Records of my adventure in finding 風景印 (fukeiin, pictorial postmarks) in Japan. With guides on how to get fukeiin in Japan and a fukeiin directory of Hiroshima with a map.
小島郵便局 (Kojima Post Office) - Kurashiki, Okayama
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Still on the first day of our trip to Kurashiki (you can read about the beginning of the trip in my previous post). After checking into our hotel (hotels in Japan usually only accept check-in after 3 or 4 pm) and having a quick rest, my husband and I headed to the bus stop at Kurashiki station around 4 pm to board the bus to Kojima station at the southern tip of the city.
Kojima is known as the mecca of Okayama raw denim. I'm not particularly a fan of denim, but my friend told me she'd love to visit the Okayama denim place on her next visit to Japan, so I thought I'd go there first to see what it's like, and hopefully I'll be able to guide her well when she's here. Plus, I checked Google and confirmed that the Kojima Post Office offered fukeiin, and it was open until 7 pm. All the more reason for me to go.
According to the info we got from the Tourist Information Center, the bus from Kurashiki to Kojima usually takes 45-50 minutes. However, that day the traffic was heavy, and it took more than 1 hour. A few stops before Kojima Station, in front of a shopping center, the bus driver asked us, "Are you alighting at this bus stop?" However, since the Kojima Post Office address read "Kojima Ekimae" (lit. in front of Kojima Station), we said no and continued to Kojima Station.
When we reached the station, it was already almost 5:30 pm, and the sky was getting dark. We checked Google Maps and found that both the Kojima Jeans Street and the Kojima Post Office were almost 20 minutes away on foot. We followed the route on Google Maps and realized we were actually going back along the bus route, even passing the bus stop in front of the shopping center! Argh, so that's why the driver asked us that time!
We finally arrived at Kojima Jeans Street a little before 6 pm. We saw that shops were either already closed or closing, so we quickly went to the one that was still open. I bought a bag charm, accessories, and some scraps for journaling. My husband had wanted a denim bag, but it wasn't his lucky day. We totally missed the Betty Smith shop and museum, too. Note to self, the shops at Kojima Jeans Street close early, so we should come early next time.
Fortunately, the Kojima Post Office was open until 7 pm, so we still had some time. Before going to the post office, we checked the bus timetable for the return bus timings. There were still several buses running before the last bus, so there was no problem. On the way, we found an interesting park and took some pictures there. We reached the post office a little past 6, and I quickly requested fukeiin on the 3 postcards I had prepared, as well as 1 for myself. I totally forgot to take a picture of the post office building or the mailbox as we rushed to the bus stop to take the earliest return bus to Kurashiki Station. It was already dark; there was nothing else to see in the area, and we might get caught in traffic jams again.
You can reach Kojima Post Office by taking the bus from Kurashiki Station and getting off at the Fujiwarakumimae bus stop or the Kojima Shimin Koryusentamae bus stop.
Total travel time on bus: around 2.5 hours (round-trip). Total stay in Kojima: around 45 minutes. But hey, at least we could complete the things we set out to do.
I went to a yet again different post office on our second day in Kurashiki, but that is a story for another day.
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A few days later, my postcard with the fukeiin arrived. The fukeiin features the Seto Ohashi Bridge, a famous landmark of the town and also a major bridge connecting Honshu and Shikoku. Apparently, to get a good view of the bridge, we would have had to take a bus from Kojima Station to the Washuzan Second Observatory, and we didn't have time for that. Actually, I crossed the bridge last year on my business trip but couldn't take a good photo. I guess I'll just enjoy the view from my fukeiin, lol.
From the Japan Post official website: "The view of the Shimotsui Seto Bridge from the summit of Washuuzan." The fukeiin was launched on March 1st, 1988. Hopefully, I can take a good picture of the same scenery one day!
Recently, I started collecting 風景印 fukeiin, or pictorial postmarks. After finding out about fukeiin, I researched which designs are available, where I could get them, and how to get there. Many of the post offices that provide fukeiin are only open on weekdays, and I would need to go to the counter to request it. Of course, I could just send a fukeiin request to any post office that I want, have them stamp them for me, and then send the postcards to the addresses written there. In fact, that would make it much easier to complete the collection. However, I believe that the journey and the experience of getting each fukeiin are just as important and meaningful as the fukeiin themselves. That means I will have to go there by myself, and it raises the difficulty by a few levels. Many people outside Japan believe they can travel around the country without a car because of the country's vast train network. In urban areas such as Tokyo or Osaka, that may be the case, but in the count...
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Another sunny day. I had 8 postcards ready to send and a half-day off. It's fukeiin time! The time was past noon, and I had only a couple of hours to complete my mission. I had searched for two post offices near each other and plotted my route in advance. Thanks to this fukeiin journey, my trip-planning skills have improved so much in just one month. You can even hire me to plan your Japan trip itinerary! Just kidding, I don't have enough knowledge of mainstream tourist spots (I know quite a few hidden gems, though). Anyway, this time I'll be going to the Hatchobori area. Hiroshima Hatchobori 八丁堀 Hatchobori is one of the busiest districts of Hiroshima. The name 'Hatchobori' comes from the length of the outer moat that once surrounded Hiroshima Castle. The moat was filled in during the Meiji Period, but some monuments marking the moat's outer wall and the place where it used to be still remain. I passed by one of them near the Hatchobori Station. But before go...
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