Here is yet another peek into my collection.  This time it is a cover sent from Shinjuku Japan to Easton Pennsylvania USA “Via Siberia” in 1993.

How would you value such a cover, I personally know not.  But I am more intrigued and happy to possess such a cover, then concerned about its monetary value.

Here’s the cover entire – front and back respectively…

This cover is sent from Shinjuku, officially called Shinjuku City, one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo.

Since the end of World War II, Shinjuku has become a major secondary center of Tokyo, rivaling the original city center in Marunouchi. Today, it is a major commercial and administrative center and houses the northern half of Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway station in the world, as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administrative center of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

This cover is franked by a single Japan Scott # 2213 CDS Postmarked on October, 14th, 1993 – see image below…

This is the first of a set of two stamps from a Series commemorating “International Letter Writing Week 1993”, issued on October 6th, 1993.  This Series commemorates “Portraits and Picture scrolls of the Thirty-six Immortal Poets”, specifically Ki no Tsurayuki (872–945 AD), who was a Japanese court noble, government official, poet, and literary critic of the Heian period, best known as the chief compiler of the Kokin Wakashū and the author of its Japanese preface.

Born around 872, the son of Ki no Mochiyuki and a court dancer, Tsurayuki began his career as a waka poet in the 890s. In 905, under Emperor Daigo’s order, he was one of four poets selected to compile the Kokin Wakashū, the first imperial anthology of waka poetry. He served as Governor of Tosa Province (930–935 AD), Vice Governor of Kaga (917–923 AD), and Vice Governor of Mino (918–923 AD).

His literary contributions are:

1. Kokin Wakashū in 905 AD (mentioned above), he was the principal editor and wrote the anthology’s Japanese preface, considered one of the earliest masterpieces of Japanese prose. His preface traced waka’s history, classified its genres, and offered critical commentary on earlier poets.

2. Poetry, he composed over 500 waka poems, many included in the Kokinshū, imperial collections, and later in Hyakun Isshu. His style emphasized emotional sincerity and natural imagery, moving away from overly ornate styles.

3. Tosa Nikki (Tosa Diary, in 936 AD) — Written in kana rather than Chinese, this travelogue is notable for its female narrator and vivid depictions of Tosa’s landscapes, customs, and politics. It is seen as a pioneering work in women’s literature of the Heian period.

Now back to the stamp, which is Unwatermarked, Photogravure, Perforation comb 13.5, CV used .40 cents.  Designed by Morita Motoharu, and Issued by the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications in Japan.  Printed by the Government Printing Bureau, Tokyo on behalf of the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance in Japan.  A quantity of 10,000,000 were printed.

If you utilize other Catalogues in lieu of Scott, here are the most popular Catalogues out there along with this stamp’s Cat # for your reference…

Michel # 2184

Stanley Gibbons # 2273

Yvert et Tellier # 2066

As for the Auxiliary Markings – here are close up images of each:

1. Located at the upper right corner – translated “Shinjuku Post Office”…

2. Located at the upper left corner…

3. Located at the center of the cover – “SURFACE MAIL VIA BOAT”…

4. Two “LETTER” Auxiliary Markings – the smaller one located at the left the larger one at the lower right of the cover.

5. Now for the gorilla in the room, the prominent Auxiliary Marking – “VIA SIBERIA”…

In 1993, the “VIA SIBERIA” route was no longer the primary way to send mail from Japan to the USA — air mail had largely replaced the trans‑Siberian railway for most international correspondence — but the route still existed in postal history and could be used for certain shipments, especially if sea routes were unavailable or delayed.

The “VIA SIBERIA” route was created when the Trans‑Siberian Railway connected the Russian Far East to European Russia, allowing mail from China, Manchuria, and the Pacific to reach Europe and North America faster than by sea. In the early 20th century, mail from Japan to the USA could be routed through Siberia by:

1. Departure from Japan — Mail was collected in Japanese post offices and sent to a Russian port or railhead, often via the Kuril Islands or southern Manchuria.

2. Transit through Russia — It traveled north and west along the Trans‑Siberian Railway, passing through key points such as Vladivostok, Irkutsk, and Ussuriisk.

3. Connection to U.S. mail — At a Russian port (e.g., Vladivostok or Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky), the mail was transferred to a U.S. mail steamship or later to an air cargo service.

By the early 1990s, the Trans‑Siberian Railway was still in use for some international mail, but the main Japan–USA route was by air. The “via Siberia” route could still be used if:

1. Sea routes were blocked (e.g., due to political or logistical issues).

2. Special service mail (military, diplomatic, or registered) was required.

3. Postal agreements allowed routing through Russia’s inland network.

In practice, a 1993 “VIA SIBERIA” Japan–USA mail journey would have looked like this:

1. Japan — Mail was sent from a Japanese post office to a Russian port (often Vladivostok) via a Japanese–Russian postal agreement.

2. Trans‑Siberian Railway — The mail was loaded onto trains, traveling west across Siberia.

3. Russian post office — It was processed and marked “via Siberia” in postal history terms.

4. Transfer to U.S. mail — At a Russian port, the mail was handed to the U.S. Postal Service, either by sea or by air cargo.

5. U.S. delivery — The mail was sorted, cleared through customs, and delivered to the recipient.

Postal historians identify such mail by:

1. Route endorsements — “via Siberia” markings on the envelope.

2. Postmarks — Russian and U.S. postmarks showing the transit points.

3. Auxiliary markings — indicating special service or routing.

To summarize, in 1993, mail from Japan to the USA “via Siberia” would have used the Trans‑Siberian Railway for the inland leg, starting from a Russian port reached from Japan, then transferring to U.S. mail services. While air mail was the norm, the Siberian route remained part of the postal network and could be used for special or alternative shipments.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my collection, and it has inspired others to venture into the Postal History facet of Philately.  Remember, it doesn’t have to be old, even contemporary covers can pose an interesting story to unravel (as the one above).

Till the next time, keep on collecting.