Japanese Echo Cards --On July 7, 1981, Japan launched a program of selling advertising on their postal cards which then are sold to the public for 35 yen (a 12~% discount off the 40 yen postal rate). The cost of the discount plus printing costs are paid by the advertiser. The program envisions some 400 different ads each year, many of which are only issued in a single Prefecture (state) and not available nationwide; many are sold out on the first day of issue because the advertising firm buys a majority for their own use. So far, the following firms associated with pharmacy have used ECHO (as they are called) postal cards: Shiseido, Kurohime, Kasugamachi Pharmacy and others.