Japan

The rapid rise of Japan to power at the turn of the century is marked by many stamps of a military nature - but often with a uniquely Japanese twist.
Japan's successful war against China (1894-95) was commemorated by an issue of four stamps in 1896. These are of two denominations, each of which is in two varieties, a style that was later repeated by the Republic of China. The Japanese stamps in question portray two heroes of the war; the denominations were 2 sen and 5 sen, but that there should be no suggestion of any inequality in their admiration for the two heroes, the Japanese postal authorities had two stamps of each denomination prepared so that each warrior figured on a 2 sen and also a 5 sen stamp. Thus neither could be regarded as being valued higher than the other, and neither could be said to be given greater prominence.
 One of the portraits is that of the late Marshall, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, chief of the staff of the Army of the Japanese Empire, and the other is the late Lieutenant General Prince Kitashirakawa, Commander of the Imperial Guards engaged in the subjugation of Formosa.
At a later date, 1901, there was a proposal to commemorate the services of the late Lieutenant General, and a 3 sen stamp was announced; its design was to comprise the imperial crest (the chrysanthemum) and a Formosan Shinto Shrine. The stamps were issued in time for the festival of the Shrine celebrated at Taipeh on October 27 and 28, 1901.

In 1905, as the outcome of Japanese military successes in the East against China and Russia, full administrative control was taken over Korea, and a special stamp of the value 3 sen was issued to mark the amalgamation of the Japanese and Korean postal services.

Yet another pair of stamps commemorated somewhat ancient history; they were issued in 1908 and bear the portrait of the Empress Jingo-Kôgô, who is stated to have been Regent from 201 to 269 in lieu of her son Ojin. She waged a victorious war against Korea. The legend goes that the god Sumiyoshi acting as pilot for her on the sea, caused gigantic fishes to surround the boat and keep it afloat when a great storm threatened to send the ship to the bottom.

The next two stamps were issued on April 30, 1906, to mark, according to the inscriptions the "Campaign of the 37th and 38th years of Meiji. Memorial Postage Stamp of the Triumphal Military Review—One Sen five Rin" (or, for the higher value—Three Sen). In the centre is a trophy of arms, including a field gun, rifles, and ammunition, and the Imperial flag, the Crest or Chrysanthemum, within a wreath of rice plant and pine. In the spandrels are the five-pointed stars, badges worn by the Japanese soldiers.

Two years later a great naval review was held at Kobe, and although no special adhesive stamp was issued, a quaint postmark representing the bow of a battleship was used.

In 1910 the 3 sen carmine stamp then current was specially overprinted with Japanese characters, signifying war or field service. These were prepared for and issued to the Japanese military and naval forces in China and Korea.


Includes edited excerpts from The Project Gutenberg e-Book of The Postage Stamp in War, by Fred. J. Melville