Thoughts Behind the Stamp Rally: Interview with Makino and Sugioka from Kurashiki City Tourism Division
While collecting stamps, you can fully enjoy the sights of Kurashiki and Okayama with the Kotori Trip Okayama and Kurashiki Walking Stamp Rally.
Interview with Hiroki Makino and Reina Sugioka from the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, who are organizing this project.
We interviewed the two of them.
Background of the Kotori Trip Stamp Rally
What led to the organization of this stamp rally?
Makino
It all started with a booklet created in collaboration with Kotori Trip.
The organizing Okayama and Kurashiki Tourism Promotion Council targets women in their 20s and 30s from the Kansai and Tokyo metropolitan areas.
This demographic matches the target audience of Kotori Trip.
Since there were fans of Kotori Trip among the members of the Okayama and Kurashiki Tourism Promotion Council, a discussion arose in 2021 about wanting to create an Okayama and Kurashiki version with the editorial team of Kotori Trip.
From there, collaboration with Kotori Trip began.
We thought that simply placing it in tourist information centers might not reach the target audience, so in 2022, we held an event called "Kotori Trip Traveling Café Okayama and Kurashiki" in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Following that, in 2023, we planned this event, which involves a stamp rally visiting stores featured in the Kotori Trip booklet.
When we created the booklet in 2021, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so people couldn't actually visit.
Therefore, we planned a stamp rally to encourage people to visit the stores.
From July 15 to July 31, 2023, we held a stamp rally and a panel exhibition of model plans for touring both cities at Tsutaya Bookstore in Umeda, Osaka.
Walking Around Town Using Digital Tools
This stamp rally is "digital." What are the key features?
Makino
The key point is the ease of use.
The target demographic of 20s to 30s is precisely the smartphone generation.
When they look at the map to find a store, it should quickly show where they are and how to get to that store.
Additionally, using digital tools has advantages not only for the users but also for the organizers.
For the organizers, using paper media incurs costs for storage and data entry, but digital tools can reduce these costs.
For these reasons, Shobunsha, the company that operates Kotori Trip, suggested going digital.
Enjoying Okayama's Fruits in Summer with the Stamp Rally
Is there a reason for holding the stamp rally in summer?
Sugioka
It's because we want people to enjoy Okayama's fruits.
When we discussed when is the best time to enjoy Okayama's fruits, we concluded that the peak season is summer, and that’s when we decided to hold the event.
New Encounters with Kurashiki through the Stamp Rally
How would you like people to enjoy this stamp rally?
Sugioka
Since we are holding the walking stamp rally in Kurashiki City and Okayama City, we hope you will take a two-day trip to visit both Kurashiki and Okayama.
We want participants to visit various stores through the stamp rally and, as a result, explore the tourist spots they discover along the way.
Makino
The stamp rally itself is free to enjoy, so we hope people will participate casually.
Additionally, it’s not just about visiting stores; there are also luxurious prizes to win, such as vouchers for Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, which adds to the fun.
We hope that this summer, people can blow away their daily fatigue by visiting Okayama and Kurashiki.
Conclusion
Through the interview with Makino and Sugioka from the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, we felt their strong desire for many people to visit Kurashiki and discover its charm through the stamp rally.
Whether it’s enjoying delicious gourmet food represented by fruits or encountering wonderful people and products at the stores they discover...
As the number of stamps collected increases, I personally felt that my favorite aspects of Kurashiki also grew.
The stamp rally will be held until September 18, 2023.
I hope this summer, people will take the opportunity to visit Kurashiki through this stamp rally.
- Photography: Kurashiki Sodachi
Data on the Kotori Trip Okayama and Kurashiki Walking Stamp Rally
| Name | Kotori Trip Okayama and Kurashiki Walking Stamp Rally |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 15, 2023 – September 18, 2023 |
| Location | Bikan Historical Area, Okayama City |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free (some stores may have conditions such as purchasing products) |
| Website | Kotori Trip Okayama and Kurashiki Walking Stamp Rally |
