Description: This 2 Yen orange stamp is a prominent member of Japan's "1st New Showa" series, issued immediately following World War II to replace militaristic wartime designs. The vignette showcases the iconic wooden stage of Kiyomizu-dera (Pure Water Temple) in Kyoto, floating above a grove of trees. A crucial identifying feature of this 1946 issue is the Japanese text "日本郵便" (Nippon Yubin) across the top, which is written in the traditional right-to-left direction (reading as "便郵本日"). This specific orientation, along with the Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest in the top right corner, distinguishes it from the 1948 re-issue where the text direction was switched to the modern left-to-right format. The value is expressed in Western characters as "2 EN" (Yen) in the bottom right, reflecting the modernization of the post-war postal system.
Circa: 1946 - 1947
Condition: Used - Hinged
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