八本松郵便局 (Hachihonmatsu Post Office) Fukeiin - Higashihiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

Everyone, I have an announcement.

I'm officially a HIT Hiroshima Tourism Ambassador.

The HIT Hiroshima Tourism Ambassador program is a program by the Hiroshima Tourism Association to attract more visitors to Hiroshima. Ambassadors are then expected to share what they love about Hiroshima or to discover new places and attractions that might attract tourists. It's voluntary, so ambassadors don't get remuneration from the prefectural government, but we do get perks, such as the opportunity to get free products or early access to new programs, workshops, or tours. Oh, we also get a cool certificate and HIT Hiroshima Tourism Ambassador business cards lol. 

On the form, they asked the applicants to write the charms of Hiroshima that they find most appealing. I wrote, "I wanted to share about Hiroshima fukeiin with people around the world." Each fukeiin depicts places or things that represent that particular area, so it's a good way to promote tourism. Moreover, it makes a great collection and travel souvenir. 

To be honest, I had half-abandoned this blog before, but being selected as an ambassador reinvigorated my will to write. I started adding more info about the area I visited, like how to access the post office, the area's history or stories, and recommended spots, restaurants, or cafes near the post offices. Like I said before, the journey to collect each fukeiin is as important as the fukeiin itself. I had no idea that fukeiin could open new opportunities for me, but here we are. 

Anyway, on to the fukeiin story


Hachihonmatsu Post Office

Both my husband and I had a half-day off, so I could visit some post offices that were otherwise difficult to reach by public transport. Being newly selected as an ambassador, I was feeling ambitious that day. Therefore, I planned to go to not only one or two, but three post offices in a day. Woop! On this day, we visited the Hachihonmatsu Post Office, the Kumano Post Office, and the Kumano Nishi Post Office.

My first stop of the day was Hachihonmatsu Post Office. You can reach it by taking the train to Hachihonmatsu Station (Sanyo Line). However, from the station, you will have to walk about 20 minutes, as no buses go toward the post office. That's why I decided to only go there when my husband could drive me. 

Hachihonmatsu is a town in Higashihiroshima-shi. It flourished during the Edo period as a key point in Saigoku Kaido (another name for the early modern Sanyo Road, which connected Kyoto and Shimonoseki in the present Yamaguchi Prefecture). The name Hachihonmatsu came from the two pine trees (male and female) planted at the "Nagao Ichirizuka" (milepost). The two pines, facing each other across the road, each had four branches that spread out and intersected, hence the name "Hachihonmatsu" (eight pines).

At this post office, I would send 3 postcards: 1 to Indonesia and 2 to Japan. I took the obligatory mailbox photo before going inside. As usual, I bought a blank postcard to write my address on. After I finished writing my address, I requested the post office lady there to put fukeiin on all the postcards and post them. The lady asked me whether I collect fukeiin, and I replied, "Yes." She asked which post offices I had been to, and I told her some of the places I had gone to. The lady was like, "Wow, you went all the way to Asuka?" I laughed. I love it when the post officers are excited about fukeiin, because same! I could just send written requests and mail them to the post offices, but nothing beats real human interaction. I hope all of the postcards reach their new homes safely.

Time to go to the next post office!


Hachinhonmatsu Post Office Fukeiin 

My postcard with the fukeiin arrived a few days later. I absolutely love the shape! The fukeiin has the image of Hachihonmatsu Station, two pine trees, a jizo (stone Buddha) statue, and a pond/lake.

From the Japan Post official website: "To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Japan Post, the Hachihonmatsu Post Office held a competition for fukeiin design. This winning design depicts the 88 stone Buddhas, Nanatsu Ike, and the pine trees, which are landmarks near Hachihonmatsu Station. At 255 m above sea level, Hachihonmatsu Station is the station with the highest elevation along the Sanyo Line." The fukeiin was launched on February 8th, 2022.

Ok, there is a lot to unpack here. The 88 stone Buddha statues are scattered within a circle with a radius of approximately 1.8 km centered around JR Hachihonmatsu Station. They were erected in the late Taisho period by Kumajiro Horioka, a wealthy local businessman. The 88 Stone Buddha pilgrimage is held twice every year by the Hachihonmatsu Eighty-Eight Stone Buddhas Association. Nanatsuike is a man-made pond in Hachihonmatsu and a sakura-viewing spot in spring. 

Ok, I didn't know Hachihonmatsu Station had the highest elevation on the Sanyo Line. I learned something new today. Thanks, fukeiin.

I'll see you all on my next fukeiin adventure!


Cheers,

Mulic



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