#571 Japan...Thanks Maria!

#503 Japan...Thanks Kouichi!

This FDC was released on 22 Nov,2010 greeting for the upcoming Chinese New Year of Rabbit.

#487 Japan...Thanks Honda!

#311 Japan...Thanks Honda!

These 4 stamps were issued for the 24th,25th,34th and 38th National Sports Festival of Japan(国民体育大会),which is the national premier sports event of Japan since 1946 held annually.

#259 Japan...Thanks Asuka!

The 80 yen stamp is from 2010 Philately Week issue showing a painting by Hashimoto Gaho (桥本雅邦).

Hashimoto Gaho was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in 1835. His father, who was also a painter, died when Hashimoto was 13. In 1882, Hashimoto's work at an exhibition organized by the Meiji government received recognition from Okakura Tenshin (冈仓天心) and Ernest Francisco Fenollosa. Later, when the Tokyo School of Arts was founded, Hashimoto was appointed professor of Japanese painting there. Hashimoto pioneered a new style of Japanese painting, which incorporated elements of Western painting into traditional painting techniques, and became a major figure in Japanese painting circles during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). He died in 1908.

#130 Japan...Thanks Asuka!

What a kawa-i handmade cover ^_^

The left stamp on the top was issued in 1975 commemorating the first time visit of Japanese head of State Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako to the United States.

The two stamps at right was issued in 1974 celebrating 50th anniversary of the wedding of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako.

The 20 yen stamp on the 2nd row was issued in 1972 featuring Mt.Kurikoma and Kijiyama Kokeshi Doll in the Kurikoma Quasi National Park.

Kokeshi dolls originate from the Tohoku region of Northern Japan, an area well-known for its onsen (hot spring) resorts. These handmade wooden dolls are thought to date back to the early 19th century when kijiya (woodworkers), accustomed to making bowls and trays, began using their woodworking skills and lathes to make simple dolls to sell as toys and souvenirs to the onsen visitors. The dolls may originally have had a spiritual significance with the kokeshi representing a wish for a healthy child. It has also been suggested that kokeshi, with their round heads and limbless bodies probably made in an unpainted form originally, were used as massage tools by spa bathers. The name 'kokeshi' itself is thought to derive from a combination of names given to the wooden dolls in the various areas of their manufacture.

Using wood that has been seasoned for several months, typically from the dark cherry or the lighter mizuki tree, the kokeshi craftsman turns and cuts the doll on a lathe and polishes it to a fine finish. The head and body are generally turned separately then attached together by way of a plug. The kokeshi craftsman then finally hand paints on the face and the kimono pattern. An interesting video about how kokeshi are made today can be seen on www.mustlovejapan.com.

Kokeshi are generally bought by Japanese as mementos. In addition to being ornamental, they are also seen as charms to prevent fires or even ward off evil. Mizuki, the wood often used to make the kokeshi doll's face, literally translates as "water tree". It is a very moist wood and some Japanese believe that having a kokeshi in their home helps prevent fire.

Kokeshi, celebrated today as one of Japan's folk arts, are of two types, traditional and creative.

#080 Japan...Thanks Chiaki!

These 2 stamps are from Festivals of Home Town series 2 issued on Aug.10,2009,depicting a traditional event Fukagawa Hachiman Festival in Tokyo.

The festival is held every mid-August. People wearing traditional costumes parade in the street,carrying a big shrine,and soaked to the skin along the road splash.

#079 Japan...Thanks Midori!

The 90yen stamp on this cover is from 2009 issue of popular International Letter Writing Week series,showing a famous painting by Utagawa Hiroshige.

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition.His most successful work is The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō (1833–1834). These designs were drawn from Hiroshige's actual travels of the full distance of 490 km. They included details of date, location, and anecdotes of his fellow travelers, and were immensely popular.The stamp shows the 7th station.

Hiroshige’s The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1856–1858) greatly influenced French Impressionists such as Monet. Vincent Van Gogh copied two of the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo which were among his collection of ukiyoe prints.

#077 Japan...Thanks Midori!

These stamps are the third of Flowers series jointly issued by 5 perfectures of Japan.