Land of the Rising Sun

2009: Travel Series 5: Nara National Park

This stamp wants to take us travelling to Nara (Japan's ancient capital), and shows us a glimpse of the Kasuga-taisha Grand Shrine. The tips of the temple roofs and pagoda towers peeking through the trees is supposed to be one of the abiding images of Nara.  The month portrayed on the stamp is May for the wisteria is in full bloom and is one of the sights visitors go to see.  Perhaps there are also pretty butterflies fluttering around the flowers

Copper Butterfly

The shrine lies at the foot of a deeply forested hill where birds will sing

or flock like the Japanese White Eye. Small streams and ponds are bound to contain fish so perhaps a Greater Kingfisher will call by.

Orchids

There will be more flowers.  I wish I had more of Japan's 1992-4 flora and fauna definitives but see the full set here .  Lets travel instead to the high mountains of central Japan to see  

1963: Japanese Birds

the ptarmigan, called the 'thunder bird' in Japan possibly because of its rasping croak of an alarm call or perhaps you would prefer a gentle stroll in the lowlands and hear the Meadow Buntings call.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Eastern Hemisphere -  go east at See It On A Postcard