Kumano Nachi Shrine, Japan

Going a bit on the other side of the world, in the amazing Japan.

The card shows the Kumano Nachi Shrine, within the Yoshino-Kumano National Park, and the Nachi Falls in the background and is part of the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range of Japan.

On the subject of Japan - few days ago I watched this movie called Afterlife (from 1998) which will probably make you think about what's worth in your life, what you take for granted and make you realize (again), that the simplest of things make the most beautiful memories. 

In the movie, after they die, people have just one week to choose only a memory to keep for eternity. 

Do you think you could choose just one, only one single memory from your life and keep it with you forever?

On the left is one from a set of two overseas Greetings Stamps issued in 2018. showing Mount Fuji. The other one is a bit older, from 1989, issued for the Holland Festival '89, which is the oldest (1947) and largest performing arts festival in the Netherlands and takes place every June in Amsterdam (I guess it will be cancelled this year). Kinda strange for Japan to issue something about a festival in Holland... I couldnt find information whether some prominent Japanese performers maybe took part that year.... 

Birds, Japan

OK, one more card for today....

My knowledge about the birds living in Japan (or birds in general), is rather terrible - but I really like this card showing different birds living all over Japan - some of these names sound familiar, some don't - but it is a good way to learn!
Now, I won't be posting about each and every one of these individually - that would be way too much...and at first I wanted to share with you a video regarding birds living in Japan....then few days ago I came across another cool video about the history of Japan and I thought of sharing that one...until just today I came across this one, regarding the school-snack time the students have in this Japanese school....Japan really really NEVER ceases to amaze me...NEVER...I mean just look at how they treat the lunch time and how they respect food (and note down the nutritional values of it as well) and how they teach children to some values...I admire it, I really admire it!! Sooo many countries should take this as an example!!  It is actually embarrassing to even think about the school lunches over here...Japan or Jamie Oliver would have way too much work to do to fix things here...

well, just spare some 9 minutes of your precious time and watch this...I promise you, you won't regret it :)




impressions? thoughts?

well of course, lets not forget the stamps...they are as beautiful as well :)
the flag stamp was issued in 1975 in a set of two, commemorating the American Tour by Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako (the other stamp in the set of course, shows the US flag :))

the train stamp (showing the Hikari (Light) Express Train ) was issued in 1964 for the Inauguration of Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen Railway Line.

the last one was issued in 1974 in a set of 3, representing Japanese Folktales (in this case, the Kaguya Hime tale, where this stamp in particular shows Kaguya Hime as Young Woman)


so, that would be all folks for now...thank you for reading....and hope to bring you something nice again soon!

enjoy the rest of the weekend!

From Tokyo with love, Japan

ok, last for today we are going to Tokyo...another somewhat neglected country - no Japanese post since February 2012...and ive acquired a few Tokyo cards in the meantime, so here are they all...

however, before I get down to the cards, I wanted to share something with you that is somehow related...namely, two videos of a Tokyo choir singing...Macedonian traditional songs! I was just speechless when I watched these for the first time because these people DO actually sing in Macedonian..and on one hand it seems so amazing, on the other it's kinda funny..I really wonder if they do understand the words, but needless to say their pronunciation is just surprising! in the most positive way!
the first video shows them during practice, the second one is a performance on stage with the probably best Macedonian opera singer, Blagoja Nacoski, who is the one responsible for these Japanese people having the chance to learn something Macedonian. Hats down to him for that!!





this is just one of those moments when you get that fuzzy feeling in your heart..




I just admire the clarity with which they sing the words of a language that they probably never have heard before....



ok, now onto the Tokyo cards...where just each and every one of them seems to be showing the Tokyo Tower...

First is an official received back in 2010...

JP-113289

And what's the Tokyo Tower actually? - It is a communications and observation tower, which with its 333 metres is the second tallest structure in Japan.
It is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. Ill mention the bridge a bit later...

I love it how  Satomi, the sender, included the vignette or whatever additional part of the stamp this is...looks amazing! It was issued in 2007 in a set of 10 stamps for the Letter Writing Day, representing Poetry and Paintings...and if I could identify it right, this one shows the waka poet Sarumaru no Dayū


the following two cards are blank, so I can just take wild guesses about the origin and year of arrival..

first one is a night view of the Tokyo Tower.....

...while the second one shows the Rainbow Bridge...a somewhat similar card to the first one, except this one shows a wider picture of the same place..even the colours are the same :)

the Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay, whose construction started in 1987 and was completed in 1993. The bridge is 798 metres longwith a main span of 580 metres. Its name has been decided by the public - a good one I must say!
There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.
Sounds like something the Japanese would think of :)))


and well, the last card was in my favourites for a long while and then I finally received it in the favourites tag last year thanks to Masako!

There is just something special about the perspective of the card that makes it soo appealing...not to forget the predominant dark-blue colour. Just love it!!

and Masako used to great train stamps! the left one is a locomotive from a set of two issued in 1975, showing the Class 9600 Locomotive No. 69820
. the other stamp was issued in 1977, again in a set of two, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Japanese Underground Railway.

Well, that would be all for today folks...just four posts, but so many cards...hope you liked some of them...

till next time, stay well!

D51 Steam locomotive, Japan

Here comes a great card I received as a surprise from dear Maggie who spent some time in Japan recently!

This train is in front of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, and its gift shop also sells cards with it, and right now I am the happy owner of one :)

This D51 class steam locomotive is a type of 2-8-2 steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways, the Japanese National Railways and various manufacturers from 1936 to 1951. The name consists of a "D" for the four sets of driving wheels and the class number 51 for tender locomotives that the numbers 50 through 99 were assigned to under the 1928 locomotive classification rule. This one here particularly shows a D 51 231 model.

the stamp is from the Endangered fauna set of 5 stamps issued in 2011.

Thanks a lot to Maggie for pointing it out coz she knows I always have problems with locating the  Japanese stamps :D
And thanks so much again for the fantastic surprise!!

Sanbō-in, Japan

next is a UNESCO card showing the Sanbō-in temple in Japan

as the sender said:
- Sanbō-in is a Buddhist temple in southern Kyoto, known today primarily for the quality of its garden.
Sanbō-in was established in 1582 - 1615. It was a sub-temple of Daigo-ji, which is a Heian period temple founded in 902. The temple complex had fallen into disrepair during the Sengoku period. The garden is designed as a stroll garden with a large pond and several paths and bridges.

definitely looks like a nice retreat from the daily chaos im facing...

and of course, the Japanese stamps are always a challenge for some who doesnt understand a bit of it....surprising how many HK stamps Japan has...this one is from 2008 from a set of ten stamps...the other is that definitive ive shown before, from a set of 3 stamps, issued in 2007

Japan

Well, I havent made any Japanese posts since the terrible earthquake that had stricken this country....maybe coz i was expected to make one, in order to speak of what happened.....but I think coz it was just expected, hence I didnt do it, not coz i dont care about it or anything....

and on the other hand, I think that the media are really perfect panic-creators. As much as the situation in Japan is serious, it is just unbelievable to see how the Japanese people are behaving. I truly truly admire them. No fights in front of shops to steal food...no hysteria....nothing...and thats why they can manage....coz if you waste your time in dramatizing, you surely wont get anywhere....I mean, here, we are so disorganized, we will never even come close to Japan....or at least not in this existence of Earth.
And another thing that touched me was the mail delivery....where in the parts of Japan that have been mostly affected, they say that there will be some delay in mail delivery, but the Japanese are doing their best to have it delivered in the right places....even if you are in some of the numerous shelters...in a city where there are over one million inhabitants...do you know what that means? and im pretty sure that receiving a random postcard from around the world in such circumstances, is something that you cant remain indifferent to.

the bottom stamp is a definitive issues in 1997 in a set of 3 (probably the most common Japanese stamp ive received on my cards)...the other one is from a set of 10 flower stamps issued in 2009.

a side-note....just today I also got the chance to send my first (official) card to Japan since the earthquake....I hope it will brighten up someone's day in Tokyo...

Tsubame, Japan

My last card for today comes from Japan, showing a high-speed train...which somehow reminds me of how quickly this year has passed =/ Each year time seems to fly faster and faster and faster.....

Please meet Tsubame....which is the name of the train services operating on the Kyūshū Shinkansen in Japan since 2004.
The word 'tsubame' in Japanese means "swallow", and has been used on a succession of limited express trains on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Main Line in Japan since 1930.

I dont know what these swallow exactly...the space in front of them maybe?

These new modern trains definitely look elegant and compared to the old trains, are much more comfortable...however, i prefer the older ones...they just simply have the charm the new ones dont, and make this sound, that you cant hear with the new trains...even the sirens arent the same...ahh, me and my nostalgic moments...

some nice Japanese stamps which as usual give me a headache....the left one is from a set of 6 issued in 2006, under the name 'flowers from Kinky'...uhmm, ok, i wont get into meanings and ambiguities now...the other stamp is from a set of 3 definitives issued in 1997....I must say that Japan has just tooooo many stamps with flowers....makes me fee lost

well, anyways...Im pretty sure there wont be a chance I make another update in the next two days, so Id just like to wish everyone a happy new year, lots of health and lots and lots and lots of love...and the rest will come by itself...and of course, which i mustnt forget, many new great postcards in your mailboxes!!

Thank you for following me for another year to come and bearing with all my silences, rants, silly facts....thanks to all the newcomers for becoming a part of it....and hope to see you all, and many new ones in the year to come...coz after all, if it wasnt for you, this blog wouldnt have given me the pleasure it actually does!

a BIG BIG BIG HUG to you all!!!!! Enjoy the holidays!!!!

Japan

My last card for today is an official one from Japan.

JP-96114

It is a very nice and interesting card, but all I know is what the sender told me and that is that this is an old traditional style of Japanese art. But what did she mean exactly, I have no idea....I can just guess and say what I may think according to what ive come across...but in order not to say something totally silly, ill keep my lips sealed :)

There is something written in Japanese on the front of the  card, but with my level of knowledge of this language, no way I can decipher it :)

So, feel free to submit an opinion or fact in case you got some.

and here is how the Japanese postal stickers look like...so even there they can be in lack of stamps I guess...

Tokyo, Japan

Well I dont collect plane cards, but it was very funny to receive this one.

If you take a better look, you will see that this plane belongs to the ANA airlines :D I know it sounds self-centered, but it was really cool to receive a card where an airline bears my name. You can see it on the tail of the plane :)
The card in particular shows Haneda Tokyo International Airport, which is one of the two primary airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. By passenger throughput, Haneda is said to be the second busiest airport in Asia and the fifth busiest airport in the world.

the stamp is from a set of two birds stamps issued in 1997.

Thanks a lot to Relie for this nice surprise :)

Sendai, Japan

Another official card, this time from Japan

 JP-94895

On the back, there is a text written in Japanese, pero yo comprendo NADA!
But well, as precious google says, Sendai is the capital city of the Myagi Prefecture  and the largest city in the Tōhoku (northeast) region.
Ive always found that word "prefecture" interesting...and that Japanese division in general.

and a cute Japanese stamp from the year i-have-no-idea-which-one....

Enoshima Electric Railway, Japan

A train card coming from Japan.

I like it how they have matched the colours of the train with the natural environment...looks real nice.
The Enoshima Electric Railway is said to be established in 1902 and runs between Fujisawa & Katase (Enoshima).
Its a local train...well, surely doesnt seem to be an express one :)
I recall some of the Murakami books talked of people taking the train to travel from A to B...i doubt it was one of these kind of trains...and this also reminds me i need to finish the Murakami book I started few months ago...but I just dont seem to have the focus for reading lately...nothing surprising =[

Apart from being a train card, there are also, two great train stamps! Bingo!!!
However, as it happens often with the Japanese stamps....I couldnt find much info about these. I hope that soon, the Stamps sector at the Japanese Postal site, will soon be translated into English.

Nagoya, Japan

And another beautiful site for today!

the Japanese architecture never leaves me indifferent!
this is the famous Nagoya castle - originally erected in 1523 and it is showing the power and glory of Tokugawa regime and was rebuilt in 1959. The donjon is famous for a pair of dolphins on the top of its roof.......oh look, there really are two dolphins there!

mmm, i also really like the combination of colours here....makes some tranquil scene...

 

cute stamp as well...i suppose it belongs to one of those Animation Hero and Heroine Series...or i might be wrong...i wish the official site of the Japanese Post office related to stamps was available in English as well....would have been really helpful

Japan

This card feels like a real jack-pot....it is both a map and a flag in one!!!!

Did i tell you i actually had coke today? i hate coke and i dont like those soft-drinks in general....but due to its CO2, Coke is said to be helpful sometimes with sore throats since it kills the bacteria...and at my first sip i felt like in heaven....but i think that eventually i just had too much of it and didnt really get the desired effect (its like when you are on drugs....when you see how good it makes you feel you just want more and more....and before any assumptions, im NOT doing any drugs..:) I just cant determine if im feeling better or worse....at least i DID manage to get to the post office and dispatch some mail i had prepared and get some stamps, since as usual, im out of stamps....and wasnt i supposed to talk of Japan actually? hmmm, oh well...its my blog :) And nothing smart really comes to my mind right now when Japan is in question....except that im not really fond of manga and anime in case you wondered....

and im not a fan of Hello Kitty either...even though i have a pair of lingerie with it...well, i just love that kind of lingerie, so i didnt really care if it had Hello Kitty on it or something else... and i  should really start learning how to read some Japanese so i can figure out in which year the stamps were printed, so that i can find them more easily and obtain the necessary information...the set of Hello Kitty stamps i came across, issued in 2004, were rather different than the stamp here....so im just really not sure about it...

Amaharashi, Japan

Thursdays....I love Thursdays...coz my Fridays are free...well, i do have a bunch of things to do tomorrow, and some work-related, but its far from tense as it is the other 4 days....I dont know, the more i see the end of the school year, the more i yearn for it...i feel exhausted and i can also feel this impatience inside me growing...i have it whenever something lasts long and the end is coming near, but its still NOT there...well the part between 'not there yet' and 'finally over' is the hardest one for me...coz you can see the end of the tunnel, its within your reach, but still you miss a number of steps to get there :)

Here is an official card from Japan......called, Amaharashi Seaside Quasi-national park.....Quasi???? Quasi??!!! Is 'quasi' here used in its actual sense? If yes, then what kind of a national park is a quasi one? And what does one National Park have to do to deserve the 'quasi' title? I stumbled upon several definitions while trying to 'unpuzzle' myself. And this is what i found out:
National Parks are prominent natural landscapes (including seascapes) that are sufficiently representative of the landscapes of Japan.National Parks come within the scope of the Natural Park system. Natural parks consist of National Parks as well as Quasi-National Parks and Prefectural Natural Parks.
The differences among them are as followed:



1. National Parks: 
- Designating party - Minister of the Environment
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a landscape that is representative of Japan relative to the places with the same type of landscape as well as constitute a prominent natural landscape that can be introduced to the world with pride.
- Governing law - Natural Parks Law
- Party responsible for administrative management - Ministry of the Environment

2. Quasi-National Parks:
- Designating party -Minister of the Environment
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a prominent major natural landscape comparable to the landscape found in Natural Parks.
- Governing law - Natural Parks Law
- Party responsible for administrative management - Prefectural governments

3. Prefectural Natural Parks: 
- Designating party - Prefectural governors
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a prominent natural landscape that is representative of landscapes at a prefectural level.
- Governing law - Prefectural ordinances
- Party responsible for administrative management -Prefectural governments

Ok, im not really familiar with the government systems in Japan, but i can say that i do have it all a bit clearer...i dont know their exact criteria in determining whats National and whats Quasi-national, but at least i can grasp it better now.

Ok, the stamps were put in an awkward position/relation to each other, so thats why the image looks like this...my address is at the speech-bubble you can take a peek at :) It has happened with some other Japanese cards as well...
How are you supposed to find stamps-info, if the stamps section at the Japanese post office web site is in Japanese only, there is no year printed on the stamp...well, i wouldnt be surprised if those Japanese characters tell the year actually, but how am i supposed to figure it out?
I tried several places, but none really user-friendly (unless you have 24 hours available not to do anything) So in case someone can give me more info about these particular stamps, please, leave a message. You know of an efficient and very informative web-site regarding Japanese stamps? Do let me know as well :)

Japan

In general, im not very fond of posctards with people (why, kill me if i actually know) but i DO like it when they are portraying something significant about the country, like in this case.

the back of the cards says: Maiko-Feminine charms of traditional Japan are still preserved by these Kimono-clad maiko in Kyoto.
I had no idea what Maiko actually is..but here is what friendly google says: Maiko is a Japanese word for "dancing girl" and is an apprentice of Gesiha.
And it also can be a female given name....whose meaning can be different regarding the Kanji used...hmm, and thats when i got lost and stopped googling...if you expected me to actually analyze each Kanji and what each name means, then sorry, but you've overestimated me!
I once started learning Japanese...I knew how to write my name, and some very simple words (which nowadays im teaching my 4 year old students) like apple, tree, sun...that Japanese learning is a real story, but i wont go into details...the thing is, today, i know NO Japanese at all...whatever i had learned, just disappeared...puff...like that...
I was analyzing this Maiko girl...how on earth can she walk on those platforms! I mean, i know it would be easier to walk on those then on high-heels of the same size since these are flat and its easier to hold balance and all(btw, im a walking-fiasco when it comes to high-heels of any size) but still...when you dont really have a close connection with the surface you are walking on, it gets difficult...even on platforms...i have a pair of lovely white sandals, which are like 20cm high...and i always feel as if my leg is gonna twist and im gonna break an ankle...with these ones as well...i mean, just look at them...all it takes is to lean a bit forward...and puff...again!

Itsukushima Shrine, Japan

Again, no mail today...no mail yesterday...im getting all cranky when my mailbox is empty...thank God for all that pile of cards i havent uploaded here, so i can make an update...but i do need my dosage of mail several times a week...thing is, in order to receive you need to send as well...and i love sending....and fortunately, i may not need to give it up as i initally thought a few days ago...
I sent out my new 6 offical cards today...so someone's mailbox in Finland, Germany, US, Philippines, Japan and the Czech Repbulic is gonna be suprised soon :)
And this is one of the officials i received on Wednesday...an amazing Japanese card...and my first official from Japan...having a first official card from somewhere, does feel special ;-)

JP-56286

the card is called "A Night View of the Great Torii of Itsukushima Shrine" in Miyajima.


The Torii, or Gateway, at Miyajima Island is a classic and beloved icon of Japan, as well as a condensed essence of traditional Japanese architectural expression. This grand wooden gateway, both sturdy and graceful, sits in the tidal flats before the historic Buddist temple complex of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island, in the same region as the city of Hiroshima in Japan.
Built on axis with the sea-facing shrine, the gate serves to welcome spirits of the departed as they come in across the water of Japan's Inland Sea. At low tide, visitors walk around the great columns of the structure, measuring its great size against the human body. At high tide, the rugged vermillion gateway seems to float in the waves around it, a gateway for boats, or for spirits indeed.

when i look at this card i always see it as one of those Japanese letters/symbols/signs...i still keep thinking it IS one indeed...i especially love the sunset view...and the moon over the shrine...lovely lovely card all in all!

Japan

Here is a map card, showing Japan from somewhere above ....

Instead of talking something of Japan, ill post a video regarding it...and once you watch it, dont you dare complain you were in a crowded bus/train/subway! :)
I wonder one thing...if i had to go to work, and i was all dressed up, with my hair nicely done and all....what would i look like AFTER i get out of the subway??!! Dont even wanna think about it :)

Byōdō-in, Kyoto, Japan (02)

Its sad how lately i simply cant get the right time management, and by the time i become aware of it, another day goes by without making an update...I really suck....plus my own keyboard sucks...I spilt coffee over it...loads of coffee...I dont know how many times exactly i had spilt coffee over it, which eventually goes all over the PC-table, and the floor...and now my keyboard doesnt work properly, and when i type certain letters, two additional letters appear, and I have to say thats more than annoying...so I sneaked in the keyboard from the other PC while my parents are still asleep (its 4:30 am at the time of writing this)...so after finishing with my work overload, im here...I hope it wont take long till I get a new keyboard...or maybe my old one will fix by itself miracelously...I dont really have the time to take screws and cleaners and fix it myself...plus taking out each key, cleaning it, and putting it back, is hell of an annoyance....so, maybe ill have another keyboard sneak-in in the meantime :)
But now lets get down to the initial purpose of being here...
 

Im definitely starting to acquire a soft spot for these Japanese temples....not that they just look soo beautiful and elegant...but they are always surrounded with such an amazing and breathtaking nature...

this is the Byōdō-in a BuddhistTemple, in Uji in the Kyoto Prefecture. It is jointly a temple of the Jodo Shu (Pure Land) and Tendai sects.
It was originally built in 998 in the Heian Period as a rural villa of Fujiwara no Michinaga one of the most powerful members of the Fujiwara clan.
The most famous building in the temple is the Phoenix Hallor the Amida Hall constructed in 1053. The only remaining original building is the Phoenix Hall, surrounded by a scenic pond; additional buildings making up the compound were burnt down during a civil war in 1336.


Japan commemorates its longevity and cultural significance by displaying its image on the 10 yen coin and the 10,000 yen note features the phoenix image. In December 1994, UNESCO listed the building as a whs as part of the Historic Monuments of ancient Kyoto.
The Phoenix Hall, the great statue of Amida inside it, and several other items at Byōdō-in are national treasures.

Japan (02)

Well, today is gonna be a map day... a totally spontaneous choice actually, nothing i planned, even though it may seem so, knowing how much i love maps...

I really love this map....its so colourful and picturesque...when i was examining it, I realized that i have heard of many of the cities on the map, due to reading Murakami's books, who always uses different places in Japan for setting his plot and events.
Speaking of Murakami...I like his dark style...he makes things so realistic yet bordering with non-reality...there is always one or more characters in his books, to whom i can relate to and feel their own lives....they are often unhappy, lonely, craving for something they cant have, lonely....and yet, his books arent predictable...though if you get familiar with his style you may know what to expect, but he isnt one of those cheesy writers with the 'they lived happily forever after' books....coz lets face it...life aint a fairy tale...its something totally different...
When i took to read Norwegian Wood, i wanted to read it coz of its title, which suggested something relating to the beautiful Norwegian nature, and you know how much I love Norway or that Northern part of Europe in general....so thats why it appealed to me a lot.....well, i was totally wrong about it, since it had NOTHING to do with Norway, but it led me into the Murakami's world, which i happened to love a lot....

Kyoto, Japan

An absolutely amazing card!

This is the Kinkaku-Ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan (also known as Rokuon-Ji) which is as well a UNESCO whs. 
Translated, Kinkaku-Ji means "The Golden Pavilion Temple".

This has got to be one of the most serene cards ive ever seen....you can even feel the stillness floating in the air and dont want to utter a sound or make a move in order not to disrupt the perfection....everything is so tranquil, that all you can hear are the snowflakes falling....and some slow traditional Japanese instrumental music heard somewhere in the distance....absolutely absolutely beautiful! Thanks Noriko!