
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
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Is Japan’s tourism boom slowing down? Foreign visitor numbers fall for first time in five years
Teen girl in Japan refuses to be victim, personally escorts train pervert to police for arrest
Evangelion beautifully reimagined as iconic classical Japanese folding screen art series [Photos]
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases huge new wooden clip collection featuring 25 anime movies
Starbucks Japan adds new Frappuccino, Tea, and Chillax Soda to its limited-edition summer menu
Can instant TKG from Don Quijote really recreate Japan’s beloved raw-egg-on-rice dish?
Tokyo and Osaka make it into this year’s EIU ranking of the world’s Top Ten Most Liveable Cities
Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea raising ticket prices, free Fast Pass ending next month
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Japanese airport rebrands itself as “Sushi Airport” to attract foreign tourists
Japanese government ID card and app to be required for certain Pokémon card purchases next month
Three new starter Pokémon Jets to fly in Japan, first begins carrying passengers this month
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa