Greetings from Japan

Today's 'Greetings from' postcard comes from Japan. This was a bit of an awkward swap, too - I sent the 'Greetings from'  United Kingdom postcard in return to Michelle, but it was taking ages to arrive so we both assumed it had got lost and I sent another one in the hopes that that one would arrive. ...and a few days after posting the second card, the first one arrived! Well, I did receive a gorgeous Dayan the Cat postcard from Michelle as well so I'm not really complaining too much...!

This is one of my favourite postcards in this series. I love the colours and the little maneki-neko illustration, and it also helps that the postcard mentions Haruki Murakami, quite possibly my favourite author, and Aikido, a martial art I've been practicing since 2005 and am currently a 2nd dan black belt in. ...and I have a soft spot for Japan in general and would very much love to visit the country one day. I only just realised as well that Mount Fuji is a Unesco site, so this is another card for that collection of mine. :)

The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped, stratovolcano, known around the world as Mount Fuji, rising above villages and tree-fringed sea and lakes has long been the object of pilgrimages and inspired artists and poets. The inscribed property consists of 25 sites which reflect the essence of Fujisan’s sacred and artistic landscape. In the 12th century, Fujisan became the centre of training for ascetic Buddhism, which included Shinto elements. On the upper 1,500-metre tier of the 3,776m mountain, pilgrim routes and crater shrines have been inscribed alongside sites around the base of the mountain including Sengen-jinja shrines, Oshi lodging houses, and natural volcanic features such as lava tree moulds, lakes, springs and waterfalls, which are revered as sacred. Its representation in Japanese art goes back to the 11th century, but 19th century woodblock prints of views, including those from sand beaches with pine tree groves have made Fujisan an internationally recognized icon of Japan and have had a deep impact on the development of Western art.

A sushi stamp!! *heart*