@Chieusa …
Hi! Can IRCs be used in Japan?
Yes.
- When exchanging an International Reply Coupon within Japan, it can be redeemed for 130 yen worth stamps, International Postcard or Air Letter.
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/service/int_coupon_en.html
Thank you for the answer!
Hello dear Postcrossers from Japan.
I recently received the card shown in the photo below which seems to be kind of a ticket. I would now be interested to know what is written on it. May I ask if someone can help me with a translation please?
With best regards,
Speicher3
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Hello, I’m Japanese in my mid 30’s and I had never seen this type of ticket.
I was curious and I searched the internet.
無札証明 certificate of having no ticket
乗車駅 boarded station
勝田 Katsuta name of the station in Ibaraki prefecture
車内又は下車の際清算して下さい。 please make payment on board or when you get off
勝田駅発行 issued by Katsuta station
The left numbers 62-7-9 means Showa 62nd year, July 9. It’s 1987-July-9.
(By the way, oh, I was born this year!!)
Anyway, an internet article tells me this.
When a passenger has no time to purchase his ticket e.g. just before the train departs, station staff allowed him/her to get on the train and let you pay inside the train or at the destination station. This ticket certified that this passenger took the train from the named station and accordingly his fee is calculated.
I don’t know such kind thing is practiced still.
Make sense ?
It was very interesting for me to know what I don’t know about my country.
Thank you for the question.
Megumi
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Dear @Meg2020 .
Thank you very much for your excellent translation and the great explanations. I am very pleased that you took the time to answer my question. Thank you!
That’s interesting. German railways also had tickets like that. Here they are called “Nachlösekarte” (buy on route ticket).
Thanks again and best regards.
Claas Speicher3
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Hello!
Just wondering if there’s a Facebook Group for Postcrossing in Japan? 
Hi! I’m Japanese and I’m interested in swapping with you!
こんばんは！I am a Japanese learner.初めてです.I hope to find a Japanese friend here and communicate in Japanese.よろしくお願いいたします。
Not very relevant, but this seems like a good deal for Japanese stamps at a good auction house! Closes Wednesday. Lot #146. Weeda Stamps: Bidboard Lots
Hello there ,
My 11 year old daughter Alexia is looking for a match.
We live in Normandy, France.
I hope it is possible. She has her own postcrossing profile.
Yoshino Cherry Blossom
Sakura, I’m glad I met you
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Yoshino here probably means the famous Mount Yoshino in Nara.
It may be relevant that cherry blossoms bloom in spring. School year starts/ends around this time and it’s the peak time of leaving the place you are familiar, moving to different places, and meeting new people.
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Today I was approach by a Japanese member that using grey colour brush pen is a taboo for Japanese.
The reason is as below (written by the same Japanese member) :
In Japan, gray brush pens are called “Usuzumi-hudepen”.
A brush pen for Buddhist affairs, mainly used when someone dies.
It means that sad and black letters bleed with tears and turn gray.
In a Japanese-only community, writing a message to a healthy person with this pen seems to be rude.
However, if you are not Japanese, you can write on a postcard with a gray brush pen without any problem.
If you are interested in Japanese culture, the Japanese people will appreciate it if you know this.
and most of the gray ink is for writing sentences and names to mourn the dead, and most of them are for Buddhism.
The fact that the shades are created by paper and writing pressure resonates with the Japanese sensibilities when the characters are blurred by tears.
On the other hand, for weddings and other celebrations, the thick black ink is pleasing. Bold letters that are vigorous and relaxed mean health and longevity.
I was using this grey colour brush pen to write a message on a postcard to a non-Japanese member yesterday. Although I understand the important context of using this colour in terms of Buddhism. But grey colour is useful when I want to write subtle messages (when I do not want to be part of the main message) (e.g. background message).
Would other Japanese members feel it’s unappropriate to use grey colour brush pen to write messages on a postcard? As a Japanese, what do you feel about getting a postcard from a non-Japanese with messages written in grey colour (all of the messages including the name and postal address)?
I would like to learn more about this from the viewpoint of a Japanese.
Thank you in advance!
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In my personal opinion, it’s better not to write messages with grey color brush pen to Japanese because now you know about the reason.
On the other hand, I don’t care to receive postcards of using that color from a non-Japanese who doesn’t know about it.
And if she/he is the one of my friends, I’ll tell them we don’t use this color to write an ordinary situation.
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Thank you for your response !
To be more specific, a gray brush pen is only used when people write sender’s name and monetary value on an envelope containing gift money when they visit funeral or an annual prayer gathering for the deceased. (that’s my understanding. If it’s wrong, it’s a shame)
In general, I was surprised by the variety of colors foreign people use for writing message when I started letter exchange with people in non-Japan countries.
As a Japanese, I do not like receiving something written in red color because it reminds me of blood.
But I understand, the culture is diferent.
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Is it so strange to see colour varieties on messages? Because I often see Japanese people decorate their diaries so cute in many colours, patterns and designs. They own like many colour pens and markers as well!
I like using the grey brush pen because the colour is subtle and not overpower the main message part. And the gradient of the grey colour is so nice to look at. I use it to add like an extra message (something like when ending a letter with “P. S.” ) that is separate from the main body of the message.
If bright red, yes I can see it’s discomfort. I don’t like red because it hurt my eyes. I prefer colour that is nice and comfort to the eyes. That is how I find grey colour is a good colour. Just a view of my own.
Thank you for your input on this matter!
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This is my personal opinion.
Not strange, simply I feel it’s foreign. I like receiving colorful messages.
When I write diaries to myself or letters to close friends, I may choose colorful pens.
To people I don’t know including postcrosser and seniors, I choose black pen.
Internet tells me writing a letter in black ink is good and conservative because Japan has a long tradition of calligraphy using chinese black ink.
Actually I tried to use colorful pens, but I hesitated and stopped doing because I felt uncomfortable to do it by myself.
It depends on individual, and age of course.
Nice discussion.
Good night 
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