Japan: Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration centre for the government of Tokyo. As of 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 337,556 and a population density of 18,517 people per km².

Stamps:
left: Japanese Traditional Cuisine (from a set of two) - Issued: 29-10-2015
right: Yuzuru Hanyu (from a set of 12) - Issued: 31-03-2015 (?)

USA: Memphis, TN

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis had a population of 653,450 in 2013, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the largest city on the Mississippi River, the third largest in the greater Southeastern United States, and the 23rd largest in the United States. If you're an Elvis Presley fan, you must tour Graceland. Memphis' most popular attraction is also the world's most famous rock 'n' roll residence.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 10-10-2013

Germany: Meißen

Meißen is a town of approximately 30,000 about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of the famous Meissen porcelain. On the card you can see the Meißen Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), situated in the old market-place. This church, not to be confused with the Dresden Frauenkirche, was first mentioned in a 1205 deed issued by Bishop Dietrich II and after a blaze about 1450 rebuilt in the Late Gothic style of a hall church. Its tower hosts the world's first porcelain carillon, manufactured in 1929 on the occasion of the town's 1000-years-jubilee. Another popular tourist sight is the world-famous Meissen porcelain factory.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Minden Lock - Issued: 02-10-2014


Thanks to Hanko for this card!

Russia: St. Petersburg

I got some cards from St. Petersburg, but this is one I like very much. Not so much because of what is printed on the card, but because of the nice stamps. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг) is the second largest city in Russia. It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In 1914 the name of the city was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd (Russian: Петрогра́д),  in 1924 to Leningrad (Russian: Ленингра́д) and in 1991, back to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. It is the northernmost city in the world with a population of over one million. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is also home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world.

On the card you can see the Cruiser "Aurora". As a museum ship, the cruiser Aurora became one of the many tourist attractions of the city, and continued to be a symbol of the October Socialist Revolution and a prominent attribute of Russian history.

Stamp on the front:
3x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Astrakhan Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Stamp on the back:

Minisheet of The 150th Birth Anniversary of A.S. Popov - Issued: 16-03-2009

Germany: Christmas Stamp 2015

Today I received a nice cover from Germany. The stamp is the 2015 german christmas stamp. It features the popular Christmas carol "Silent Night" (german: Stille Nacht). The song was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Russia: Astrakhan

Astrakhan (Russian: Астрахань) is a city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on two banks of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 520,339. It is the oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and often called the southernmost outpost of Russia and the "Caspian capital". 

The stamps shows the Astrakhan Kremlin - Issued: 01-10-2009


The card arrived in an nice envelope:

Stamps:
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Rostov Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Moscow Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Thanks to Elina for this card!

Germany: Werther

Werther is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Teutoburg Forest, approximately 10 km north-west of Bielefeld. It is best known for the Werther's Original caramel sweets, which are, however, produced in the nearby city of Halle today.

Stamp:

Give Pleasure - Issued: 02-11-2015

Slovakia: Zvolen

Today I received a great cover from Slovakia.  Slovakia is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The capital is Bratislava. The cover arrived from the city of Zvolen. Its is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. Zvolen, has many beautiful tourist attractions, especially in the city, such as statues and colorful sprinklers that work in the summer. During the winter, there is an ice-skating rink in the city.

Stamps:
Protected Landscape Area Poľana (partly) - Issued: 09-10-2015
Cultural Heritage of Slovakia (0,02 € + 0,33 €) - Issued: 02-01-2009


Thanks to Rastislav for the nice cover and card!

Germany: The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin (1996)

The Academy of Arts in Berlin (German: "Akademie der Künste, Berlin") is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution in which members could meet and discuss and share ideas. As early as 1699, the Academy of Arts served as the arts council of the Prussian government, and since 1931 it has been exclusively tasked with such a function in the successor states. The academic arm ultimately developed into the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin) of today. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany.

Stamp:
The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin - Issued: 13-06-1996 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg (1977)

This is an old FDC, but I think it fits perfect into my universities-collection. The Philipp University of Marburg (German: Philipps-Universität Marburg), was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philip I of Hesse as one of Germany's oldest universities, dating back to a Protestant foundation. It was the main university of the principality of Hesse and remains a public university of that German state. It now has about 25,000 students and 7,500 employees, making Marburg, a town of 72,000 inhabitants, the proverbial "university town". Marburg is home to one of Germany's most traditional medical faculties.

Stamp:
The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg - Issued: 17-05-1977 with special first day of Issue postmark

Finland: University of Oulu

The University of Oulu (Finnish: Oulun yliopisto) is one of the largest universities in Finland, located in the city of Oulu. It was founded on July 8, 1958. The university has around 16,000 students and 3,000 staff. On the card you can see the main campus, located in Linnanmaa, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Oulu city centre. One famous alumni is Martti Ahtisaari. He is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000), Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work.

Stamp:
Northern Lights (from a set of three) - Issued: 09-09-2009

Malaysia: 175 Years of the First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black

This great shaped card arrived some days ago. It shows some traditional malaysian clothes. Baju is the term for clothing in the Malay language. Since Malaysia comprises three major cultures: Malay, Chinese and Indian, each culture has its own traditional and religious articles of clothing all of which are gender specific and may be adapted to local influences and conditions. Traditional Malay attire for men is the baju melayu, a loose tunic which is worn over trousers and usually accompanied with a sarong called a sampin which is wrapped around the hips. It is also often accompanied with a songkok or cap. Malay women wear the baju kurung, a knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt. The blouse is long-sleeved and collarless, while the skirt, called a kain, has pleats on one side. A headscarf is sometimes worn with this. Another popular traditional costume is the kebaya, a more tight-fitting two-piece dress. This is often considered less formal.

On the back with a great stamp:

Stamp:
Minisheet The 175th Anniversary of the World's First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black - Issued: 30-04-2015


Thanks to Shaliza for this great card!

Germany: 6th International Postcrossing-Meeting in Bielefeld

This year a large international Postcrossing-Meeting took place from 22nd October 2015 to 25th October 2015 in Bielefeld, Germany. I wasn't able to join the Meeting, but I received a nice card from it. The card was exclusively made for this event.

 

Stamp:
Reintroduction of Spices "Salmo trutta trutta" - Issued: 04-12-2014


Thanks to Christine for this card!

Suriname: Paramaribo

Last week I also received my first card from Suriname. Suriname is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 km2 (64,000 sq mi), it is the smallest country in South America and has a population of approximately 566,000, most of whom live on the country's north coast, in and around the capital and largest city, Paramaribo. Originally inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes, Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century. Dutch Guiana remained a plantation colony until 1954, when it became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with equal status to the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles. On 25 November 1975, the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state, nonetheless maintaining close economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties to its former colonizer.

Stamp:
Local Dresses (from a set of six) - Issued: 17-06-2015


Thanks again to David for this great card!

Canada: Inuvik

I received this some days ago and I think this should be mentioned here. This is a cover from Inuvik. Inuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region, located about 200 km (124 mi) north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Beaufort Delta. The population as of the 2011 Census was 3,484. The city is connected to the Dempster Highway. The highway begins about 40 km (25 mi) east of Dawson City, Yukon on the Klondike Highway and extends 736 km (457 mi) to Inuvik.

The cover was sent to me by the Town Administration of Inuvik and included some cards, a tourist guide and nice pin.

Inside the Cover I found pretty nice cards:

Thanks to Mr. Taylor Giffin for this great Cover!



♁ 68° 21′ N 133° 43′ W

USA: Colorado State University

Colorado State University (also referred to as Colorado State and CSU) is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. The current enrollment is approximately 32,236 students, including resident and non-resident instruction students and the University is planning on having 35,000 students by 2020. Notable alumni are Wayne Allard United States Senator from Colorado (1997–2009) or Walter Scott Jr.

The card was actually sent from Birmingham, Alabama.

Stamps:
left:  A Charlie Brown Christmas (from a set of 10) - Issued: 01-10-2015
right: Civil War: 1864 "Mobile Bay August 5, 1864" (from a set of two) - Issued: 30-07-2014


Thanks to Cara for this card!

Taiwan: Greetings Cover

A few days ago, I received a nice cover from Taiwan. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a sovereign state in East Asia. Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population density of 648 people per km2 in July 2015. The capital of Taiwan is Taipei.

Stamps:
Top row: 4x Greeting Stamps - Best Wishes (from a set of 10) - Issued: 12-02-2015
Greetings (from a set of 10) - Issued: 12-11-2009


Thank to George for this cover!

Japan: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is located in the Shogawa river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan. Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, "White River Old-District") is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. These villages are well known for their houses constructed in the architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り). The Gasshō-zukuri, "prayer-hands construction" style is characterized by a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two hands joined in prayer. The design is exceptionally strong and, in combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allow the houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter.

Stamp:
Evocative Memory of Seasons (from a set of 10) - Issued: 20-11-2014 with special postmark

Russia: Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk (Russian: Новосиби́рск) is the third most populous city in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and the most populous city in Asian Russia, with a population of 1,473,754 as of the 2010 Census. The city is located in the southwestern part of Siberia on the banks of the Ob River adjacent to the Ob River Valley. The city is "only" 122 years old founded in 1893 at the future site of a Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river of Ob.

On the card you can see the Novosibirsk-Glavniy Railway Station. It is one of the largest Railway Stations in Russia and the building was supposed to look like a large steam-engine. (if it does, it is up to you).

Stamps:
left: Definitive Issue "Bear" (from a set of 15) - Issued: 29-08-2008
right: Science and Technology - Watches (from a set of four) - Issued: 28-05-2010


UPDATE: 29-12-2015

Antonya was so nice to send me another card from Novosibirsk and I'm very happy that it makes its may to me an I can show it here. The card shows the City center for Novosibirsk.

Stamps:
Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel - Issued: 02-06-2015
Wild Life.Definitive Issue (from a set of 15) - Issued: 29-08-2008


Thanks to Antonya for these nice cards!


UPDATE 16-02-2016

Today I received another card from Novosibirsk. It shows different churches of the city and the coat of arms in the middle of the card.

Stamps:
Bridges (from a set of 4) - Issued: 28-11-2008
Fauna. Dogs (from a set of 5) - Issued: 15-03-2002
Awards of Russia "Order of St. Ekaterina" (from a set of 3) - Issued: 18-02-2013


Many thanks to Oleg for this card!

Israel: Jerusalem

Jerusalem is located on a plateau in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In 2011, Jerusalem had a population of 801,000, of which Jews comprised 497,000 (62%), Muslims 281,000 (35%), Christians 14,000 (around 2%) and 9,000 (1%) were not classified by religion. On the card you see pictures from the promenade along the ramparts of the Old City.

Stamp:
The 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Realtions with Germany (Joint Issue) - Issued: 07-05-2015


Thanks to Moni for this nice card!

Finland: Kemijärvi

Kemijärvi is a municipality of Finland and the northernmost town in Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The municipality has a population of 7,869 (30 June 2015). The Eastern Lapland area where Kemijärvi is situated is well known for the nearby skiing resorts Suomu, Luosto, Pyhä and Salla, as well as Ruka in Kuusamo region. The Lake Kemijärvi, next to the city is much appreciated as a place to visit during summertime. Lake Kemijärvi is surrounded by hills and large forests. Common fish species found include pike, perch and brown trout. Also, currently Kemijärvi is the northernmost known lake in Finland with an indigenous population of zander.

Stamp:
Valentines Day (from a set of six) - Issued: 17-01-2001


Thanks to Kirsi for this card!


♁ 66° 43′ N,  27° 26′ O

Germany: Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving Women" by Tilman Riemenschneider

Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master in stone and lime wood. The largest collection of his work, 81 pieces, can be found in the Mainfränkisches Museum in the Marienberg citadel in Würzburg, Germany.

Stamp:
Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving" Women by Tilman Riemenschneider - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586)

Lucas Cranach the Younger (Lucas Cranach der Jüngere; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance artist, known for his woodcuts and paintings. He was the youngest son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Barbara Brengebier, and began his career as an apprentice in his father's workshop alongside his brother Hans. Henceforth, his own reputation and fame grew. After his father's death, he assumed control over the workshop. They lived in the city of Kronach, in Franconia (in Germany).

Stamps (from the left):

Numeral Stamp (2 Cent) - Issued: 05-12-2013
Definitive Issue - "Crocus" - Issued: 11-08-2005
Definitive Issue - "Tulipa sp." - Issued: 08-09-2005
The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark 

Switzerland: Sillerenbühl

Sillerenbühl is a mountain about 1.970 m above sea level in the municipality in of western Bernese Alps near the city of Albristhorn in Switzerland. In summer the region is famous for hiking and in wither of course for skiing.

Stamps (from the left):
Pro Patria - Art (from a set of four) - Issued: 29-05-1970
Machine label
International Year of Crystallography (from a set of two) - Issued: 06-03-2014 (with hand cancellation "3713 Reichenbach Im Kandertal")

Thanks to Hansjürg for this nice card and stamps!

Andorra: Map-Card (Spain Post)

Yesterday, I received my first card from Andorra. Andorra is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and a population of approximately 85,000. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken. 

Postal services in Andorra are unique in that they are not operated by the country itself, but by its two larger neighbouring countries, Spain and France. This is a legacy of the centuries of de facto control exercised by those two countries over Andorra. Correos of Spain and La Poste of France operate side by side; Spanish post boxes are red and French ones are yellow.

Stamp:
EUROPA Stamps - Old Toys - Issued: 23-04-2015


Thanks to Svea for this card!