The Sakura catalog is an illustrated full-color Japanese stamp catalog.
The Japanese Stamp Catalog Illustrated in Colors (Japanese: 原色日本切手図鑑, romanized: genshoku-Nippon-kitte-zukan) (now Sakura Catalogue of Japanese Stamps (Japanese: さくら日本切手カタログ, romanized: sakura-Nippon-kitte-katarogu)) was first published in October 1967 with full-color illustrations, which surprised the philatelic world since a colored stamp catalog had never been thought of. Regarded as the most reliable and popular publication in Japan, it goes through fifteen editions in 1979, and more than 4,500,000 copies have been released in all. This is the companion volume to the Japanese Stamp Specialized Catalog. The catalog, nicknamed Sakura Catalog, has been in pocket-size (118 x 148 mm) for several years, but now it is printed in B6 (128 × 182 mm) size so that it can be printed using a multicolor rotary press to meet the increased circulation and to make the use of thinner paper possible. As all pages have to be composed anew for the enlarged size, English version of stamp names is added for the convenience of foreign collectors, and many symbols are used to facilitate their understanding how the stamps are classified here.[1]
Please see the contents of the SAKURA Catalogue of Japanese Stamps 2019 and other editions.[2][3][4][1]
Most recently published catalog structure
The structure of the most recently published catalog is as follows:[2]
^ abcdefgh原色日本切手図鑑1983年版1982年9月5日 第18版発行(c)編集・発行 財団法人日本郵趣協会(JPS)B6判240ページ (SAKURA Catalog of Japanese Stamps, Illustrated in Colours 1983. 18th Edition. Edited and Published by the Japan Philatelic Society, Inc. 1982.09.05. The size of B6 (128 x 182 mm). 240 p.).
^ abさくら日本切手カタログ2019年版2018年4月20日発行(第54版)(c)公益財団法人 日本郵趣協会(JPS)A5判352ページ (SAKURA Catalogue of Japanese Stamps 2019. 54th Edition. Edited & Published by Japan Philatelic Foundation (JPS). 2018.04.20. The size of A5 (148 x 210 mm). 352 p. ISBN978-4-88963-818-9).
^ abさくら日本切手カタログ2014年版2013年4月20日発行(第49版)(c)公益財団法人 日本郵趣協会(JPS)A5判388ページ (SAKURA Catalogue of Japanese Stamps 2014. 49th Edition. Edited & Published by Japan Philatelic Foundation (JPS). 2013.04.20. The size of A5 (148 x 210 mm). 388 p. ISBN978-4-88963-753-3).
^ abcdeさくら日本切手カタログ1999年版1998年4月20日発行(第34版)(c)公益財団法人 日本郵趣協会(JPS)A5判300ページ (SAKURA Catalog of Japanese Stamps 1999. 34th Edition. Edited & Published by Japan Philatelic Foundation. 1998.04.20. The size of A5 (148 x 210 mm). 300 p. ISBN4-88963-562-9).
^原色日本切手図鑑1992年版1991年4月18日 第27版発行(c)編集・発行 財団法人日本郵趣協会(JPS)A5判 (SAKURA Catalog of Japanese Stamps, Illustrated in Colours 1992. 27th Edition. Edited and Published by Japan Philatelic Foundation. 1991.04.18. The size of A5 (148 x 210 mm). ISBN4-88963-469-X).