Friday, July 31, 2009

FDC from Japan/FDC du Japan

Hello Kitty







Hello Kitty (ハローキティ, Harō Kiti), is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Designed by Ikuko Shimizu, the first product, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974, and in the United States in 1976.

The Hello Kitty line has since developed licensing arrangements worth more than $1 billion a year in sales. Examples of products depicting the character include dolls, stickers and greeting cards to clothes, accessories, school supplies, dishes and home appliances. Hello Kitty has an official theme park, Sanrio Puroland.

Hello Kitty (ハローキティ, Harōkiti) est un des nombreux personnages créés par la société japonaise Sanrio. Les produits Hello Kitty utilisent généralement des couleurs rose vif et sont reconnaissables par le logo représentant une petite chatte blanche avec un ruban sur la tête. Le copyright date de 1976 et Hello Kitty est maintenant une marque déposée. La société de jeu vidéo japonaise SEGA a racheté les droits fin 2006.

FDC from Japan/FDC du Japan

The 60th Anniversary of Enforcement of The Local Autonomy Law Series-Niigata Prefecture/
Le soixantième anniversaire de l'application de la loi locale d'autonomie-Préfecture de Niigata


Niigata prefecture (新潟県, Niigata-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on Honshū island on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name Niigata literally means "new lagoon".

Niigata prefecture was originally divided into Echigo Province and Sado Province until the Meiji Restoration. During the Sengoku period, the Nagao clan, who were at times vassals to the Uesugi, ruled Kasugayama Castle and the surrounding fief located in the west of modern Niigata. The most notable member of the Nagao clan was Nagao Kagetora who was later and is better known as Uesugi Kenshin. He unified the leaders of Echigo Province thus becoming its sole ruler. By taking the surname Uesugi, he became the head of the Uesugi clan and effectively brought their vast realm into his domain.

The city of Niigata-shi is the largest among the cities facing the Sea of Japan. It was the first port on the Sea of Japan to open to foreign trade since the opening of Japan by Matthew Perry in the mid-1800s. It has since played an important role in trade with Russia and northern Korea.

The Etsuzankai organization, led by prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Joetsu Shinkansen high speed rail line and Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.

A freighter from North Korea visits Niigata once a month, one of the few direct contacts with the communist country.

On October 23, 2004, the Chūetsu earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture, which was measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.

On January 9, 2006, a heavy winter storm struck the prefecture and its surroundings. At least 71 people died and over a thousand were injured.

On July 16, 2007, the earthquake hit the area.

Niigata Prefecture hosts the Fuji Rock Festival, an annual rock festival in Naeba ski resort. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians. It is one of the largest outdoor music event in Japan, with more than 100,000 people attending in 2005.

Niigata (新潟県, niigataken) est une préfecture du Japon située au nord de Honshū.

La préfecture de Niigata provient de la fusion de deux anciennes provinces: Echigo et Sado et a acquis sa forme actuelle en mai 1886, après la réforme des préfectures consécutive à la chute du shogunat d’Edo.

Depuis 1858, la préfecture de Niigata constituait la seule interface commerciale du Japon avec le reste du monde avec l'ouverture du port de Niigata suite à un traité d'amitié avec les États-Unis d'Amérique. Des comptoirs principalement étasuniens, hollandais et britanniques s'y sont établis.

Par la suite, le gouvernement impérial japonais a autorisé l'ouverture sur le monde d’autres ports autour de Niigata, tels que Kōbe, Yokohama ou Nagasaki.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

maximum card from Japan/cartes-maximum du Japon

PRESERVE THE POLAR REGIONS AND THE GLACIERS/
PRÉSERVEZ LES RÉGIONS POLAIRES ET LES GLACIERS
(maximum card of Polar Bear/cartes-maximum d'ours polaire)



FDC from Japan/FDC du Japan

PRESERVE THE POLAR REGIONS AND THE GLACIERS/
PRÉSERVEZ LES RÉGIONS POLAIRES ET LES GLACIERS



Cover from Iraq/Enveloppe d'Irak


Friday, July 17, 2009

Postcard from Oman/Carte postale d'Oman


In postcard is Al-Riyam Park, Muscat, Oman

FDC from Taiwan/FDC du Taiwan

The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung ROCUPEX Commemorative Postage Label(ATM)/
Les Jeux Mondiaux 2009 Kaohsiung ROCUPEX Timbre de distributeur Commémorative
(Dragon and Tiger Pagodas/Les pagodes du dragon et du tigre)


Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
About 700 meters to the south of the Spring and Autumn Pavilions are the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. The dragon's throat is the entrance and the lion's mouth is the exit. Entering a dragon's throat and coming out a lion's mouth symboilizes turning bad luck to good fortune. Inside, paintings depict China's 24 most obedient sons as well as scenes of heaven and hell to inspire people to do good deeds during their lifetime, and to provide threatening examples of retribution for wrongdoing.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

FDC from North Korea/FDC de la Corée du Nord

Centenary of the International Women's Day/
Centenaire de la Journée internationale des droits de la femme





International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season.

La journée internationale des droits de la femme (ou journée internationale des droits des femmes) est célébrée le 8 mars et trouve son origine dans les manifestations de femmes au début du XXe siècle en Europe et aux États-Unis, réclamant de meilleures conditions de travail et le droit de vote. Elle a été officialisée par les Nations unies en 1977, invitant chaque pays de la planète à célébrer une journée pour les droits des femmes.

C’est une journée de manifestations à travers le monde : l’occasion de revendiquer l'égalité, de faire un bilan sur la situation des femmes. Traditionnellement les groupes et associations de femmes militantes préparent des manifestations partout dans le monde, pour faire aboutir leurs revendications, améliorer la situation des femmes, fêter les victoires et les avancées.

FDC from North Korea/FDC de la Corée du Nord

90th Anniversary of March 1 Popular Uprising/
90ème Anniversaire du 1 mars Insurrection Populaire




The March First Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest displays of Korean independence movements during the Japanese rule of Korea. The name refers to an event that occurred on 1 March 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" in Korean. It is also sometimes referred to as the Manse Demonstrations (만세운동). During the series of demonstrations that began that day and spread throughout Korea, 7,000 people were killed by Japanese police and soldiers.

At 2 P.M. on the 1 March 1919, the 33 nationalists who formed the core of the Samil Movement convened at Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul, and read the Korean Declaration of Independence that had been drawn up by the historian/writer Choe Nam-seon and the poet/Buddhist monk Manhae (also known as Han Yongun). The nationalists initially planned to assemble at Tapgol Park in downtown Seoul, but they chose a more private location out of fear that the gathering might turn into a riot. The leaders of the movement signed the document and sent a copy to the Japanese Governor General, with their compliments.

"We herewith proclaim the independence of Korea and the liberty of the Korean people. We tell it to the world in witness of the equality of all nations and we pass it on to our posterity as their inherent right.

We make this proclamation, having back of us 5,000 year of history, and 20,000,000 of a united loyal people. We take this step to insure to our children for all time to come, personal liberty in accord with the awakening consciousness of this new era. This is the clear leading of God, the moving principle of the present age, the whole human race's just claim. It is something that cannot be stamped out, or stifled, or gagged, or suppressed by any means."

They then telephoned the central police station to inform them of their actions and were arrested afterwards.

Despite the nationalists' concerns, massive crowds assembled in the Pagoda Park to hear a student, Chung Jae-yong, read the declaration publicly. Afterwards, the gathering formed into a procession, which the Japanese police attempted to suppress.

Coinciding with these events, special delegates associated with the movement also read copies of the independence proclamation from appointed places throughout the country at 2 PM on that same day, but the nationwide uprisings that resulted were also brutally put down by the Japanese police and army.

Protests nevertheless continued to spread, and as the Japanese national and military police could not contain the crowds, the army and even the navy were also called in. There were several reports of atrocities. In one notable instance, Japanese police in the village of Jeam-ri herded male protesters into a church, locked it, and burned it to the ground.

Approximately 2,000,000 Koreans had participated in the more than 1,500 demonstrations, many who have been massacred by the Japanese police force and army.

According to the frequently referenced The Bloody History of the Korean Independence Movement (한국독립운동지혈사, 韓國獨立運動之血史) by Park Eunsik, 7,509 were killed, 15,849 were wounded, and 46,303 were arrested. During March 1 to April 11, Japanese officials reported that 553 people were killed with over 12,000 arrested, while 8 policemen and military policemen were killed and 158 were wounded.

Many of those arrested were taken to the infamous Seodaemun Prison in Seoul where they were imprisoned without trial and tortured. Several hundred people were murdered in extrajudicial killings in the "death house" at the rear of the site.

In 1920, the Battle of Chingshanli broke out in Manchuria between exiled Korean nationalists and the Japanese Army.

Samiljeol (hangeul : 삼일절), le 1er mars, est le jour du mouvement d'indépendance en Corée.

Jour férié en Corée du Sud, il commémore le soulèvement de 1919 contre l'occupation japonaise, après la mort de l'ancien roi Kojong soupçonné d'avoir été empoisonné par les Japonais.

Deux jours avant l'enterrement de Kojong, une déclaration d'indépendance a été lue dans le parc de la Pagode, à Séoul. Les écoles et les universités furent fermées. Une jeune femme de quinze ans, Yu Kwan-sun, prit la tête des manifestations. Arrêtée et torturée, elle mourut en prison en 1920, devenant un symbole de la résistance coréenne.

La répression aurait causé 7 000 morts et 40 000 arrestations.

D'autres futures personnalités coréennes, comme le cinéaste Na Un-gyu, participèrent également au soulèvement du 1er mars 1919. La biographie du président nord-coréen Kim Il-sung souligne que le soulèvement du 1er mars 1919 l'a pour la première fois sensibilisé à la cause de l'indépendance de la Corée.

FDC from North Korea/FDC de la Corée du Nord

Joint Editorial/Éditorial Collectif


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

FDC from Belarus/FDC du Bélarus

Bird of the year-Grey goose/
Oiseau de l'année-oies grises




"On March 31, 2009 the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus will issue the stamp “Grey goose” from the series “A bird of the year” prepared by the Publishing Centre “Marka” of theEUR“Belpochta”.
The stamp is issued with the assistance of the public organization “Ahova ptushak Batskaushchyny” (Protection of Homeland Birds).
The public organization “Ahova ptushak Batskaushchyny” declared the grey goose a bird of the year 2009.
There are logos of the International organization of birds protection "BirdLife International" and Belarus public organization "Ahova ptushak Batskaushchyny" (APB) on the stamps."-Belpost


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Postcard from Norway/Carte postale de la Norvège

Postcard from World North post office-Ny-Ålesund/
La Carte postale du Nord Mondial bureau de poste-Ny-Ålesund




Postcard from Mexico/Carte postale du Mexique


Postcard from Xalapa, Mexico.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Postcard from Japan/Carte postale du Japon

Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum 15th anniversary/
Musée de Tezuka Osamu Manga 15ème anniversaire