The Philatelic Museum in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, was founded by Meiso Mizuhara (1924-93), a world-renowned stamp collector who once called stamps "silent diplomats."
Indeed, postage stamps, which were created in Britain in 1840, are encountered by people all over the world and have been used as wartime propaganda, to promote popular characters and in other ways that reflect the times.
All the same, one does not need to think about stamps too deeply. Instead of studying or collecting them -- the practice of philately -- many people simply enjoy using old stamps to make collages.
"Use them, collect them, display them -- I want people to learn about all the ways stamps can be enjoyed," curator Ryuta Tanabe, 54, said.
There are said to be 500,000 to 600,000 different kinds of stamps in the world. The museum's collection of about 350,000 types comprises most of those issued since the 1960s.
The museum does not have a permanent exhibition, but rather displays stamps according to a theme that changes every three months.
Themes have included mushrooms, ancient cultures and fashion as well as the world's first stamp: the Penny Black.
The current theme is titled "Tick-tock, tick-tock -- Marking time" and features about 800 stamps related to time issued in Japan, Europe, the United States, Africa, Asia and elsewhere.
There are of course stamps featuring things like clocks and the waxing and waning of the moon, but others are more tangential, such as a stamp with a diagram of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and one featuring a smartphone.
Also on display are various postmarks -- including "scenic" ones with illustrations of famous people, places and other things -- arranged like a clock. There are also postcards with postmarks from the Meiji and Taisho eras.
"The exhibitions are a series of discoveries for the staff as well," Tanabe said.
For those who want to dip their toes in philatelically, one way of enjoying the hobby is the "maximum card," which is when the image on a postcard matches the image on the stamp and has a postmark from a related site.
These can be obtained as souvenirs on trips, or by sending a postcard to a post office and asking for their help.
-- Philatelic Museum
The museum opened in 1989 at a provisional site in Shibuya Ward, before moving to its current location in 1996. There is a library attached to the museum with about 30,000 related books and documents. The museum also has stamps for sale.
Address: 1-4-23 Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo
Open: 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays, when changing exhibitions, and around New Year's)
Admission: 200 yen general, 100 yen elementary and junior high school students. Free on the 23rd of each month (the following day if the 23rd is a Monday).
Information: (03) 5951-3331
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