A 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 eki stamps. 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 can also be organized by tourist associations in local cities. Some people do not participate in rallies to receive special benefits or prizes, but rather engage 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. Stamps of this type are known in Japanese as and are often manufactured by the company Shachihata.
Japan Railways, 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 also 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, such as Anpanman, are especially popular. Some stamp rallies, such as those 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 examples include the third season of Laid-Back Camp and Edomae Elf.
Railways
Pokemon
East Japan Rail Company (JR East) tie-ins 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. Because this year in 2026 is 30th anniversary of Pokemon (made in 1996), this rally is execpetionally large. The rally started in July 16th to August 31st (one day after for people reading in America). It featured nostalgic layout showcasing original starting Pokemon from every single generation along side modern favorites. For the first time, selected JR stations did not just feature only one Pokémon. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, several stations showcase entire starter trios on a single stamp!
The Sendai area has also hosted the event in 1998 and from 2012 to 2014.
Pokémon stamp rallies conducted by other businesses Railways
West Japan Railway Company (JR West) – 1998–2000, 2007–2016. In 2007 the program was implemented in JR West's Urban Network area and Hiroshima/Yamaguchi areas. After another development, an ICOCA card had to be presented.
Nagoya Railroad – 2001, 2007–2018. Three times in spring, June, and summer in 2007, and twice in spring and summer from 2008 to 2014.
Nishi-Nippon Railroad – 2001 Osaka Metro – 2003, 2006, 2018. In 2003 and 2006, planned as the predecessor (before privatization) Osaka Municipal Subway
Hankyu Corporation – 2004 Kobe Municipal Subway – 2006 Hokkaido Railway Company – 2008–2010 Fukuoka City Subway – 2008 Kyushu Railway Company – 2009–2015 Sapporo City Transportation Bureau – 2013–2019 Sendai City Transportation Bureau – 2019 AbukumaExpress – 2022
Tourism associations
Mie Prefecture Tourism Federation – 2024–2025
Convenience stores
Seven-Eleven Japan – 2014–2015
Highways
Nakanihon Exis – 2008–2009 (Conducted at NEXCO Central Japan service and parking area)
Tour format 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.
East Japan Rail Company (JR East) Apart from Pokémon, JR East has conducted stamp rally tie-ins with several other series.
Past collaborations
2016 - Neon Genesis Evangelion 20th anniversary, including a wrapped bullet train, the "500 Type EVA" 2019 - Kinnikuman 2023 Plarail Sumikko Gurashi
Tokyo Metro Tokyo Metro operates subway the lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
1999 - Shenmue Summer 2023 - Studio Ghibli
Seibu Railway 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.
Past collaborations
2008 Hello Kitty Sgt. Frog (Spring) 2009 – Fresh Pretty Cure! 2010 – Heart Catch PreCure! 2011 Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Suite PreCure Cardfight!! Vanguard 2012 Smile PreCure! Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters the Movie 2013 – The Wind Rises 2014 – Yokai Watch 2015 Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture & Maria the Virgin Witch (Winter) Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' (Golden Week) Shaun the Sheep Movie (Before Summer) Yokai Watch (Summer) 2016 Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama (Golden Week) Aikatsu Stars! (Summer) 2017 Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama (Golden Week) Snack World (Summer) Love Live! Sunshine!! (Autumn) 2018