The thoughts behind the stamp rally: Interview with Makino and Sugioka of the Kurashiki City Tourism Division
The co-Trip Okayama-Kurashiki Town Walk Stamp Rally lets you enjoy sightseeing in Kurashiki and Okayama as you collect stamps along the way.
We spoke with Makino Koji and Sugioka Rena of the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, organizers of this event.
We interviewed them both.
How the co-Trip stamp rally came about
How did this stamp rally come to be?
Makino (honorific omitted)
It began with a booklet created in collaboration with co-Trip.
The organizing “Okayama-Kurashiki” Tourism Promotion Council targets women in their 20s and 30s in the Kansai region and the Tokyo metropolitan area.
That audience overlapped with co-Trip's target audience.
Some members of the “Okayama-Kurashiki” Tourism Promotion Council were also co-Trip fans, and in 2021, the idea came up to ask co-Trip's editorial team to create an Okayama-Kurashiki edition.
That was how the collaboration with co-Trip got started.
We thought that simply placing the booklet at tourist information centers and similar locations might not reach our target audience, so in 2022 we held an event for people in the Tokyo metropolitan area, “co-Trip Traveling Cafe: Okayama-Kurashiki,” in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Following that, in 2023 we decided to hold a stamp rally visiting shops featured in the co-Trip booklet, and this event was planned.
When we made the booklet in 2021, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so people couldn't actually visit the places.
So we planned a stamp rally that would bring people to the shops in person.
From July 15 to July 31, 2023, we held a stamp rally and displayed panels featuring sample itineraries for visiting both cities at Tsutaya Books in Umeda, Osaka.
Exploring the town with digital tools
This stamp rally is “digital.” What special features does it offer?
Makino
A major point is how easy it is to use.
People in their 20s and 30s, our target audience, are very much the smartphone generation.
When you look at a shop on the map, it pops up right away, showing where you are and how to get to the shop.
Going digital also benefits not only the users taking part, but the organizers as well.
For organizers, running it on paper would involve costs for storage and data entry, but going digital lets us reduce those costs.
For these reasons, Showa Co., Ltd., the company that operates co-Trip, suggested holding it digitally.
A summer stamp rally to enjoy Okayama's fruit
Was there a particular reason for holding the stamp rally in summer?
Sugioka
We wanted people to enjoy Okayama's fruit.
When we considered the best time to enjoy Okayama's fruit, we agreed that summer was the season when it was in season, and decided to hold the event then.
Discovering something new in Kurashiki through the stamp rally
So, how would you like people to enjoy this stamp rally?
Sugioka
Since the stamp rally takes place in Kurashiki City and Okayama City, we hope you'll spend two days and one night visiting both Kurashiki and Okayama.
Visit a variety of shops through the stamp rally, and we hope you'll also explore the tourist spots you discover along the way.
Makino
The stamp rally itself is free, so I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy it.
And there's more to enjoy than just visiting shops: you can also enter to win great prizes, such as Kurashiki Afternoon Tea gift certificates.
We hope you'll come to Okayama and Kurashiki this summer and leave your everyday cares behind.
From the Writer
Through our interview with Makino and Sugioka of the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, we could sense their hope that the stamp rally would encourage many people to visit Kurashiki and discover its charms.
Whether savoring delicious food, especially fruit, or meeting wonderful people and discovering great products at the shops they find…
As I collected more stamps, I felt that the number of things I love about Kurashiki was growing too.
The stamp rally runs through September 18, 2023.
This summer, why not visit Kurashiki and take part in the stamp rally?
- Photography: Kurashiki Sodachi
co-Trip Okayama-Kurashiki Town Walk Stamp Rally Information
| Name | co-Trip Okayama-Kurashiki Town Walk Stamp Rally |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 15–September 18, 2023 |
| Location | Bikan Historical Area, Okayama City |
| Admission (tax included) | Free (some shops have conditions, such as purchasing a product) |
| Website | co-Trip Okayama-Kurashiki Town Walk Stamp Rally |
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