Kitte no Kobito Stamps: Tiny Figures for Postage
Kitte no Kobito (little people of the stamp) are small Japanese rubber stamps whose figures interact with an empty square, the spot where you stick a real postage stamp. Tokyo design firm Vectculture launched them on December 1, 2014 at ¥800 (about US$5.10) before tax; designs are numbered 1 to 32 across two series.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Kitte no Kobito rubber stamp, No. 1 Pointing
- Brand
- Kitte no Kobito
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- Rubber stamp (Yoseka); Yoseka's photos show unfinished light wooden blocks
- Released
- December 2014*
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per stamp or ink pad
- Rate it
Notes on these facts
- Made by Vectculture Inc. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Vectculture's three press releases give dates, prices, JAN codes and package sizes but no country of manufacture, and Yoseka's listing doesn't state one. The maker's own web shop (kobito.theshop.jp) didn't load when we checked on October 29, 2026. Price: example listing. Released: Web pre-sale from November 24, 2014; general sale from December 1, 2014 (Vectculture release).
- How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- The first series went on general sale on December 1, 2014 with 17 designs, at ¥800 (about US$5.10) plus tax each.
- A second series of 15 designs (numbers 18 to 32) followed on April 20, 2016, at the same price.
- Yoseka listed 27 numbered designs on October 29, 2026; numbers 5, 10, 13, 16 and 17 were not among them.
- A six-design Hello Kitty collaboration went on general sale on June 25, 2018, in a 52 × 27 × 52 mm package.
- Vectculture says a Tokyo postmaster, Kazuo Hoshi of the Nihonbashi Odenmacho post office, advised on the design.
What are Kitte no Kobito stamps?
They are rubber stamps of tiny people who interact with an empty square, and you stick a real postage stamp in that square. The name means “little people of the stamp”: once stamped, a figure seems to carry, point at, nap under or fish for the postage stamp on your letter.
Tokyo design firm Vectculture made them as its own product in 2014. Its release says the idea came from e-fuutou, envelopes illustrated around the stamp, which only people who could draw could make; the stamps let anyone do it.
Kitte no Kobito specs
Vectculture publishes dates, prices and package sizes, but not the size of the stamp itself. Yoseka’s photos show unfinished light wooden blocks with the design printed on the block.
| Spec | Kitte no Kobito |
|---|---|
| Type | Rubber stamp on a wooden block, no ink (Yoseka) |
| Maker | Vectculture Inc., Tokyo |
| Series 1 | 17 designs, general sale December 1, 2014 |
| Series 2 | 15 designs (18 to 32), general sale April 20, 2016 |
| Hello Kitty series | 6 designs, general sale June 25, 2018 |
| Package | 70 × 28 × 96 mm (2.8 × 1.1 × 3.8 in); Hello Kitty 52 × 27 × 52 mm (2.0 × 1.1 × 2.0 in) |
| Launch price | ¥800 (about US$5.10) plus tax |
| Stamp face size | Not published |
The first release also lists three package types labeled 30 × 20, 25 × 25 and 40 × 20, each with its own JAN code. We read those as the size of the postage-stamp square in millimeters, but the release gives no units.
Which designs are there?
Thirty-two numbered designs across two series, plus six Hello Kitty designs. Series 2 includes a figure reading, a painter, a rakugo storyteller, a sumo wrestler throwing a stamp, the god Ebisu fishing, a sleeping kitten, a chapel and a wedding.
The counts don’t quite add up. The first release says 17 designs and the second adds 15, but calls the total 29; it may have counted designs already retired. Yoseka’s list skips numbers 5, 10, 13, 16 and 17.
What is in the Hello Kitty series?
Six designs drawn for the collaboration with Sanrio, in a smaller 52 × 27 × 52 mm package. Vectculture’s June 1, 2018 release says it picked the most popular Kobito ideas and drew new poses for a classic-style Hello Kitty: carrying luggage, sneaking along with Rory, pulling a trolley, drawing, napping with Joey, and a For You design.
Vectculture says the new package stores the stamp so it can be displayed like a picture in a frame. Yoseka’s listing doesn’t include the Hello Kitty designs.
How do you use them?
Stick the postage stamp first, then stamp the figure so the empty square lines up with it. Vectculture says you can use any stamp, or combine several, and suggests seasonal letters, invitations, moving notices and parcels.
Because the square only marks the stamp’s place, a figure can share one stamp with others or sit next to a stamp of a different size. You need a separate ink pad. For small black line art, our guides to VersaFine Onyx Black and Memento Tuxedo Black cover two common choices.
Who makes them?
Vectculture Inc., a Tokyo product design firm founded on April 1, 2011. Its 2014 release describes a team that plans, designs, makes and sells its own products and works for clients.
Vectculture says the postmaster of the Nihonbashi Odenmacho post office in Tokyo, Kazuo Hoshi, advised on the stamps. Its web shop at kobito.theshop.jp didn’t load when we checked, and the company’s old web address now shows an unrelated site, so we couldn’t confirm which designs are still made.
Where is it made, and what does it cost in the US?
Neither the maker nor Yoseka says where the stamps are made. Vectculture’s releases list prices and JAN codes only.
On October 29, 2026, Yoseka listed each design at US$12 in 27 designs. For a letter set to send them on, see our Midori MOGU MOGU letter set guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do Kitte no Kobito stamps come with postage stamps?
No. Vectculture's releases say postage stamps aren't included; you use any stamp you like, or several together.
Do you need an ink pad for Kobito stamps?
Yes. They are plain rubber stamps on wooden blocks, per Yoseka's listing and photos, with no ink built in.
Which Kitte no Kobito designs are there?
Series 1 has numbers 1 to 17 and series 2 numbers 18 to 32, from figures pointing or carrying to a sumo wrestler throwing a stamp and a wedding. A separate Hello Kitty set has six.
Can I stamp over the postage stamp itself?
The design leaves the square empty so the figure sits beside the stamp, not on it. Keep ink off the stamp; we haven't checked any postal service's rules on decorated envelopes.
How big are Kitte no Kobito stamps?
Vectculture gives only the package, 70 × 28 × 96 mm for the main series. Its first release names package types 30 × 20, 25 × 25 and 40 × 20, likely the stamp square in mm, but it doesn't give units.
What does kitte no kobito mean?
Kitte is Japanese for postage stamp and kobito means little people, so the name reads as the little people of the stamp.
Sources
- Vectculture via value-press (Japanese): Kitte no Kobito launch release, December 2, 2014 (web pre-sale November 24, general sale December 1, ¥800 plus tax, 17 designs, package 70 × 28 × 96 mm, JAN codes)
- Vectculture via value-press (Japanese): Kitte no Kobito second series, April 5, 2016 (designs 018 to 032 with JANs, general sale April 20, ¥800 plus tax, postmaster adviser)
- Vectculture via value-press (Japanese): Kitte no Kobito x Hello Kitty, June 1, 2018 (six designs, general sale June 25, package 52 × 27 × 52 mm, stamps not included)
- Yoseka Stationery: Kobito Stamps (27 numbered designs, rubber stamps for decorating around postage stamps; read October 29, 2026)