Stamp rally

A stamp rally (スタンプラリー) is an event or course dedicated to collecting stamps that follow a certain theme at sites such as train stations, rest areas, tourist attractions, museums, zoos, onsen towns, shopping malls, and other locations. The popularity of stamp rallies in Japan started with the phenomenon of the eki stamp. The distinction is that stamp rallies usually follow a certain theme and only appear for a limited time, in contrast to standard eki stamps bearing the likeness of a station, which are usually available forever, or until they are redesigned. The term "stamp rally" is a wasei-eigo invention.
In addition to rallies organized by chain stores, railroad companies, or travel agencies, rallies are often organized by tourist associations in local cities. There are also some people who do not intentionally participate in rallies to receive any special benefits, rather engaging with stamps as a personal hobby, stamping their own stamp books as they find them wherever they go, regardless of the type. Some stamp rallies focus on historic sites, such as the Japan Castle Foundation's "100 Famous Castles in Japan", which has included a stamp rally since 2007.
Like the eki stamp, stamp rallies replicate a history inherited from the shuin stamps provided at sacred sites like Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, especially on the routes of pilgrimages. Stamp rallies have some conceptual commonalities with the long-running Passport to Your National Parks campaign in the United States.
In some cases, rather than filling a book with each stamp in a dedicated box, a stamp rally might be designed to encourage layering color-separated stamps over the same spot with different colors of ink to give a similar effect to screen printing with multiple plates. This way, visiting each station of the rally is required to view all the layers of the stamp.
JR, major private railway and subway companies, and bus companies sometimes hold stamp rallies during spring, summer, and winter vacations. Stamp rallies conducted in collaboration with various media properties are often held, such as television dramas, films, anime, and video games. Many are themed around mascot characters. Stamp rally tie-ins for children's anime series are especially popular. Some stamp rallies, such as at roadside stations, are held throughout the year.
Often, stamp rallies conducted in collaboration with anime or television series set in contemporary Japan focus on the many types of landmark locations featured in the work, rather than working with singular private transportation companies or chain businesses. These can be seen as public–private collaborations with local municipal governments, film associations, chambers of commerce, shopping streets, or tourism associations as a means of encouraging and rewarding Seichi Junrei, rather than corporate partnerships. Some recent examples include the third season of Laid-Back Camp and Edomae Elf.
Since 1997 East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has been conducting an annual project to place stamps of characters and creatures from the Pokémon franchise at major stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area during the summer vacation period of elementary and junior high school students (except in 2001–2002, 2016, and 2020–2022). In some years, participants could win limited-edition trading cards.
In 1997, stamps were placed at 30 stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and from 1998, at a dozen stations on the Yamanote Line. In 2003, the number was expanded to 83 stations, including those covered by the "Holiday Pass" (the predecessor of the Holiday Outing Pass). In 2005, 100 stamps were placed at 97 stations, and long lines formed every day at stations with stamps of popular characters. Since 2004, two of the stamps have been placed at Tokyo Monorail stations, a member of the JR East Group. In 2011, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the "Pokemon B&W Stamp Rally" was reduced to a simple rally in which participants could choose one of 12 stations along two courses on the Yamanote Line and collect stamps at six stations. In 2013, the scope was expanded again to include the "Holiday Outing Pass", and the installation of stamps at Tokyo Monorail stations (one out of all stamps) resumed. In 2017, the number was increased to 50 stations, and in 2018 to 55 stations. In 2023, in commemoration of the Pokémon World Championships held in Yokohama, the "JR East Pokémon World Championships 2023 Stamp Rally" was held. The "Metropolitan Area Course" included stamps from 10 stations (or three of them) within the scope of the "Holiday Pass" and "Nombiri Holiday Suica Pass," while the "Shinkansen Course" included stamps from only one of five designated Shinkansen stations in the Tōhoku, Jōetsu, and Hokuriku regions.
From 1997 to 2000 participation was based on an advance application system. Since 1998, the rally has been held on Saturdays and Sundays, and the number of participants has been limited. Since 2003, the rally has been open to all participants and requires a ticket to each station, a free train ticket, and a Suica. From 2006 to 2010, Summer Vacation Timetable: Pokemon Stamp Rally Special Edition (夏休み時刻表 ポケモン・スタンプラリー特別号) was published by Kotsu Shinbunsha and served as the official guidebook for the rally, and was commonly known as the "Pokemon Timetable". In 2019, stamp books was distributed at all stations where stamps were installed to collect all the stamps.
In 2005 the stamps (Pokémon) at stations alternated between even-numbered days and odd-numbered days, a behavior that was replicated in the 2015 rally. For example, Lombre was available on even-numbered days in 2005, and Snorlax on odd-numbered days; Chespin was available on even days in 2015, and Chesnaught on the odd days.
In 1998 and 1999 the stamps of the characters were installed, and in 2019 they were installed for the first time in 20 years.
From 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2015 some stations were secret stations, where the Pokémon was not identified at all until the stamp was placed. In 2015, the station where the stamp was placed was also a secret.
In 1997 the first year of the stamp rally, participants collected stamps of all 30 stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area in less than two days. Until 2010, the prize is exchanged at Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shinagawa, Ueno, and Matsudo stations at the end of the stamp rally. In 2013, a souvenir and a certificate of achievement were distributed, followed by a certificate of achievement with a different design for each of the six stations when the stamps of the remaining stations were collected. In 2015, a certificate of achievement was distributed for each of the remaining stations. In 2017, a souvenir for each area achieved was distributed for each of the remaining stations, and a souvenir that also served as a certificate of achievement was distributed for all stations achieved. In 2018 and 2019, a souvenir that also served as a certificate of achievement was distributed for each of the remaining stations achieved afterwards. In 2011–2015, only Shinjuku and Ueno Stations exchanged prizes upon completion. In 2017, only 6 stations were completed at 12 designated Ekinka stores in the area, and only Ueno Station (which also completed 6 stations) exchanged prizes upon completion of the area and all stations. 2018 and 2019, only 6 stations were completed at designated stations in the area (11 stations in 2018). In 2018 and 2019, only 6 stations were completed at NewDays stores in designated stations (11 stations in 2018 and 9 stations in 2019) in the area (in the case of stations with multiple stores, only designated stores were completed), and prizes were exchanged only at Tokyo and Ikebukuro stations (where 6 stations were also completed) when all stations were completed.
In conjunction with the stamp rally period, the Yamanote Line operated tie-in "Pokémon trains" in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2010. The train bodies were covered with Pokémon character stickers, and the ads and LCD screens inside the trains were united with Pokémon-related items. The trains were operated on the Chuo and Sobu Lines (at various stations) in 2004, and on the Tokyo Monorail from 2006 to 2016 and in 2019.
The Sendai area has also hosted the event in 1998 and from 2012 to 2014.
Railways
Convenience stores
Highways
In addition to regular stamp rallies, JR West also organizes stamp rallies that are combined with travel products, in which the stamps are not at stations on specific lines, but at all locations at specific sightseeing spots. In the past, Naruto, The Kindaichi Case Files, and Detective School Q have been used. Travel products are available through JR West's travel agency, Nippon Travel Agency, as well as JTB, Kinki Nippon Tourist, and JR Shikoku's Warp.
Apart from Pokémon, JR East has conducted stamp rally tie-ins with several other series.
Tokyo Metro operates subway the lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Seibu Railway, with some anime production companies scattered along its lines, has held stamp rallies for many animation productions. In particular, the 2014 stamp rally featuring Yokai Watch was one of the company's biggest hits, with prize cards in short supply and lines forming at stations where stamps of popular characters were placed.
Sagami Railway's stamp rally has stamps at a total of 25 stations on the Sotetsu Main Line and Sotetsu Izumino Line. All 25 stations have different designs, and the number of stamps is larger than in other stamp rallies. In recent years, the number of stations with stamps has been reduced.
Convenience stores are also occasional stamp rally collaborators, or will otherwise use the aesthetics of a stamp rally to conduct rewards programs.
Stamp rallies are common features at anime conventions, trade fairs, and conventions or expositions dedicated to Japanese or world cultures, both in Japan and internationally. In a common arrangement at anime conventions, attendees who purchase goods over a certain cost threshold at participating booths become eligible for a stamp. After completing a stamp book, they may earn a prize, usually a free merchandise item. In some cases, the purchased goods must pertain to a certain media property, and the reward is related to said property. In other cases, the reward pool is more general in nature or involves the convention itself, like a special pin. These programs may either be designed by the managers of the event or arranged among a group of independently acting booth vendors.
Stamp rallies are held at roadside stations (michi no eki, 道の駅) throughout Japan for each region (the jurisdiction of the regional development bureaus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). The 2023-2024 Hokkaido michi no eki rally included 127 participating stations.
Some Japan Amateur Radio League members affiliated with Kuji Sunkist Club, JR7YKK, issue Michi-no-Eki QRV (道の駅QRV) awards to amateur radio operators for collecting QSL cards and stamping them at roadside stations close to the sender. A special-purpose database software utility was created for logging stamped QSL cards called Michi-no-Eki Get's (道の駅 Get's).
The following are examples of stamp rallies that are not designed as travel stamp rallies, but commemorate the use of services provided by financial institutions, chain stores, government offices, etc. that are located across a wide area. The goal for hobbyists is to collect some proof of use.
Deposits and withdrawals are made at local post offices, etc., and are commemorated by receiving a post office seal.
Resona Meguri (りそなめぐり) is a stamping-related hobby in which participants visit the former Asahi Bank (Resona Bank, Saitama Resona Bank) and make deposits to have the name of the head office or branch of the bank concerned printed in their Kurashi no Tsucho (passbook for daily life). Some people collect them at former Asahi Bank branches because the name of the main branch is printed in kanji characters on the passbook when depositing at a cash machine (however, when using an ATM at the account branch, the name of the branch is not listed and is left blank).
In the past, even the name of the branch office of non-branch ATMs was accurately displayed, so there were some enthusiasts who went there, but now the name of the home branch that has jurisdiction over the ATM is displayed. However, nowadays, ATMs in Resona Personal Stations also display the name of the home branch if the branch code is the same as that of the home branch. When using BankTime [ja], "RBT-XXXXXXXXX" is displayed instead of the branch name, which is a 7-digit number that corresponds to the unique code of the location where the ATM is used.
The name of the ATM branch outside the store is not printed, but the name of the mother store is printed. When a transaction is made at another bank, the name of the bank is printed or the financial institution code and branch code are printed.
Branches that are inaccessible or require permission to use include the House of Representatives Branch, the House of Councillors Branch, and the Osaka Sales Department JR West Sub-Branch.
Other regional banks, such as Michinoku Bank and Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank [ja], may do the same.
In the case of Michinoku Bank, it is also displayed at the account store. In particular, in the case of Michinoku Bank, it is also called Michinoku Meguri. Regional banks may not have ATMs at some of their branches, such as those in Tokyo, so in this case, they are printed only at the counter.
There are cases where this was possible before but has since been phased out. Kagawa Bank, Aozora Bank, and Daishi Houketsu Bank, in January 2007, May 2016, and January 2017, respectively, discontinued branch name printing when they updated their core banking account systems.
Although it varies from financial institution to financial institution, in some cases, the branch number of the branch where the deposit or withdrawal was made is printed when the deposit or withdrawal is made. Mizuho Bank also falls into this category, but in its case, the Shibuya Chuo Branch Broadcast Center Sub-Branch (branch number 165, located in the restricted area of the NHK Broadcasting Center) cannot be accessed. In rare cases, such as at MUFG Bank and Chugoku Bank [ja], the store number of the branch where the book was written is printed regardless of the type of transaction. In the case of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the store number is printed on the passbook when using an ATM of a non-branch location.
Depending on the financial institution, there are cases in which the branch code is printed in a dedicated field, or in the Abstract field or the Deposit/Payment field.
Mister Donut Meguri (ミスタードーナツ巡り) is another travel-related hobby involving visiting Mister Donut locations and purchasing more than 300 worth of merchandise to receive and collect the store's MisDo Card (ミスドカード), formerly known as the Lucky Card(ラッキーカード).
This is often practiced by people who engage with travel savings activities.
When it comes to the details, different enthusiasts have different opinions:
On November 26, 2006, the "MisDo Card Campaign" ended and the distribution of MisDo Cards was discontinued. On December 1 of the same year, "Misdo Club" was launched nationwide, shifting to a point card system. Customers began receiving and collecting store-numbered MisDo Club point cards, receipts, and advertisements with coupons.
However, the "MisDo Club Point Card" was discontinued on September 30, 2013 (the card was completely discontinued in 2014 after one year of validity). Since then, depending on the campaign, the card distribution has been restored and the name of the issuing store has been added to the card, so that this tour is once again possible as in the past.
Some enthusiasts visit Lawson locations, a major nationwide convenience store chain, and collect receipts.
Since Lawson was one of the first convenience stores in Japan to expand into all prefectures, it is often seen in travel destinations and is visited while procuring groceries for the trip. In addition, if a customer settles a bill using an SMBC OMC Card, the name of the branch is clearly indicated on the monthly bill, making it easy to manage and catalog visits.
The following is a list of stores that are 'difficult to visit'.
Some people make tours of branches of CoCo Ichibanya, the largest Japanese chain of curry restaurants, sometimes abbreviated to CoCo-Ichi Meguri.
The postcards on the table are stamped with a rubber stamp of the store name and the store number, and in a narrow sense, these are collected as proof of a visit. Various souvenirs are given out at the opening of new stores, and some people travel around the country to collect them. In the past, these were yellow mugs, but recently they have become more diverse, including socks. For example, at the Musashi-Urawa Station East Exit store, which opened on November 24, 2005, the gift was a strap with a whistle attached.
Many prominent tourist attractions have commemorative medal vending machines and engraving machines. Some people buy these medals and then use the engraving machines to imprint their names and the date of their visit on the medals for preservation.
Some people set out to visit game centers, or arcades, all over Japan. In particular, Konami's rhythm game series Beatmania IIDX has an event called "Trip King," (行脚王) which records the number of prefectures and stores where the game is played, as well as the number of game machines played if there are multiple machines in a store, in a "Trip History" (行脚履歴) published on the Internet. Since the game center trip history is reset after the series has been in operation for about a year, some players aim to visit game centers nationwide every time a new installment becomes available.
Local governments participating in the Basic Resident Registry Network, or Juki Net, can obtain jūminhyō (住民票, resident certificates) from each other. Using this system, some people visit city, ward, town, and village offices and branch offices nationwide to obtain and collect their own residence certificates as a hobby. Because resident certificates are used to register inkan, they are also often stamped. Some people collect various kinds of certificates of residence, and find that the different designs of the certificates, which are unique to each municipality, and the different typefaces of the municipal seals are good keepsakes.
Some enthusiasts aim for jūminhyō with special dates, such as the last day of a municipality that changes its name due to a municipal merger, the first day of a new merged municipality, or the last day of issuing a resident card in the name of the mayor before the municipality becomes an ordinance-designated city. However, as for the first day, it is difficult to obtain them because the resident card net may not be available for several days after the new municipality is inaugurated.
In the case of a vacancy caused by the arrest, sudden death, or resignation of the mayor of a municipality while in office, the name of the issuer, the mayor, is sometimes crossed out with a double line at the end and the name is changed to "deputy mayor". At such a time, hobbyists might also try to collect PR papers.
Examples of specially designed residence certificates are listed below.
Kuki, Saitama began offering a Lucky Star-themed marriage form in 2020, with character illustrations bounding the intended area for a couple's jitsuin. The fee starts at 350 yen.
As travelers collect passport stamps on their passports, collecting stamps becomes an objective. There are many secret enthusiasts. Some try to collect as many stamps as possible, and some try to collect as many stamps as possible even if they overlap. The stamps themselves are free.
Others decide to leave Japan from a different location from the previous one as much as possible. However, if someone uses an automated immigration terminal, they will not receive a stamp.
When many business sector companies sign a contract with each other, a contract must be drawn up and stamped with the company seal (jitsuin) of each company. This is sometimes colloquially, or jokingly, called a "stamp rally," in which the person in charge of contract administration visits each company to have the company seal stamped. In the worst cases, the stamp rally involves a long trip to the same company to have the seal stamped by visiting the department manager of the staff member in charge of the application, the department manager of the related department, the manager of the procurement department, and the manager of the staff member in charge of the accounting department.