(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Shinjuku is known to be a hot spot for its nightlife, but near the outskirts lays a small hidden gem to explore.
The Philatelic Museum, about a 10-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station, features stamps from around the world. I wanted to visit this museum to reminisce about my basic training days where I’d have to remember to buy postage stamps at the small exchange so I could write letters to my family.
The small museum charges a reasonable 200-yen admission (about $1.25) for adults and 100 yen for elementary students, and its collection spans two floors.
On the first floor, I saw stamps from different regions and decades. There were stamps from Spain, China the United States and other countries. It was neat to see the differences in designs. Some were simple, some were dedicated to people or animals and others had cartoons like Pingu the penguin (my favorite stamp).
Philatelic means the study and collection of postage stamps and postmarks, so as such, the second floor is the museum’s library. This section was more like an office with shelves of stamp books, a typewriter and a few frames on the wall. The most memorable piece for me on this floor was a framed collection of U.S.-issued Marilyn Monroe stamps from 1995 for the “Legends of Hollywood” series.
Visitors can easily enjoy the museum in about an hour and a half, then spend some time browsing the postcards and stamps in the gift shop near the entrance. There is also a photo booth that lets you create a stamp photo for 200 yen.
The museum also has a stamp collector shop, which sells collectible stamp booklets anywhere from 6,000 yen to 10,000 yen each. I purchased Showa Era stamps of drawings depicting kabuki actors and courtesan for 1,870 yen.
Whether you’re a stamp collector or just a fan of nostalgia, the Philatelic Museum is a good one to visit while you’re exploring Tokyo.
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
