Rare Japanese stamps worth money

8 notable rare Japanese stamps

Listed roughly in date order, not ranked by price. Figures are only given where a named source records them.

1. 1

   Dragon stamps, mon issue

   1871

   

   Why it is rare

   Japan's first stamps came in four values: 48, 100, 200 and 500 mon. Each plate of 40 was engraved by hand by Matsuda Atsutomo, so every position differs slightly. Few survive, which is why catalogue values are high.

   What drives the value

   Value and plate, shade, plate position, and multiples and covers. Genuineness comes first, because forgeries vastly outnumber real copies in circulation.

   How to recognize it

   Two dragons framing a central value in Japanese characters, on thin Japanese paper, imperforate and without gum. Colors: 48 mon brown, 100 mon blue, 200 mon vermilion, 500 mon blue-green. Mon values appear only on this issue.

   Sources: Wikipedia (Japanese), Wikipedia (Japanese), International Society for Japanese Philately

   Japanese Dragon Stamps value guide
2. 2

   Dragon 500 mon with inverted center

   1871

   Why it is rare

   At least 40 copies of the error must have been printed, but only one is known. It was found in the United States in 1973, used. Japanese catalogues value it at ¥35 million, the highest catalogue value of any Japanese stamp.

   What drives the value

   It is unique: the only known example of the major error on Japan's first issue.

   How to recognize it

   The blue-green 500 mon Dragon with the central value printed upside down. Any other copy offered would need extraordinary proof.

   Documented figures

   Sold by David Feldman SA in Geneva on 3 June 2023 for $5,570,760, according to Wikipedia's list of the most expensive philatelic items.

   Sources: Wikipedia (Japanese), Wikipedia

   Japanese Dragon Stamps value guide
3. 3

   Dragon stamps, sen issue

   1872

   Why it is rare

   After the currency reform the Dragon design was reissued with values in sen and rin (100 mon became 1 sen, 48 mon became 5 rin). It was Japan's first perforated stamp and was short-lived, replaced by the Cherry Blossom issue in 1872.

   What drives the value

   Value, plate, paper, the condition of the perforations and centering.

   How to recognize it

   The same dragon design as 1871 but with sen or rin values and perforations. The mon issue has no perforations at all.

   Source: Wikipedia (Japanese)

4. 4

   Cherry Blossom issues

   1872–1876

   Why it is rare

   Hand-engraved plates, many printings and kana control marks added partway through produced a large number of varieties, some of them scarce. Japanese Wikipedia calls it the most popular series among Japanese collectors, so demand is strong.

   What drives the value

   The kana mark, plate, paper type and condition. Specialists pay for scarce kana and paper combinations.

   How to recognize it

   Cherry blossoms in the four corners, values in sen, perforated. Look for a small kana syllable in the design; it identifies the printing.

   Sources: Wikipedia (Japanese), Wikipedia (Japanese)

5. 5

   1913 forged Chrysanthemum stamps

   1913

   Why it is rare

   In 1913 forgers produced fake Chrysanthemum stamps that were so crude post-office clerks spotted them. Very few circulated, and the forged stamps are now rarer and more valuable than the genuine ones.

   What drives the value

   Proof that the item is one of the 1913 postal forgeries rather than a later philatelic fake.

   How to recognize it

   The Chrysanthemum definitives of 1899–1908 carry the imperial chrysanthemum crest prominently in the design. Genuine stamps are common; the 1913 forgeries are crude by comparison. Only an expert can confirm one.

   Source: Wikipedia (Japanese)

6. 6

   'Enemy Nations Surrender' 10 sen

   1945

   Why it is rare

   The design shows the Hakozaki Shrine plaque reading 'enemy nations surrender'. A grey version went on sale in April 1945 and a blue version was printed from August. On 24 August 1945 the stamp was withdrawn for fear of provoking the occupation forces. 117,378,400 copies had been destroyed in air raids, most recovered stock was melted down, and 400 sheets (40,000 stamps) were sold through a philatelic association in June 1946.

   What drives the value

   The blue printing, which barely reached the public, is the one collectors chase. Covers and condition matter too.

   How to recognize it

   A 10 sen stamp with the four characters 敵国降伏 on a shrine plaque, in grey or blue.

   Source: Wikipedia (Japanese)

7. 7

   'Beauty Looking Back' (Mikaeri Bijin), Philatelic Week

   1948

   Why it is rare

   Famous rather than rare. Japan Post says the stamp caused a sensation when it was issued and is said to have influenced stamps abroad. It was perforated with a gauge meant for high-value revenue stamps, and together with the 1949 Moon and Geese it is among the largest Japanese stamps.

   What drives the value

   Demand from Japanese collectors, condition, and whether it is a single or a complete sheet.

   How to recognize it

   A large vertical stamp reproducing Hishikawa Moronobu's painting of a woman in a kimono looking back over her shoulder.

   Sources: Japan Post, Wikipedia (Japanese)

8. 8

   'Moon and Geese' (Tsuki ni Kari), Philatelic Week

   1949

   Why it is rare

   Issued on 1 November 1949 with a face value of 8 yen and a reported print run of 2 million. Like Beauty Looking Back, it is valued for its fame rather than scarcity.

   What drives the value

   Condition, full sheets and demand from Japanese collectors.

   How to recognize it

   A large vertical stamp after Utagawa Hiroshige's print of geese flying across the moon.

   Sources: Financial Field, Wikipedia (Japanese)

What are most Japanese stamps worth?

Most Japanese stamps are common. During the collecting boom of the 1970s and 1980s each commemorative was printed in runs of 30 to 50 million, and discount ticket shops in Japan trade them below face value.

Definitives of the 20th century were printed for everyday mail and are usually worth little used. The hand-engraved stamps of 1871 to 1876 are the exception, and even there the first question is whether a stamp is genuine.

How to identify Japanese stamps

These checks narrow a stamp down to the exact issue. That matters because a rare variety and a common one often share the same design.

For a broader walkthrough, see the Japanese stamp identification guide and the checklist on how to identify rare stamps.

Fakes, reprints and forged overprints

The early issues are among the most forged stamps anywhere. The ISJP notes that the Dragon stamps have been extensively forged by several producers, including Wada Kotarō, Kamigataya, Hirose and the Spiro Brothers. Some forgeries carry the marks sankō, mozō or mihon (reference, imitation, specimen), but many do not.

If you collect the classics seriously, the ISJP's reference on forgeries of the Dragon, Cherry Blossom and Koban stamps is the standard tool. For anything expensive, get an expert certificate.