Japanese new year stamps
One of the most common Japanese stamp types to come by are new years postage stamps. These stamps are used mainly on new year greeting cards, which are highly popular in Japan (most families receive over 50 new years greeting cards each year). The first Japanese stamp for new year wishes was issued in 1935, and special stamps were also issued the following two years before the outbreak of second world war.
Japan - new years stamps from 1936 and 1937. Unfortunately I don't have the 1935 stamp to display (yet).
In 1948 new years stamps made a comeback, and from 1949 they have been issued annually with topic of Chinese zodiac of the year to come. Up to 1990s there’s traditionally been just one, small sized stamp to commemorate the upcoming new year.
Japanese new years stamps from the early 1960s.
From 1989 onwards new years stamps have been issued two different sizes. Usually the issue consist of two small sized stamps for regular postage, and of two large sized stamps (with surcharge) that also function as a lottery ticket in prize draw organized by Japanese Post. Especially the stamps with surcharge are eye catching masterworks. The six digit serial number (usually on red) found on these stamps is for the lottery; around mid-January the Japanese Post announces the winning numbers (on their web page, TV, radio etc).
1997 Japan - Year of the tiger (1998). A short set containing both of the small sized stamps, and the lower value surcharged lottery stamp.
The main prizes are usually consumer electronics, but not so surprisingly the most common prize in this lottery are postage stamps. Just for this purpose, Japan Post produces a souvenir sheet with copies of the New Year stamps. These special souvenir sheets are available only as a prize for the lottery. As approx. every fiftieth lottery stamp wins, most families in Japan are entitled to claim one or more copies of these souvenir sheets. So at least in theory these sheets are very common and of low catalog value.
As usual, feel free to share your comments & questions. Till next time, happy collecting!
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I think you just figured out how the US postal service (and others) can survive! Instead of turning post offices into convenience stores, turn them into lottery stores. If it works anywhere near as well as the state run lotteries, the people who can least afford it will prop up the USPS through their compulsive gambling. The stamp collectors will win, because they can pick up the losing stamps littering the parking lot, just like the losing scratch off tickets currently scattered around our corner store. I briefly considered starting a collection of those too, but I think I would end up buried in paper.
Well, if anyone in the USPS administration is reading this, don’t take it too seriously. State run gambling is truly not my favorite aspect of American culture.
Keijo, Nice article. Sounds like these are common enough and there are limited enough types that they would make a nice little specialty collection for someone.
@mrprgrmr… Great idea. I never thought of that aspect
These definitely do make an attractive mini collection. If I counted right, these make ~135 spaces to fill (excluding the sheets). I’m still missing about half of them
“I’m still missing about half of them”
Maybe some gaps will get filled after my envelope arrives. Getting slightly cooler where we live; I’ve had to put on long trousers for the first time today. Finland must be colder, I expect.
William (hadashi)… That’s what I’m hoping for. In a way it’s funny that these should be amongst the most common stamps, and still so many have not crossed my path.
Re, weather… Last night we had -10 Celsius degrees, now only few degrees cold… No snow so far, just frost…. Though I usually don’t like the cold weather, this time I’m loving it. I just had a tooth pulled off this morning, and the cold feels so good
Just to display one more item relating to New Year stamps:
I fear this is a chemical changeling, as the paper appears very brownish when viewed with blacklight. In daylight, there’s no noticeable difference to real thing.