What is 風景印 Fukeiin?


Japan is famous for its cute stamps. You can see commemorative stamps at various places, such as train stations, tourist spots, museums, etc. Some areas offer a stamp rally, a fun activity where you have to visit several spots and push the stamps at each one to complete the picture. 

About Fukeiin

風景印 Fukeiin, or pictorial postmark, is a type of postmark that you can get from post offices in Japan. There are more than 12,000 post offices offering fukeiin, about half of all post offices in Japan. You can see the complete list of fukeiin and search by keywords and areas here (in Japanese). 
Collecting fukeiin is a lot of fun, and you can use it as a reminder of your travels in Japan. On top of it, I use it as a motivation to go explore neighborhoods and areas I do not usually go to, as fukeiin can also be found in suburban residential areas, in a village in the mountains, or by the sea. 
Unlike other commemorative stamps, though, fukeiin serves the role of a postmark, which means you need to put a stamp (or several stamps) worth at least 63 yen to get one. I will write a guide on fukeiin later on.

Each post office offering fukeiin has a different picture. Usually, the fukeiin depicts something that characterizes the area, such as scenery, landmarks, or specialty products. Most fukeiin are circular with a 36 mm diameter, but some places offer irregularly shaped fukeiin with unique outer frame designs, such as the one offered by Hachihonmatsu Higashi Post Office. 






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