This stamp comes from Japan.
The word “Japan” is exonym, an outside-imposed name on a country. Internally, the country name is either Nippon or Nihon.
The name is reflected in the first two characters in the lower left of the stamp. That name was first recorded in China, during the reign of the only Chinese Empress to reign in her own right, Wu Zetian (r. 690-705 CE).
There are conflicting stories about whether the Japanese ambassador requested the change, or the Empress demanded it be changed and decreed what it was to be.
The Kanji alphabet derives from the Chinese writing system, and Nippon is the “Chinese reading” of the characters. Nihon may be closer to the Japanese language pronunciation of the word, but both terms are used by native speakers. The characters are formally pronounced “Ngip Bāwn.”
The literal translation of the word is “The Sun’s Origin,” which gives us the loose translation of “The Land of the Rising Sun.”
The meaning again comes from China, where Japan is to the east, where the sun does rise.
However, Japanese tradition also says that the Emperor is descended from Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Of course, this gives the name a double meaning.
“Japan” comes probably from Marco Polo, who recorded the Chinese term for the country as Cipango.
My Japanese is extremely limited, so if you see an error in what I wrote above (as with any error), please let me know.
According to the Scott catalog, the image on the stamp is supposed to be a Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis). It does appear, though, to be a Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris). A quick look at images of the two birds will let you form your own opinion. You will find both names used online.
If it is a Pied Kingfisher, the band across the throat, called a gorget, should be double (two lines) if the bird is a male, and the single line should be broken in the middle if it is a female.
It’s still a pretty picture of a pretty bird.
This is part of a 15-stamp series of flora and fauna stamps issued between 1992 and 1994. This stamp was issued on 24 January 1994. The design was also used on a coil, miniature sheet, and on an imperforate stamp.
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