2021 Pokémon Stamp Box Promotional Cards
ポケモン切手BOX～ポケモンカードゲーム 見返り美人・月に雁セット～
Pokémon Stamp Box ~ Pokémon Card Game
Beauty Looking Back • Wild Geese Flying under the Full Moon Set~
The 2021 Stamp Box promo cards were produced in collaboration between the Pokémon Company and Japan Post. On August 25, 2021 winners of a Japan Post office lottery were allowed to buy a single box for ¥4,000 if they had matching photo ID.
The Stamp Box
The box itself contains Pikachu 227/S-P and Cramorant 226/S-P packaged together in plastic. A sealed “Family Pokémon Card Game Anytime, Anywhere” deck is included which is designed to teach families how to play the TCG. Three Pokemon-shaped post cards (Pikachu, Charizard and Eevee) are included with three stamp sheets, shown below:
Japan Postal Service 150th Anniversary
The promotional box release was done in conjunction with the 150th Anniversary of Japanese Postal Service. The International Stamp Exhibition held once every 10 years in Japan, PHILANIPPON 2021, showcased a Pokemon section where visitors could buy the stamp box. In addition to the Pokemon collaboration, Japan Post also released a more traditional version of the Beauty Looking Back / Moon Geese stamp set as shown below.
History of the Stamps
The Beauty Looking Back / Moon Geese stamps have a history of releases in Japan. The sheet below featuring Beauty Looking Back was produced for PHILANIPPON 2001:
In 1996 the “The History of Postage Stamps” issues were released featuring monochrome and colored versions of the The Beauty Looking Back / Moon Geese stamps. Shown below is the complete sheet and the first day cancellations (a promotional item that post offices will produce on the first day a stamp is released).
Beauty Looking Back saw an additional release during the 120th anniversary of Japan Post:
Perhaps of most significance however are the original releases. The original Beauty Looking Back was a commemorative stamp released in November 1948 for Philatelic Week. Likewise, the original Moon Geese stamp was released during the 1949 Philatelic Week.
Original Artwork
The original art pieces of both the Beauty and the Geese are both 17th century works of art.
“Beauty Looking back” by Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川 師宣) created on silk currently resides at the Tokyo National Museum. “Wild Geese Flying under the Full Moon” by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重) is a woodblock print and currently resides at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Summary
The 2021 Pokemon Stamp Promo Box pulls from a rich history of stamp collecting in Japan, which pulls from an even older history of Japanese fine art. While the artwork may be easily recognizable to many residents of Japan, outsiders may not appreciate the nuance involved in this promotional release. Hopefully this article has provided insight into the centuries old background of these cards.
