5th July 2022: Edo period Writing Box from the Tokyo National Museum, Japan

The Tokyo National Museum was founded in 1872 and is the oldest and largest museum in Japan as well as one of the largest and most visited museums in the World. The museum collects, preserves and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road. It holds about 10% of the works of art and crafts designated as National Treasures.

One of the wonderful Pokemon stamps were used on the card. The Butterfree on the stamp, the postmark and the design on the writing box form a nice combination. 

 Thank You very much Simon!

Online Stamp Order

On 19th November I got my order from an online stamp shop. I have shown all stamps previously on my stamp blog, but I want to show some highlights here as well.

Main reason to order stamps were the stunning Japanese Pokemon stamps. Although I have some of them on cards and covers already, I wanted to have the whole sheets. Favourite issue of the year!

For my collection of Childhood Heroes on Stamps I bought some more stamps including this Smurf set from Switzerland.

For a post about Napoleon on French and European Stamps over on my history blog I also bought many stamps about that theme.

Also I got some stamps for my Lunar New Year collection including some Year of the Dragon stamps and five stamps from the wonderful South Korean Glow-in-the-Dark series.

Singapore: Pokemon Center

On 11th November I got a postcard from Singapore.

It is from the Pokemon Centre in Singapore and shows a wonderful illustration of the indoor waterfall at the Jewel Changi Airport. The Pokemon Center is located in this airport and was opened on 17th April 2019. It is the first permanent Pokemon Center in South East Asia. I love this card!

Three stamps are used on this card. The upper two are from a set of ten Greeting stamps (issued 03-09-2021) and below is a variable value label stamp about the Year of the Ox (issued 08-01-2021). On the backside are also more Pokemon illustrations.

Thank You very much Jelene!

Japan: Pikachu and Eeevee

On 27th October I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Japan shows Pikachu and Eevee. Eevee is a Pokemon of the first generation and is known for having the most evolutions of all Pokemon. Already in the first generation it was possible to evolve Eevee into Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon, Espeon and Umbreon followed in the second generation, Glaceon and Leafeon in the fourth and Sylveon in the sixth. With the games Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee Eevee was positioned as second mascot of the franchise beside Pikachu, although it was already popular before that.

Another Pokemon stamp (issued 07-07-2021) was used here. This one shows the backside of a Japanese trading card. Here in Germany the backside however looks slightly different.

Thank You very much Yuka!

Japan: Raichu

On 21st September I got three postcards: one from Japan and two from Germany.

The card from Japan shows Raichu, the evolution of Pikachu. I never watched much of the Pokemon anime, but I can still remember this scene of Ash fighting against Lt. Surge and ultimately winning, because his Pikachu knows moves that Raichu did not know, as Lt.Surge used his Thunder Stone too early. In the games this is always one of the most annoying arenas. 

This was sent as an official card and another Pokemon stamp (issued 07-07-2021) was used. This stamp shows Liepard in Galar's Wild Area. 

Thank You very much Taroh!

Japan: Farfetch'd

On 23rd August I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Austria.

The card from Japan deals with the Pokemon Farfetch'd. Farfetch'd was originally introduced in the first Pokemon games Red and Blue, where it was one of the rarest Pokemon. In fact you could only get it through an ingame trade. In the eight generation games Sword and Shield Farfetch'd got a regional Galarian form, which can evolve into Sirfetch'd. The light brown Pokemon is the original Farfetch'd, dark brown is the Galarian form and white is the evolution.

Another Pokemon stamp (issued 07-07-2021) was used here. This one shows one of my favourite Pokemon, Lucario. I also the postmark from Imizu.

Thank You very much Simon!

Japan: Yokohama with more Pokemon Stamps

On 27th July I got not only two postcards but also a cover from Japan.

Four nice stamps were used on the cover. Three of the stamps show Festivals. From left to right these are the Chichibu Night Festival (issued 03-12-1965), the Soma Nomaoi Festival (issued 16-07-1965) and the Gion Festival (issued 15-07-1964). The last stamp is from the new Pokemon set (issued 07-07-2021). This one shows two Pichus and a Togepi playing with Pikachu.

In the cover was a postcard.

The card shows a stunning night view of Yokohama. Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan and the capital of the Kanagawa Prefecture. It was one of the cities opening for trade with the West in 1859 following the end of the policy of seclusion and soon turned into a cosmopolitan port city with Japan's first Chinatown, European-style sport venues, English-language newspaper, beer manufacturing, gas-powered street lamps, railway station and power plant. Today it is still a major economic, cultural and commercial centre. 

Two more Pokemon stamps were used on the card. The left stamp is from the sheet about trading cards, shows Pikachu and was cancelled with a postmark about Yokohama Port. The other stamp shows Delibird, Gible, Pikachu, Charmander and Bidoof. That stamp was cancelled with a very special postmark, as it is only allowed to be used on mail sent within Japan. Hence the card was put in an envelope. The postmark shows Piplup, Pikachu and Evoli.

Thank You very much Ayu!

Japan: Pokemon Maxicard

On 20th July I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Japan was sent through official Postcrossing and is a self-made maxicard of the new Pokemon stamps. The card shows Piplup, a Pokemon of the fourth generation which I used as my first starter in Pokemon Diamond. The stamp shows again Magikarp. 

Another Pokemon stamp was used on the backside. This one shows Snorlax, Cleffa, Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂, Oddish, Pikachu and Bulbasaur who fell asleep due to Jigglypuff's Sing. Also two of the stickers that are included on the sheet of the stamps were used here. One shows a Pokeball and the other shows Scorbunny, my first starter in Pokemon Sword.

Thank You very much Makiko!

Japan: Pokemon Jet

On 14th July I got four postcards: one from Japan, one from Austria and two from Brazil.

The card from Japan shows a Pokemon Jet. The first Pokemon Jet was created in 1998 by All Nippon Airways. In total ten airplanes of the airline were painted with Pokemon designs due to their popularity. This one is a Boeing 747-400D and flew with the designs between 2004 and 2013. The last design on a plane of the airline was removed in 2016, however in 2020 Solaseed Air and in June 2021 Skymark Airlines unveiled their own Pokemon Jets. 

Another nice Pokemon stamp with a different special postmark was used here. This one is from the other sheet which reproduces designs of the trading cards and shows a Magikarp with a small Pikachu in the background. Also some nice thematic washitape was used.

Thank You very much Midori!

Japan: Lake Inawashiro with Pokemon Stamp

On 13th July I got a postcard from Japan.

It shows Lake Inawashiro. Lake Inawashiro is the fourth-largest lake in Japan and due to its clear water known as Heavenly Mirror Lake. It is located within the Bandai-Asahi National Park in the Fukushima Prefecture.

I love love love this stamp! On 7th July Japan issued two sheets with twenty stamps about the 25th anniversary of Pokemon and as life-long fan I could not be happier. Definitely the best issue of the year, thus even beating the Star Wars Droids. This was the first stamp I got from the set. Many more already followed, but so far I do not have all. Still more to "catch"! Stamp and postmark here are a perfect match and the depicted Pokemon are Pyukumuku, Lapas, Squirtle, Dwebble and Pikachu. 

Thank You very much Keiko!

Japan: Pikachu for New Year

On 26th January I got three postcards: one from Japan, one from the United Kingdom and one from Italy.

The card from Japan is a very cute new year's card with Pikachu. The Pokemon franchise celebrates this year its 25th anniversary and soon the next game, New Pokemin Snap, will be released. More games were announced last month for the end of this year and early 2022.

The card is prepaid, was added with two stamps and got cancelled with a special postmark of a cat and a train.

Thank You very much Kyoko!

United Kingdom: Pokemon

On 12th December I got six postcards including one from the United Kingdom.

The card was sent through official Postcrossing and shows a Pokemon illustration. I am not really into video games, but Pokemin I am playing since I am seven years old and still love it to this day.

The backside was designed with Pokemon washi tape and two stickers. The stamps are about Christmas and Harry Potter.

 Thank You very much Helen!

Great cover from Japan

On Wednesday I got a cover from Japan.

With great stamps:

Year of the Rooster (whole set) (issued 16-01-2017)

Inside were a Totoro New Year card, two other cards with special postmarks and great stamps about Pokémon, Rascal the Raccoon and the Year of the Rooster.

Thank You very much Yuko!