Japanese Post Cards

These are some of the post cards I received in a recent stamp club auction (there is a separate post showing some of the envelopes I received). Most are New Year's greetings.

The first two images are of a postal card with attached reply card.


















I'm not sure what the numbers on the left side of the card signify.

Again, nice examples!

The numbers are for the annual New Year's lottery. When you send someone a card, you've also entered them in the lottery! (Kind of like giving Scratcher tickets at Christmas.)

Although there are a few big prizes, most of the lucky winners will receive the souvenir sheet issued for that year's new year's stamps. (This is footnoted in Scott under the stamps. -- I've thought about putting together a webpage that shows them.)

Here are a couple of posts from people who've won the souvenir sheets in recent years:

http://tokyo5.wordpress.com/tag/new-year-lottery/

http://lang-8.com/seroris/journals/...ery-in-Japan

-- Dave

By the way, your third example shown, with the big "T" crossed out, is an interesting little item. I'm pretty sure of this, but am willing to be corrected, that this shows that the card was originally charged postage due, I'm guessing for the international postcard rate to the US.

Judging from the other used examples, it looks like mail sent from Japan to APO addresses in Japan should be charged just the domestic rate (even though it has that US-style zipcode on it), and that the postage-due card originally was flagged but ended up being cancelled. (Or else paid -- that might be a possibility as well.)

You definitely did well at that club auction! Congratulations!

-- Dave

Wow! How interesting! I appreciate all of the information - I doubt that I would have been able to gather all of that information. These examples (the cards and covers) were part of around 55 covers. Most are posted from Japan to Camp Drake which is in Japan. Many of the covers are run of the mill, so to speak, but there are several more that I will add to the cover topic I created earelier.
Thanks so much for the education!
Don

Don - Happy to share what little bit I know! Until recently, I was primarily a Japan collector, but have begun to expand into some other countries and topics.

-- Dave

This is why I got into cover/item collecting - there is more of a story than just a cancelled stamp.

Congratulations - great cards - I certainly would like to own them.

They are great cards alright. I always wondered what the numbers were for.

You learn something new every day here.

Chimo

Bujutsu