A Japanese Ephemera Mystery To Me

Hi all
Interesting and mysterious purchase from an ebay seller who
described this item as an "Early Japan Poster Stamp Block".

Hi stampfan9,

This is a post card, used as military post (the postmark with square frame says "military post"). Judging from the lady's costume, it seems to be dispatched somewhere from China.

The text in the beautiful design says;

[two lines of Kanji characters @ top-left]

"With fate, we come and meet together even if we are thousands of miles apart,

Without fate, we will never recognize each other even we face each other"

--> this is an ancient saying/proverb of China.

[Kanji characters @ middle : your second image]

"Writing poem on loneliness of a journey"

--> this is really hard to translate...

[three lines @ right]

"A day of travel is an epitome of life,
Joy and loneliness change from moment to moment.

The moment of joy and the moment of sadness, no one ever knows when they come.

Farewell at crossroads, goodbye at warf,
The compassion of a traveler is forever unforgettable."


- Hironobu (unechan)

Nice to see you back Unechan.
Always enjoy your posts.




Anyone whom has travelled alone, can relate to that.