
Celebrate important life events or the changing of the seasons with an extra special artistic touch in the corner of your mail.
Japanese brand Kitte no kobito (切手のこびと): A small world around stamps, also referred to as Elfs [sic] around stamps, is making a literal impact on the way people send letters and packages in the mail by adding adorable, customized stamp imprints around the area where you affix postage stamps.
The stamps themselves are decorated with whimsical pictures suitable for major life events, holidays, personal hobbies, and the changing of the seasons, so you’ll never be at a loss for which stamp to use on a particular occasion. They were specifically designed to be situated directly next to postage stamps, creating amusing border scenes as can be seen in the sampling below:
Let’s take a closer look at some of the occasion-specific stamps below:
▼ Adding a nice touch to a congratulatory wedding card
▼ Letting others know you’ve recently moved
Some of the stamps don’t celebrate a specific occasion per se, but instead highlight daily life or hobbies.
▼ Who can resist a snoozing kitty on their mail?
▼ Perhaps it’s a hint to sit back and relax while reading the letter you just received.
In addition, each stamp comes adorably packaged, making them perfect gifts to give to the crafty people in your life:
Even better, that same package can then be converted into a box to house your entire Kitte no kobito collection:
Kitte no kobito can be found in a handful of shops around Japan, or they can also be ordered online at Kobito the Shop. Note that if you live outside Japan, you’ll probably need to find a reshipping service, as they do not ship internationally. Each stamp comes to 854 yen (US$8), tax included, with a standard shipping fee of only 190 yen to anywhere in Japan. Perhaps these stamps will be the inspiration some people need to sit down and write a good old-fashioned letter to send in the mail.
Source/Images: Kobito the Shop





These creative, fanciful post boxes from Japan will delight you in so many ways【Photos】
Gotta stamp them all! Collect your shrine stamps with this gorgeous new range of stationery
What’s up with the “mosquito buzz” noise at Shibuya Station?
7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Japanese convenience store brings rice balls back to 100 yen – Is this deal worth it?[Taste test]
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details
Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]
Happy 40th birthday, Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A!
Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Studio Ghibli croquettes not to eat, but to keep your stuff in, going on sale in Japan[Photos]
Pokémon hot spring footbath opening in Japan this spring
Secret staff cafeteria in Tokyo is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Move aside, convenience store egg sando – there’s a better version of the iconic sandwich in Japan
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says