sending stamps for condolances why

when sending sympathy or condolance cards why is it customary to insert unused stamps along with the card?

I've never heard of that custom. Where did you learn about it?

I have not heard of such customs either.

In Japan, it is customary to bring a special condolence envelope with some money inside to the wake or funeral. It's called "Koden" or more properly said "Go-Koden."

Chad

I have never heard of such custom in Japan.

The closest I know is - this is something I've read about - that among 2nd/3rd generation American-Japanese, there seems to be a custom of sending a thank-you card, in return for the condolence money ("Koden" as above) received, with a sheet of stamps - useful for everyone, and not cash.

Or maybe the original poster simply meant inserting "one" stamp, so as to show that you care that you wish not to burden the recipient with the postage stamp to send any letter/card in return? Anyway this is not a custom in Japan...

...that among 2nd/3rd generation American-Japanese, there seems to be a custom of sending a thank-you card, in return for the condolence money (''Koden'' as above) received, with a sheet of stamps - useful for everyone, and not cash.

The above custom is common on the ''mainland'' US (48 continguous states). JAs in Hawaii are starting to follow this custom (probably because more mainland JAs are moving to HI and more Island families have relatives who have moved to the mainland). I don't know the origin of this custom.

The polite form of "koden" is "o-koden", not "go-koden". ;)

Decades ago the Japanese used to send stamps with their thank you cards but they no longer practice that custom. When the Japanese immigrated to the U.S., in the 1800's, they kept that Custom going in the U.S. The 3rd to 4th generation Japanese Americans no longer practice that Custom.

Decades ago the Japanese used to send stamps with their thank you cards but they no longer practice that custom. When the Japanese immigrated to the U.S., in the 1800's, they kept that Custom going in the U.S.

That must have been a very new custom at the time then, as the first postal stamp in Japan was made in April, 1871. Good to know.

**The 3rd to 4th generation Japanese Americans no longer practice that Custom**

Yes, they do--if they live in the US on the ''mainland''. 3rd,4th and 5th generation do follow the practice. That's where I learned the custom. I also was curious how it started--thank you for the answer. It is being continued among members of the JA community.

In Japan there is a tradition of sending a small gift as a thank you to those who gave koden money to the grieving family. Here in the U.S. my Japanese-American family, relatives and friends have continued the tradition for at least some 60 years by sending a booklet of postage stamps...a practical gift. A Yonsei (4th generation JA)

Katsu san, what you described is "koden gaeshi" - returning some "thank you" gift to those who were kind enough to send koden.

In Japan we still keep this tradition but usually it is something like green tea, nori (sheets of seaweed) or towel, never stamp(s) at least these days.

In Japan (and also probably elsewhere), you include unused stamps only when you especially ask for a returm mail. This is hardly the case with letters of condolence. Stamps cannot be exchanged for money in Japan and therefore cannot substitute for Koden.

A Japanese friend of mine (3rd Gen., I believe) recently lost a relative - I sent a condolence card with some cash, and I just received a thank you card with stamps. I suppose the tradition is still alive...

Our family & JA friends still send koden (money to help the family of the deceased with funeral costs) Our family still sends a booklet of stamps (I believe) as both a thank you & acknowledgment of the koden) - not all of our JA friends do the later, though.

100% of the stateside JA funerals I have attended accept koden (money). The family of the deceased responds with a thank you card and a pack of stamps. I have done the same with my family. I never knew why and have asked a lot of people. So, like many of our habits, we do what we have always done.
In Gassho

Stamps are not sent as condolences, but with the thank you card for koden. My family has and still does send the postage stamps as THANK YOU for koden received at a funeral.

Stamps cannot be exchanged for money in Japan and therefore cannot substitute for Koden.

But are stamps considered as a form of money in Japan? In the UK stamps can be used like money to pay for things.
However someone can decline the transaction if they wish.
Some cheeky people pay parking fines etc to local council in stamps. The council are not forced to accept the stamps as a form of payment but since they do not want to decline the payment they have no option but to accept the stamps.
http://www.thetenoclockshow.co.uk/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf...

There is a type of stamp, I believe they're called Shuunyuinshi (収入印紙), or revenue stamps, that are used to pay for government things such as reentry permit and driver's license applications. You can get them at the post office but they're not the same as regular postage stamps.

In my Japanese American family (I am sansei), we have always sent food gifts (from the Japanese food store) in gratitude for koden. It was in an amount equal to what was sent.

My mother's friend recently passed and her family sent a booklet of postage stamps in the acknowledgement card.

I asked my mother about this custom and she said it seemed to be most popular during the issei's time because so many issei were struggling financially. We received large sums of money from my grandmother's issei friends when she passed as well as nisei and sansei families close to us.

Iʻm a Hawaii sansei and found this discussion via a Google search. I recently received two thank your for okoden from local sanseis whose parents had passed. Both enclosed postage stamps and I myself had never heard of that tradition. I like the gesture. It says, stay in touch with us, you are a friend.