The postal history of Japan traces back to the early 17th century when the Tokugawa shogunate established a formal postal system known as the “kitte system” in 1603. This system allowed for the efficient exchange of official communications between the government and various regions. However, it wasn’t until the Meiji era in the late 19th century that Japan adopted Western-style postal services.
The first stamps were issued in April 1871, in a set of four covering the different postal rates; the intricate two-color design consisted of a pair of dragons facing towards the center, where the characters of value were printed in black. The denominations were in mon, which had already been superseded by the yen; the same basic design denominated in yen appeared in 1872, but was itself soon replaced by a new set of four designs featuring the imperial crest. Todays atamp is the 48 mon stamp from 1871. CV is 175 euros for a mint copy.