A Jaunt in Old Japan

2008: International Letter Writing Week

In 1832 Utagowa Hiroshige travelled the  length of Tōkaidō Road (the name translates as the eastern sea route) which ran from Edo (modern day Tokyo) to Kyoto and created a series of woodcuts from 1833-1834 called "The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō Road" which were published by Hoeido so this first publication became known as the Hoeido Edition of which this stamp illustration is taken

1962: International Letter Writing Week

Here is the start of that journey on at Edo's Nihonbashi (Japan Bridge).  The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art own a print of this so helpfully they describe what is happening "...a daimyo procession crosses early in the morning as it begins its long journey out of Edo and towards the open gates of the district.  Ahead are a group of fishmongers who carry fresh fish from the nearby market into the city"

1964: International Letter Writing Week

Still on the Tōkaidō Highway but passing Mount Fuji at Hodogaya (the fourth station on the road) portrayed in Hokusai's "36 Views of Mount Fuji".  The British Museum have a print of this (their Japanese galleries are usually a beautiful oasis of calm on the top floor in contrast to the frenetic ground floor galleries).  Their print is rather more sharp than my stamp scan and describes the image

thus - "Travellers on a road lined with pine trees, foot traveller on the far right with itinerant Buddhist monk, deep sedge hat and bamboo flute, gazing at a roadside stone image of a deity carved into the rock-face of hillside (half cropped by the print), palanquin bearers resting to mop brow and re-tie sandal, man leading horse pointing herding stick towards Mt Fuji".  (The British Museum curator goes into more detail)

2011: Philatelic Week 140th Anniversary of Japan's Postal Service

After all that travelling one might want to send a letter home.  I wonder who will deliver it?  In the 19th Century it might have been Postal Man Otakichi as portrayed by Toyohara Kunichika.

Journey along the '53 Stations of the Tōkaidō Road' at the illustrated Wikipedia page here

This week's Sunday Stamps II prompt is of the letter J - for Japan and journey - See It On A Postcard