The first panda stamp in the world -from my Chinese stamp collection-

Mr. Fukui, a famouse philatelists collecting Chinese stamps asked me if I collect Chinese stamps or not the other day. As a matter of fact, when I decided to start Stampedia project, the base of my collection was what I was given by my father who collected Chinese stamps for a long time. Besides I bought some Chinese stamps in my childhood because it was most cheap stamps at the stamp dealers.

Well I encountered the full sheet of 120 single 1959 Chinese stamps depicting panda besides the facevalue last month and I got it. It was not so popular and I paid only 100 euro. 1963 Giant Panda stamps are much popular and much expensive than this stamp, however this is the first Panda stamp.

So my answer for the first question if I'll collect Chinese stamps is half yes but half no because I'm not going to make a traditional competitive work of Chinese stamps as I don't have enough difficult stamps such as 1897 surcharged stamps or liberation stamps.

 

2012 Japan Prefectural Issues Scenery of the Trip 15 TOKYO

It's natural for Japan Post to release minit-sheet including 10 different stamps recently. I think this trend started in Venezuela in the late 20th century and was seen only in those countries, however can be seen all over the world including Japan.There're no longer many philatelists who collect all the new issues of their own country.
I think that recently more and more stamp collectors only buy new postage stamps which they like. Here are examples of my favorite as I like panda.
The first is EMS cover addressed to Sweden. MITAKA-EKIMAE 23.IV.12. I made a business trip by chance, so I made it. EMS costs a lot but it is fun to attache a full sheet .


Next is an example using Printing Parcel called "Yu-Mail". (The price of 500g-1kg weight is 340 yen)(Toshima / 24 / 4.24)


The last one is registered FDC with special postamark of Ueno Post Office, the post office near the Ueno-zoo, where pandas depicting in these stamps this time live.  This cover came from a musicican and I think it is good for non-philatelists to use this special postmark for their promotion.