The U.S. Postal Service held a dedication ceremony Tuesday, unveiling its new stamp depicting the iconic Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe.

Designed by art director Greg Breeding with original art by Dan Cosgrove of Chicago, the stamp features a colorful illustration of the temple — a concrete replica of the wooden, 11th-century Byodo-In Temple built in Uji, Japan. Byodo-In Temple at Valley of the Temples Memorial Park on Oahu was built in 1968 to commemorate the centennial of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.

“While this beautiful Byodo-In Temple today stands as a symbol of Japanese culture and tradition, it is also a symbol of friendship between Japan and Hawaii and it’s a tribute to King Kalakaua and the kingdom of Hawaii for welcoming the Japanese immigrants long ago,” said Carole Hayashino, president of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. “Finally, this temple represents and recognizes the spirit of the issei pioneers, the first generation of immigrants from Japan who paved the way for future generations of Japanese in Hawaii. So the dedication of the Byodo in a postage stamp honors this friendship, this history and the aloha spirit.”

The public was given the opportunity to purchase stamps before and after the 2 p.m. ceremony at the temple and have them hand-canceled for free.

Marvin Hanson of Kaneohe was among those in line.

Hanson said he has collected a stamp almost every year since he was born in 1939, and he was thrilled that this one featured a place where he loves to take his grandkids. This one is also special, he said, because the temple is where he plans to place his ashes.

The Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee, appointed by the postmaster general, selects subjects for recommendation as future stamp issues, according to Kanoehe Postmaster Kanani Alos. It receives more than 50,000 suggestions annually but only selects about two dozen new subjects, and only one as the priority mail stamp, per year.

“So it is a tremendous honor for this Byodo-In Temple to be depicted on this stamp,” said Alos. “So until a new priority stamp is issued next year, anyone in the U.S., from Maine to Manoa, from Kaneohe to Kansas City, can share the beauty of this Byodo-In Temple by using the priority mail stamp.”

Priority mail is a fast domestic service that includes flat-rate shipping in one, two or three business days, according to the USPS, based on where a package starts and where it is being sent.

Other commemorative stamps representing Hawaii have included one of Iolani Palace, the USS Arizona Memorial, Haleakala National Park on Maui, Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo and surf legend Duke Kahanamoku.

The $6.70 Byodo-In Temple priority mail stamp is available for purchase at post offices nationwide, online and by phone at 800-782-6724.