International Exchange Lounge & Library Corner

Assisting with International Cooperation with Used Stamps & PET Bottle Caps

■More about This Program

●Used Stamps

The International Exchange Lounge collects used stamps to assist international cooperation activities. The used stamps are sent to the Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperation Service (JOCS) which carries out international cooperation activities around the world. The various landscapes and pictures printed on used stamps are highly valued by collectors. Proceeds from the sales are used to help fund their medical treatment activities in Asia; purchasing milk and medicine, dispatching doctors and nurses, and so on. For more information, please check their official website.
Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service (JOCS): http://www.jocs.or.jp/en/

PET Bottle Caps

We also collect PET bottle caps in order to support the “Eco-cap Action” of the Hiroshima Roudou Kaikan. Through their project, the sales profits obtained by recycling caps are donated to the Japan Committee, Vaccines for the World’s Children (JCV). For more information, please check their official website.
Vaccines for the World’s Children (JCV): http://www.jcv-jp.org/

■How to Collect

●Used Stamps

When you cut stamps from envelopes, please leave 5 mm of paper around them. It is not necessary to remove them from the envelope. Torn or folded stamps cannot be accepted.

●PET Bottle Caps

Only PET bottle caps for drinks or mineral water are accepted. Please wash the caps and tear off the sticker if it has one. This is in order to avoid damaging the recycling machines. Things such as metal caps and pull-top tabs cannot be accepted.

■We are also Collecting Kaki-sonji Hagaki*.

Kaki-sonji hagaki are un-sent postcards that are old and slightly dirty, or have a name/address written incorrectly. Your kaki-sonji hagaki and other un-used postcards can be exchanged at the post office for new stamps. The stamps can be used to send the collected used stamps to JOCS. If there are any kaki-sonji hagaki or un-used postcards laying around your house, please donate them.
*Hagaki: Specifically pre-stamped postcards that are issued by the post office

■Looking for Volunteers to Help Organize the Stamps.

We are looking for volunteers to cut the stamps to size and separate them before they are sent off to JOCS. If you are in the International Exchange Lounge during its operational hours, please feel free to help. We appreciate your support.