Philanippon '01

Exhibition Report by Ian McMahon, Australian Commissioner

Philanippon 01 was an FIP World exhibition held at the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre 'Tokyo Big Sight' in Tokyo on 1-7 August 2001. The exhibition was opened by the Crown Prince, HIH Prince Takamado of Japan.

The exhibition was well organised with the exhibition venue a modern conference centre in a redeveloped harbour area of Tokyo with excellent facilities. The Japanese Post Office stand was well patronised as were the 50 other postal administration stands and the stand selling personalised stamps. There were over 60 dealers present, many from overseas. The overall attendance was seen as a little disappointing by some dealers, possibly as the result of the exhibition being in the middle of the summer holiday season.

Activities were provided for children in Stamp Town where the world of stamps joined the world of Dick Bruna, the designer of Japanese letter-writing day stamps. There was also a special display of Imperial Family Stamps and a display of actual imperial household items featured on the stamps. The Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of Japan offered visitors the opportunity to make their own postcards.

The exhibition had 496 exhibits plus over 100 literature entries with all FIP classes represented as well as an Open Class. Open Class exhibits were not awarded medals and only nine were provided with awards listed as 'Excellent', 'Very Good' and 'Good'. The Excellent award was given to Ann Still from New Zealand for Aspects of Camels. 31 Large Gold medals were awarded.

The Grand Prix National was won by Kazunobu Fukuhara of Japan for his exhibit The Hand Engraved Stamps of Japan, the Grand Prix International by Yaovanee Nirandara of Thailand Burma: Under Indian Postal Administration 1817-1870 and the Grand Prix d'Honneur by Hisashi Ninomiya of Japan for the exhibit Courier to Post in Japan. The President of the Jury was Hiroyuki Kanai and the Secretary-General as Peng Hian Tay.

Large Gold medals and the major awards were presented at the Palmares which featured traditional Japanese dancers. Gold medals and other special prizes were awarded in the Commissioners' room on the last day.

The FIAP Congress was also held at the Exhibition with Mr Surajit Gongvatana installed as the new President of FIAP.

Australian Exhibitor Results

Edward Wittenberg	Hungary - Postal History 1850-1871	Large Gold [96]
Arthur Gray	The Kangaroo and Related Issues of Australia	Large Gold [95]
Geoffrey Lewis	Philippines 1775-1878 mail Routes and Other Postal History	Gold [92]
Lewis Geoffrey & Don Peterson	Postal History of the Spanish Philippines	Gold [91]
Michael Blake	South Australia from Settlement to Commonwealth	Gold [90]
Boon-Swee Yen	Malayan Airmails 1919-1942	Large Vermeil [87]
Hugh Campbell	Queensland Intercolonial and Overseas Postal Rates 1850-1932	Large Vermeil [85]
John Sadler	Australian Airmails 1914-1934	Large Vermeil [86]
Boon-Swee Yen	Australian Forces in Malaya - WWII	Vermeil [81]
Julian Cabarrus	Pioneer Flights of the Philippines 1919 to 1932	Vermeil [81]
Tom Frommer	Famous Pilots and Famous Flights	Vermeil [81]
Bernard Doherty	More to Pay	Large Silver [78]
Ian McMahon	Postcards and Lettercards of New Zealand	Large Silver [75]
Ian McMahon	Postal Stationery Collector	Large Silver [71]
Keith Garrard	Australia's Northern Territory	Open Class [no medals awarded]

 [ Source:  APF News, October 2001 ]