Things I didn't try early on: stamps

Although they are everywhere in Japan, I don't think I ever tried (ink) stamps in my first years in Japan. I certainly don't have a memory of doing it in my university days, either when I was doing a homestay or living in a dorm while I was doing an internship. I think the first time I finally tried out a stamp was when I came back to Japan to work.

You can find stamps in so many different places. They sometimes have a purpose - like for a stamp rally - and sometimes they are just for fun. The stamps in this photo are a collection of the Saitama Prefecture mascot in different traditional wear. This one is just for fun and it was at a museum in the prefecture. The museum also provided paper for free, with five matching circles, to press the stamps on. When the children were small I'd always get them to try these type of free activities. Great for hand eye coordination and spatial reasoning!

They are very easy to do. Simply take the stamp mold, press it into the ink provided and press it on to a piece of paper of your choice. There was a time I used to press them into my travel diary, but I don't have a handbag sized diary anymore. Plus the paper was too thin and often the ink would come through to the other side! Some people carry around "orihon", the accordion style notebooks with washi paper, to press the stamps into. Its just a fun thing to do, but it can also serve as a commemoration of a day. Do you use the stamps here?