This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Now ubiquitous in many of Japan’s 9,000 stations, the first eki stamp appeared in 1931 at Fukui station near the Sea of Japan coast, ...

As stamp markets go, Japan is of interest for a number of reasons. It is a mature market in a prosperous country where demographics favor growth in stamp collecting. Japan has demographically aged ...

Stamps are indispensable for any celebration in Japan - be it Emperor Akihito's wedding anniversary, his 20th year of ascension or the golden jubilee year of Japanese weekly comic books for boys. A ...

Snap-happy Japan’s love affair with the camera has reached new heights — people can now put their face or favorite pic on a stamp. JAPAN IS THE birthplace of the wildly popular “Print Club” booths, ...

Though signing things by hand is slowly gaining more popularity in Japan, most official processes still rely on using hanko, a name stamp used to prove your identity. They’re used for anything from ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Now ubiquitous in many of Japan’s 9,000 stations, the first eki ...