Ekoin Drum Tower, Ryogoku Stamp

Ekoin Drum Tower, Ryogoku Stamp

Ekoin Drum Tower, Ryogoku

The Stamp This stamp is the first of 5 single issues that commemorates Sumo champions. The first single-issue stamp commemorates the Ekoin Drum Tower. The stamp illustrated above has a 50-Yen value, color black, orange, blue, green, and brown red. All five colors are in various shades, printed on white un-watermarked paper using the photogravure and engraved process, perforated 13x13. The stamp in design measures 25mm x 35½ mm.The stamp was issued on July 1, 1978. The Scott catalog number is 1331 and has a never hinged value of US$0.95 in the catalog issue 2011. The JSCA/Sakura catalog number isC783 and has a never hinged value of 100 Japanese Yen in catalog issue 2009. The valueis within the budget of most collectors. If you are a Sumo wrestler fan, mint or used, the first single-issue stamp is a must have for your Japan collection. In fact, get all five stamps. Ryogoku Sumo Town Ryogoku has been the center for Sumo wrestling and other Sumo related activities for nearly 300 years. During the beginning of the 20th century, Sumo matches were usually held in the numerous shrines and temples in Japan. Ekoin Temple, in Ryogoku, is the place of the famous Sumo tournaments. The stamp illustration above shows a unique vantage point with a mantle of snow on Mount Fuji, which creates a sense of excitement in an otherwise placid scene. At the left, the giant wooden drum tower was erected on the grounds of the temple of Ekoin, on top of which a drum is beaten to call the fans to gather in the precincts below. This drum-tower is the focus of the bi-annual Sumo tournament on the grounds of the Buddhist temple of Ekōin. The stamp illustration shows the tower in the morning on a clear spring day, the red sun rising in the horizon and the two sacred ‘bonten’, white cloths, suspended from the tower indicates that the weather this spring day is clear for a Sumo tournament. Devoted fans will begin assembling in the temple precincts below. This terrific early spring day allows a view of the Sumida River and the Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge that lies beyond. Two junks and five Cargo ships are sailing south along the Sumida River before dawn, carrying goods and produce to the early morning Edo markets. Next to the Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge is a pair of Willow trees just to the right of the bridge. As described above, there is a lot more to meet the eye when looking at this stamp. The use of a magnifying glass will help you to see the Junks, ships, bridge, and Willow trees. ‘Ryogoku-bashi’, Ryogoku Bridge, is the oldest and first wooden bridge that crosses the Sumida River in downtown Edo. It is an impressive sight, and because of its age, it is slightly more famous than the ‘Eitai-bashi’, Eitai Bridge. The Ryogoku Bridge resembles a large wooden walkway traveled by the general public as well as Sumo wrestlers on tournament day, going to and from the arena in Ryogoku City. The bridge was named ‘Ryogoku-bashi’ because it links the two provinces of Musashi and Shimosa creating the city of Edo, which is divided by the Sumida River. The Edo City, on the east bank contains the neighborhoods of Fukagawa, Kiba, Ryogoku and Sunamachi from the province of Shimosa, and on the west bank, the Musashi province. Modern Sumo The modern Sumo matches follow numerous ceremonial rituals. Before a bout, wrestlers bow, touch the earth, and clap their hands to summon the divine spirits, and stamp their feet to chase evil spirits away. They scatter salt to purify the ring and drink special water, ‘chikara-mizu’, to purify themselves for the summoned divine spirits. A match often takes less than a minute. When the referee gives the signal, the wrestlers charge at each other with brute force, utilizing three fundamental methods, namely ‘tuki’, Thrusting, ‘osi, Pushing, and ‘yori’, Clinching or Grappling, along with over 200 different tricks. The first wrestler to make his opponent step or fall outside the ring or touch the ground with any part of his body, other that the soles of his feet, is the winner. A Synopsis of the Artist Utagawa Hiroshige artistic life is characterized in three major stages. The first stage was his student period, from about 1811 to 1830, when he largely followed the work of his elders in the field of figure prints, females, actors, samurai, and warriors. The second stage was his first landscape and birds and flowers, from 1830 to 1844, when he created his own romantic idea of landscape design and bird-and-flower prints. His last stage was his period of landscape and figure-with-landscape designs in abundance. The Ekoin Drum Tower in Ryogoku was created in this period. Over 5500 prints have been listed for Hiroshige. His major works include “Famous Views of the Eastern Capital (circa 1831), “Flowers and Birds” sets (circa 1832 to 1834), the “Eight Views of Lake Biwa” (Circa 1835), and the 100 Famous Views of Edo (Circa 1857). The Ekoin Drum Tower in Ryogoku is part of the 100 Famous Views of Edo. The list of prints is almost endless with his last works being “Triptychs of Naruto Rapids”, “Moonlight on Kanagawa”, and “Mountains and Streams of Kiso” (circa 1857).

The Stamp

This stamp is the first of 5 single issues that commemorates Sumo champions. The first single-issue stamp commemorates the Ekoin Drum Tower. The stamp illustrated above has a 50-Yen value, color black, orange, blue, green, and brown red. All five colors are in various shades, printed on white un-watermarked paper using the photogravure and engraved process, perforated 13x13. The stamp in design measures 25mm x 35½ mm.The stamp was issued on July 1, 1978. The Scott catalog number is 1331 and has a never hinged value of US$0.95 in the catalog issue 2011. The JSCA/Sakura catalog number isC783 and has a never hinged value of 100 Japanese Yen in catalog issue 2009. The valueis within the budget of most collectors. If you are a Sumo wrestler fan, mint or used, the first single-issue stamp is a must have for your Japan collection. In fact, get all five stamps.

Ryogoku Sumo Town

Ryogoku has been the center for Sumo wrestling and other Sumo related activities for nearly 300 years. During the beginning of the 20th century, Sumo matches were usually held in the numerous shrines and temples in Japan. Ekoin Temple, in Ryogoku, is the place of the famous Sumo tournaments. The stamp illustration above shows a unique vantage point with a mantle of snow on Mount Fuji, which creates a sense of excitement in an otherwise placid scene. At the left, the giant wooden drum tower was erected on the grounds of the temple of Ekoin, on top of which a drum is beaten to call the fans to gather in the precincts below. This drum-tower is the focus of the bi-annual Sumo tournament on the grounds of the Buddhist temple of Ekōin. The stamp illustration shows the tower in the morning on a clear spring day, the red sun rising in the horizon and the two sacred ‘bonten’, white cloths, suspended from the tower indicates that the weather this spring day is clear for a Sumo tournament. Devoted fans will begin assembling in the temple precincts below. This terrific early spring day allows a view of the Sumida River and the Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge that lies beyond. Two junks and five Cargo ships are sailing south along the Sumida River before dawn, carrying goods and produce to the early morning Edo markets. Next to the Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge is a pair of Willow trees just to the right of the bridge. As described above, there is a lot more to meet the eye when looking at this stamp. The use of a magnifying glass will help you to see the Junks, ships, bridge, and Willow trees.

‘Ryogoku-bashi’, Ryogoku Bridge, is the oldest and first wooden bridge that crosses the Sumida River in downtown Edo. It is an impressive sight, and because of its age, it is slightly more famous than the ‘Eitai-bashi’, Eitai Bridge. The Ryogoku Bridge resembles a large wooden walkway traveled by the general public as well as Sumo wrestlers on tournament day, going to and from the arena in Ryogoku City. The bridge was named ‘Ryogoku-bashi’ because it links the two provinces of Musashi and Shimosa creating the city of Edo, which is divided by the Sumida River. The Edo City, on the east bank contains the neighborhoods of Fukagawa, Kiba, Ryogoku and Sunamachi from the province of Shimosa, and on the west bank, the Musashi province.

Modern Sumo

The modern Sumo matches follow numerous ceremonial rituals. Before a bout, wrestlers bow, touch the earth, and clap their hands to summon the divine spirits, and stamp their feet to chase evil spirits away. They scatter salt to purify the ring and drink special water, ‘chikara-mizu’, to purify themselves for the summoned divine spirits. A match often takes less than a minute. When the referee gives the signal, the wrestlers charge at each other with brute force, utilizing three fundamental methods, namely ‘tuki’, Thrusting, ‘osi, Pushing, and ‘yori’, Clinching or Grappling, along with over 200 different tricks. The first wrestler to make his opponent step or fall outside the ring or touch the ground with any part of his body, other that the soles of his feet, is the winner.

A Synopsis of the Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige artistic life is characterized in three major stages. The first stage was his student period, from about 1811 to 1830, when he largely followed the work of his elders in the field of figure prints, females, actors, samurai, and warriors. The second stage was his first landscape and birds and flowers, from 1830 to 1844, when he created his own romantic idea of landscape design and bird-and-flower prints. His last stage was his period of landscape and figure-with-landscape designs in abundance. The Ekoin Drum Tower in Ryogoku was created in this period. Over 5500 prints have been listed for Hiroshige. His major works include “Famous Views of the Eastern Capital (circa 1831), “Flowers and Birds” sets (circa 1832 to 1834), the “Eight Views of Lake Biwa” (Circa 1835), and the 100 Famous Views of Edo (Circa 1857). The Ekoin Drum Tower in Ryogoku is part of the 100 Famous Views of Edo. The list of prints is almost endless with his last works being “Triptychs of Naruto Rapids”, “Moonlight on Kanagawa”, and “Mountains and Streams of Kiso” (circa 1857).