This Japanese postal stationery card, issued in 1875 (Meiji 8), belongs to the early series of government-issued postcards known as yūbin hagaki (郵便はがき), introduced shortly after the establishment of Japan’s modern postal system in 1871. The card features a finely typographed design in blue-green ink, with a centrally placed imperial chrysanthemum crest embedded within a circular frame inscribed with “Japanese Post” and the denomination “1 sen.” This stylistic blend of traditional Japanese motifs and Western-influenced layout exemplifies the transitional aesthetic of the Meiji era.
The front of the card bears a legible red-brown cancellation mark dated Meiji 8 (1875), with clear characters indicating Ōsaka (大阪) as the origin, along with additional kanji denoting a more specific location and date. The address is written in formal brush calligraphy, directed to Abe Yosaku (阿部與作様) in Geiseimura (芸西村), a village located in Kōchi Prefecture. The elegant vertical script on both the address and message side reflects the conventions of the time, offering insight into the handwriting style and formal tone used in personal or administrative correspondence.
Printed using typographic methods on unperforated, ungummed cardstock—typical for this class of postal stationery—the card is bordered with a decorative blue frame that contains regulatory postal text in Japanese, indicating it was a standardized government issue valid for one domestic dispatch. The 1 sen value was the correct domestic postcard rate at the time, introduced during a period when the Japanese postal service sought to standardize communication and reduce cost barriers to written correspondence.
Culturally and historically, this card serves as a fascinating artifact of Japan’s modernization efforts during the Meiji Restoration, embodying both visual refinement and functional design. The presence of traditional village and district names, such as Fujiyamura, Ōhara District, Shimane Prefecture (島根縣 大原郡 藤屋村), highlights the layered administrative structure of the period. The red postal seal with its dated characters adds both archival and aesthetic significance, turning this humble object into a window into the rhythms of late 19th-century Japanese life. Estimate "$80 – 120"
