Why are Japanese furusato prefecture stamps so popular among Japanese stamps collectors?
For one, the level of design and details put into each Japanese hometown stamps is quite extraordinary compared to all the other stamps of Japan.
Besides that, Japanese philatelic fans usually enjoy the stories and history behind each furusato stamp.
Furusato prefecture stamps allow us to experience the sights and scenes of this beautiful country without actually having to travel there, even though it is highly recommended.
One recurring theme that you will often find on Japanese hometown stamps are the combination of flowers and famous sites. Flowers have been playing an important part in Japanese culture. Much of the floral traditions in Japan date back thousands of years and are connected to certain events or activities such as 'hanami' (cherry blossom viewing) or flower arrangement ('ikebana').
Let's have a look at how flowers have been incorporated on some of the furusato prefecture stamps.
The Tokai furusato prefecture stamps bring us to the well-known Tokai region of Japan.
The region belongs to the Chubu region on Honshu Island, facing the Pacific Ocean. The name means 'est sea' and comes from Tokaido, one of the Edo five routes linking Edo with the former imperial city of Kyoto.
![]() ![]() These Japanese hometown stamps were issued on May 26, 2011. |
The Tokai region includes the prefectures Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, and Mie. The largest city in the region is Nagoya, Japan's third largest economic area. The Tokai is one of the most industrialized regions in Japan. Its coast is lined with densely populated cities and factories. In 1944 and 1945, two large quakes hit the Tokai region causing tremendous damage. The Tokai Japan furusato stamps sheet depicts each prefectures official flower together with a well-known prefecture sightseeing spot..
Price: US$ 15.70 |
The following Japanese furusato stamps take us on a tour through the Chugoku region of Japan. The focus is on prominent flowers and places of the five Chugoku region's prefectures.
The Chugoku region, also known as the San'in Sanyo region, is the westernmost region of Honshu Island. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi.
Chugoku literally means 'middle country,' although the origin of the name remains unclear. The Japanese characters for Chugoku, namely 中国, are also used for the country China. The Chinese themselves use the same characters.
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The Chugoku region is famous for sightseeing. The furusato prefecture stamps on this sheet depict the following scenes:
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These Japanese hometown stamps were issued on March 28, 2012.
Cities and their flowers is the theme of the Kanagawa Prefecture Japan furusato stamps sheet.
Kanagawa Prefecture is located in the southern Kanto region and is part of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Its capital is Yokohama.
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Geographically, the prefecture consists of the mountainous western region with the Tanzawa range and Hakone Volcano, the eastern region with the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, and the central region with its low lands and major rivers such as the Sagami and Sakai rivers. The Kanagawa Prefecture Japanese hometown stamps feature the following images of well-known cities and their flowers:
These Japan furusato prefecture stamps were issued on August 12, 2011. Price: US$ 23.10 |
The next Japan furusato stamps cover the 'fruits of the Kanto region.' The Kanto region is a part of the main island of Honshu.
The region includes the greater Tokyo area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Approximately more than forty percent of the Kanto region's land is located on the Kanto Plain. About one third of the Japanese population alone lives in the Kanto region (around 43 million).
The Kanto area was the heartland of feudal power during the Kamakura and Edo periods and, subsequently, became the center of modern development.
![]() Price: US$ 23.10 |
In 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake claimed more than 100,000 lives and ravaged the Tokyo and Yokohama areas. During WWII, the proposed Allied Forces invasion of Japan was originally scheduled to land at the Kanto plain. To this day, most of the US military bases are situated on the Kanto plain. The name Kanto literally means 'East of the Barrier.' The Japanese hometown stamps on the left show various fruits and well-known places of five of the seven prefectures in Kanto.
These Japan furusato prefecture stamps were issued on February 23, 2012 |
Featured on the next Japan furusato stamps are the Tojinbo Cliffs and Echizen Crab from Fukui Prefecture.
Fukui is located in the Chubu region of the main island of Honshu. It is famous for its pre-historic fossils and many natural treasures and world heritage sites such as Maruoka Castle and Eiheiji Temple.
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The images featured on these Japanese hometown stamps are:
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Issue date for these Japan furusato prefecture stamps was March 24, 2011.
The northernmost prefecture and Japan's biggest island Hokkaido is the theme of the next Japan furusato stamps.
Hokkaido is located at the north end of Japan, near Russia, and has coastlines on the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean. The center is made up of a number of mountains and volcanic plateaus.The island ranks 21st in the world by area.
Hokkaido is famous for its fantastic undisturbed forests and national parks such as the Shiretoko National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage ares since 2005.
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Hokkaido features a mostly humid continental climate and, as such, is home to a great variety of plants and flowers. The Hokkaido furusato prefecture stamps show the following flowers:
These Japanese hometown stamps were issued on February 23, 2012. |
Price: US$ 16.50
The flowers of the Kinki region are another nice example of furusato prefecture stamps.
The Kinki region is also known as the Kansai region. It lies in the southern-central region of Honshu Island. The region includes the prefectures Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga. Sometimes, depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima, and even Tottori Prefectures are also included.
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The Kinki region is said to be the cultural and historical heart of Japan. Most designated national treasures are located in Kinki. The Kinki Japanese hometown stamps feature one prominent flower for six of the prefectures located in Kansai.
These Japanese furusato prefecture stamps were issued on February 23, 2012. |
Price: US$ 17.50
The following Japan furusato prefecture stamps feature flowers representative of the Okinawa Islands.
Okinawa and its islands are located in a subtropical region. The islands experience temperatures above 20 degrees celsius for most of the year. As a consequence, the islands contain some of the most abundant coral reefs, as well as, flora and fauna found in the world.
Apart from that Okinawa Prefecture is a major producer sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, and other tropical fruits.
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The right side of this Japanese hometown stamps sheet shows Okinawa's famous blue skies, turquoise waters, and a map of the islands. At the bottom right hand corner, a picture of the Okinawan Deigo flower tree (Indian Coral Bean), the symbol of Okinawa Prefecture. Its trunk is used to make material for traditional Ryukyuan lacquerware. These Japan furusato stamps were issued on February 23, 2012. |
Price: US$ 12.40
Flowers of the Echigo region are covered on this furusato prefecture stamps sheet.
Echigo is sometimes referred to as Echigo province. It was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan.
Today the area is part of Niigata Prefecture. Echigo was established at the end of the 7th century. It occupied the northeast part of Niigata Prefecture.
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Flowers shown on each of the Japanese hometown stamps are those that bloom in spring and summer in the Echigo province.
These Japan furusato stamps were issued on February 23, 2012. Currently SOLD OUT |
The below Japanese furusato prefecture stamps celebrate the flowers of the Hokuriku region on Honshu Island.
The Hokuriku region is located in the northwestern part of Honshu. It lies along the Sea of Japan and was part of the Koshi Province and Hokurikudo area in old Japan. The region includes the four prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, Niigata, and Toyama. Although, Niigata is sometimes left out, depending on who you ask.
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The Hokuriku region has the highest volume of snowfall of any inhabited and arable region in the world. This is because dry Siberian air amasses high humidity over the Sea of Japan and, subsequently, collides with the mountains of Honshu, causing heavy snow. Despite this rough climate, Hokuriku boats a large variety of plant life. The Japanese furusato stamps show flowers from the Hokuriku region prefectures of Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui.
All of the flowers above bloom between spring and summer. Issue date for these Japan furusato prefecture stamps was May 20, 2011. |
The next Japan furusato stamps take us on a journey to see the flowers of the Kanto Region.
As mentioned above, the region includes the greater Tokyo area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Approximately more than forty percent of the Kanto region's land is located on the Kanto Plain. About one third of the Japanese population alone lives in the Kanto region (around 43 million).
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The Japanese hometown stamps on the left sample well-know flowers from the Kanto region prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, and Chiba. All of them bloom between May and June of each year. In detail, the images show:
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Price: US$ 16.50
These Japan furusato prefecture stamps were issued on May 31, 2010.
The 'flowers from Kanto' Japan furusato stamps below follow the same concept as the above 'Kanto flower journey' furusato prefecture stamps.
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Once again, this furusato prefecture stamps sheet takes us to Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, and Chiba to experience notable flowers and sights of each prefecture. The furusato stamps shown on the sheet depict the following images:
These Japanese hometown stamps were issued on January 16, 2012. Price: US$ 11.30 |
This is the third installment in the 'Flowers from the Four Seasons in Tokyo' series.
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The Japanese hometown stamps sheet focuses on the following flowers and trees which can be found in and around Tokyo:
These Japan furusato prefecture stamps were issued on October 3, 2011. |
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