In January this year, when going through e-mails on the computer (without any specific purpose other than try to clean up some old messages), we came across an email dated nearly 14 years ago (Saturday, March 20, 2010 to be exact). It was addressed to us and three other members of Friends of MacDonald. The subject was “Ranald Stamp”. We became very curious and decided to read it again because we had been very much aware that this year – 2024 – Ranald MacDonald would be 200 years old …

The following is the message sent to us:

“Hi,   Many years ago I asked an FOM officer in Japan if we might get the Japanese P.O. to issue a stamp in 1994 or 1998* for one of Ranald MacDonald’s big anniversaries. I was told then it was impossible because rules proscribed having stamps of foreigners. That may have been true then, but I was just looking at some (current, e.g., 2010) Japanese stamps. Two caught my eye. One was a double frame, 80

yen each, showing a bird’s eye view of Dejima in the center background.

On the left is a Dutch sailing ship identified as Liefde, perhaps. On the right is a stylized illustrations of a Dutch trader. The words Japan- Netherland are in the kanji caption. The other stamp of interest is an 80 yen stamp with a handsomely drawn face of Philipp Franz von Siebold, 1796-1866. [I received the letter on April 2, 1996. I have taped these two stamps into my copy of Fred Schodt’s book, Native American in the Land of the Shogun.]

I may not be around in the year 2024, but if I am, I sure would like to see Ranald’s face on a stamp honoring him on his bicentennial. Maybe even a joint issue with Japan, U.S.A. and Canada!  Is this an idea worth working on?”

* – 1994 would have been the 100^th Memorial of Ranald’s death; 1998 would have been the 150^th Anniversary of Ranald’s landing on Rishiri Island – both significant dates and events.

Indeed, it was an excellent idea!  We immediately got into action after re-reading that email by contacting the Consular Office here in Portland. Council Naoto Shigehisa and we discussed the possibility of this ‘project’; he kindly provided us with the contact information of Nippon Yusei Kosha in Tokyo (formerly ‘Postal Services Agency of the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications’) which is now used for ordering new memorial stamps. We contacted the office

directly by phone; the lady of the office in Tokyo and I exchanged a few telephone calls and a few e-mails regarding this. In the meantime, my partner was hard at work designing the “Ranald MacDonald

memorial stamp” per SPECIFIC design requirements by Nippon Yusei Kosha. The last hurdle was the payment AND we already had a unanimous donor for the project. We contacted a long-time member of FOMJ in Rishiri for some help with logistics and the following, as they say, is HISTORY !

RANALD MACDONALD BICENTENNIAL STAMPS!!!

This stamp is only good for use in Japan – but anyone can have a sheet as a collector’s item. One sheet has 20 stamps of 84 yen each. In Japan, this stamp is available through through FOMJ in Rishiri. Hopefully, many stamps will be sold and used in Japan. That way it promotes the awareness of Ranald MacDonald as Japan’s first (native-English speaking) English Teacher!