This listing is for a single, beautiful Japan First Day Cover (FDC) commemorating the 12th National Athletic Meet held in Shizuoka Prefecture. The cover features an intact horizontal se-tenant pair of stamps and a vibrant, highly complementary boxing cachet.
The National Athletic Meet: The National Sports Festival, commonly known as the Kokutai, is Japan's premier national sports event. The 12th iteration of the games was hosted in Shizuoka Prefecture in the autumn of 1957. To celebrate the games, the Japanese postal administration issued these dynamic sports-themed commemoratives.
Philatelic Background: This issue is particularly notable for its specialized sheet layout. As documented in the Michel catalog, the two distinct designs (Boxing and Gymnastics) were printed in a unique checkerboard se-tenant pattern (schachbrettartig) throughout the sheet. This required collectors to carefully extract adjacent pairs to showcase both designs together. This pristine First Day Cover beautifully preserves an intact horizontal se-tenant pair directly tied to the date of issue.
We offer combined shipping. You pay the shipping fee for one item, and all other eligible items purchased in the same order will ship free. For heavier lots, shipping will be calculated. You may proceed with your purchases, and any overpayment on shipping charges will be refunded.
A Note for International Buyers: Please be aware that eBay's system does not allow us to send a combined invoice for international orders. If you purchase multiple items, please proceed with payment for all. We will promptly refund any shipping overages you have paid. This is our standard practice, and we do it all the time.
Important Note on Shipping Speed: We ship orders extremely fast, often on the same day of purchase. If you plan to purchase additional items over several days and wish to combine them into a single shipment, please contact us immediately after your first purchase to let us know. Otherwise, your initial order may be shipped before you have a chance to add to it.