8 Yen Stamp Appraisal

1949 Japan Philately Week 'Wild Geese with Moon' 8 Yen Stamp

This is a vertical rectangular postage stamp issued by Japan in 1949, featuring a monochromatic purple and lavender design. The artwork is a reproduction of a famous woodblock print 'Wild Geese under a Full Moon' by the master artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It depicts three geese in downward flight against a soft, oversized full moon and swirling clouds. The top of the stamp features stylized kanji for 'Nippon Yubin' (Japan Post), and the bottom right corner displays the denomination '8.00'. The printing shows fine cross-hatching and dot-pattern shading characteristic of late 1940s engraved printing. The edges are clearly perforated, and the paper appears to be an off-white or slightly cream-toned stock. Despite being a vintage specimen from the early post-war Shōwa era, the stamp is in excellent condition with no visible tears, missing perfs, or creases. The center of the image remains crisp, showing the intricate feather details of the birds and the atmospheric gradient of the moon. It is a highly sought-after piece within Japanese philately (Scott #479), representing a key release from the annual Philately Week commemorations started in the late 1940s.