Description: This original, postally used definitive stamp originates from the Empire of Japan and carries a face value of 13 sen. Printed in a distinct olive-brown ink on white paper, the geometric composition displays an incredibly precise example of classical security engraving. The center top of the frame prominently showcases the Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest (Kikumon), which serves as the traditional symbol of the Emperor of Japan. Directly beneath this crest rests a delicate spray of native cherry blossoms (sakura), which forms a decorative border around a central kanji inscription tablet reading "拾參錢" (Thirteen Sen). The top border houses a formal right-to-left kanji script reading "大日本帝國郵便" (Great Japan Empire Post), while two distinct lower ovals frame the westernized Arabic numerals "13" and the English text "SEN" to accommodate international mail sorting.
Circa: This specific 13-sen olive brown Tazawa design was first introduced by the Japanese Department of Communications on October 25, 1925, and circulated actively through 1937.
Condition: Used
Notes:
This piece belongs to the legendary "Tazawa Series", widely recognized as the first Japanese stamp set designed entirely by a domestic artist, Mr. Shadan Tazawa, rather than imported Western engravers. Philatelists pay very close attention to this specific 13-sen denomination because it bridges two major historical print periods, spanning the transition between the Taisho and Showa eras. The series underwent a massive technical change following the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923; early printings feature a distinct wavy-line watermark in the paper fabric, whereas later iterations produced from 1925 onward switched to a specialized parallel-line block watermark style. Used examples like this one frequently carry partial black cork or localized circular date stamp cancels, which specialists heavily study under magnifying lenses to map provincial postal routes operating across pre-war Japan.