958, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 - 90 Yen stamp part of the  five stamp set (denominated at 70, 70, 90, 110 and 130 Yen) issued on 09OCT2019 to celebrate the International Letter Writing Week, thus continuing a long standing tradition of the Japanese Post of celebrating this event with the emission of a stamp set.

The international Letter Writing week takes its roots in the 14th Congress of the Union Postale Universelle, held in Ottawa, Canada, when the following recommendation wad adopted by its members:

“The Fourteenth Congress of the Universal Postal Union urges all member countries of the Union to consider the possibility of making the week in which 9 October falls [International Postal Day] International Letter Writing Week. It expressed the formal opinion that the United Nations and specialized agencies, whose aims and objects coincide with those to be achieved by the said International Week, should assist effectively in introducing it. “quote taken from https://stampaday.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/world-post-day-international-letter-writing-week/"

The Japanese 2019 International letter writing week stamps set honours another of the great masters of the woodblock printing technique Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), the stamps reproducing five of its many masterpieces. 

- 10 Yen stamp issued on 01SEP1965 as part of a awareness raising campaign for blood donation, illustrated with a  drop of blood with the image of someone who seems to be ill, inside of it, and a blood collecting mobile unit on the background.

I can't make out the name of the place from where the letter was sent on the postmark, but it is highly likely it came from Tanegashima Island, a toponym that I discover has a firm connection to Portugal.

Tanegashima means a type of firearm that was introduced by the Portuguese in this island  in Japan in 1543 and thus, every July there is a festival celebrating this fact.

Tanegashima is also the location for the headquarters of the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency - JAXA and its rocket launching infrastructures.