Shinjuku Eki Stamp

As noted in the Hilton Centennial post, my first Hilton hotel cover was mailed in Los Angeles.  My next Hilton cover was mailed in Shinjuku.  Since I had more time in Tokyo, I wanted to decorate my Hilton envelope with something local and interesting.

Just two blocks away from the Shinjuku Hilton was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building.  I took the elevator to the observation deck on the 45th floor on a cloudy and rainy day but I was even more disappointed that the souvenir rubber stamps were well used and couldn't create a good impression on paper.

So I headed to the Shinjuku train station to look for the Eki Stamp.  Inside the JR Ticket Office (Midori no Madoguchi) by the South Exit, I found the Shinjuku Eki Stamp which featured the old Shinjuku Depot and according to the poster on the wall behind the self-service rubber stamp and ink pad, there were 77 different JR Station Stamp designs in Tokyo.

Although the Shinjuku Post Office is open 9-9 everyday, by the time I got there, it had already closed.   I ambled back to the Hilton and was able to get a nice assortment of postage stamps from the concierge at face value,   unlike the the gift shop at Hilton LAX wanted a hefty mark-up.

Airmail rate from Japan to USA for standard-sized letters was 110 Yen for up to 25 grams.   I licked two snow monkeys, two crested ibises, two kitakitsune (ezo red foxes) and one sika deer to make up the 110 Yen rate.

When I returned home, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my Hilton corner card adorned with an emerald eki stamp received 3 neatly placed postmarks by hand as well as an azul AIR MAIL hand stamp.

Coincidentally, the Tokyo cover and the LAX cover both had the same postmark date.

P.S. Although the Shinjuku Post Office at 1-8-8 Nishi-Shinjuku is open 9am-9pm every day, the commemorative stamp vending counter is open 9am-7pm Monday-Friday, 11am-4pm Saturday, Sunday and Holidays. Shinjuku Post Office is only a 5-minute walk from the West Exit of the Shinjuku Station.