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.
呉天応郵便局 (Kure Tenno post office) Fukeiin - Kure-shi, Hiroshima
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It's been a few days since my last post. Work and life had been hectic, and I didn't have the energy to write. However, I'd like to celebrate that I've been collecting fukeiin for 2 months now and have visited more than 20 post offices. Also, thanks to everyone who has visited the blog. I'll keep adding useful content to all articles, so it might be worth revisiting old ones once in a while.
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Kure Tennoshioya-cho
On this day, I first visited the Saka Post Office. I overlooked the train frequency and had to cancel my original plans. For the second post office I was going to visit, I had planned a different one, but I thought the Kure Tenno post office fukeiin was more interesting, so I ended up choosing it. At this point, I had no idea what I was about to experience, lol.
Kure Tenno post office can be reached by taking the Kure Line to Tenno Station. From there, it's a 550m walk (around 8 minutes). I was wondering why there are so few local trains along the Kure Line, but after being on one myself, I realized that, unlike the Sanyo Main Line, some sections of the Kure Line are still single lines, so only one train can pass at a time. The local trains sometimes stop for a long time at a local station to make way for other trains (usually rapid trains) to pass. Some post offices that offer fukeiin along the Kure Line are located near local stations, so you need to plan a bit extra. Don't be like me!
Arriving at the Kure Tenno station, I followed the Google Map to the main road. To be honest, I don't think the main road near the Kure Tenno Station is pedestrian-friendly. The sidewalk is narrow, and many trucks pass by, creating a strong wind. My cap almost flew several times.
Sailor Fountain Pen Headquarters
Before going to the post office, I wanted to go to the Sailor Pen Headquarters. Sailor Pen is a popular fountain pen brand that offers a wide range of styles and colors. Google Maps showed the icon as "shop," so I wanted to visit and see whether they had any pens I could buy. I walked around 1km to the spot indicated on the map.
What? It didn't look open, though?
I checked the sign, and it said: Factory visit (by reservations only) and main offices. Where's the shop?!
There was no shop. Sad. Everyone, this is why we need to do some research before visiting a place. But on the positive side, I got to see more of the area.
Kure Tenno Post Office
I turned back and headed to the post office. From this post office, I planned to send four postcards: one to Indonesia, one to Portugal, one to Germany, and one to Belarus. As usual, I took an obligatory photo in front of the mailbox. I went inside, bought a plain postcard to write my own address on, and requested the post office to put fukeiin on all the postcards and send them.
After finishing my business at the post office, I walked back to the station and waited for my train. Kure Tenno Station is a small station, but it's very close to the Seto Inland Sea, and you can get a good view of it from the platform. While I was sitting on the bench waiting for my train, I heard an announcement. I thought it would be about some trains getting delayed, but I was wrong. It was an announcement from the Kure City Office. On this day, exactly 15 years have passed since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in 2011; it would be appreciated if everyone could have a minute of silence at 14:46, the time of the earthquake.
Ah, right, today was March 11th. I was admiring the Seto Inland Sea view in front of me, but at that moment, I was also reminded of how frightening the sea could be. It made me think of stuff, not gonna lie. After having my minute of silence, my train came, and I went home.
Kure Tenno Post Office Fukeiin
My postcards with fukeiin came a few days later. It had the image of a building, a tengu, a pen, and some mountains. From the Japan Post official site: "The fukeiin design features Tengu Castle Mountain in the background of the symbol dome of Kure Portopia Park, with fountain pens and tengu (mythical creatures) associated with the Tenno district depicted on either side." The fukeiin was launched on March 8th, 2024. I didn't realize that the fukeiin was launched recently; wow.
Kure Portopia Park is a large park directly connected to the Kure Portopia Station on the Kure Line. Its image is based on Spanish Mediterranean architecture, and the main building is the dome featured in the fukeiin. It looked interesting, and I wanted to visit, but it was a Wednesday, and the park is closed every Wednesday.
I tried to find more information about the tengu-related story in the Tenno District of Kure, but couldn't find any. If you know something about it, do let me know!
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