Japan's 2026 International Letter Writing Week Stamps Have Arrived

Every October, Japan marks International Letter Writing Week with the release of special commemorative stamps, a tradition that has continued since 1958. The campaign was established to encourage cultural exchange through letter writing and to promote peace through communication between people around the world.

The week itself runs from October 9th to 15th, coinciding with World Post Day on October 9th and the anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union. For 2026, Japan Post has issued three stamps in denominations of 15 yen, 120 yen, and 160 yen. The designs feature works by the famous ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, including two iconic prints from his celebrated Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series.

While researching this post, I was surprised to discover that the 2026 International Letter Writing Week stamps are already appearing on Amazon and eBay. Considering that the stamps only came out three days ago, seeing them listed online so quickly caught me off guard and reminded me just how dedicated stamp collectors can be.