REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Japan
YEAR PRINTED: 1952
VALUE: 5 yen
This stamp was issued by the Japanese government in 1952 to celebrate traditional masks of the Noh theater. The Okina represents a cheerful old man and is the oldest surviving type of Noh mask, dating to the Yamato Empire (3rd-4th century CE). The Okina performs a ritual function of conferring the blessings of peace and good harvest on the village where it is performed.
