January, when the cold becomes even more severe.
When you escape the chilly air outside and step into a heated shop, your heart, tense from the cold, begins to relax.
And if there are warm sweets waiting for you, it’s perfect.
Japanese-style sweets such as oshiruko and zenzai.
Western-style sweets such as pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
Just imagining them is enough to make you feel happy.
An event where you can enjoy sweets that satisfy the heart is being held from January 8, 2021.
We asked Mion Takahashi of the Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau, organizer of the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally,” to tell us more about the event.
The information provided was current when this article was published in January 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally”
The “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally” is an event where you visit restaurants in Kurashiki City and collect stamps while enjoying warm sweets.
It is held from January 8 to March 31, 2021.
The event is taking place at 41 shops across Kurashiki City’s Kurashiki, Kojima, Tamashima, and Mabi areas.
▼Check out the list of participating shops here!
| Shop | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bright Showa Retro? Cafe Tsurugata | |
| 2 | Yumiko Igarashi Museum Cafe Princess | |
| 3 | Ote Manju Cafe | |
| 4 | Ozakiya | |
| 5 | Kashidokoro Hirai Sasaoki Branch | |
| 6 | Ohara House Katalyzer | |
| 7 | café dining Ospitare | |
| 8 | Kitchen Mori no Kuma-san | Reservations required (same-day OK) Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 9 | QINOCO -Kinoko- | |
| 10 | Cuore Kurashiki | |
| 11 | Kurashiki Oimatsu 3-chome Cafe Niwa | Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 12 | Kurashiki Coffee | |
| 13 | Kurashiki Station Hotel Setouchi Seafood Cuisine Shirakabe | |
| 14 | Kurashiki Denim Street | |
| 15 | Kurashiki Momoka | |
| 16 | Kurashiki Momoko Kurashiki Main Store | |
| 17 | Koeido Kurashiki Yudori Store | |
| 18 | coffee&more Scarecrow | |
| 19 | Kokoroya | |
| 20 | kobacoffee | |
| 21 | Yumekukan Hashiyama | |
| 22 | Taiyaki Honpo | |
| 23 | Toraiya Honpo | |
| 24 | Trattoria Homemade Soba Musashiya | |
| 25 | 72cafe | |
| 26 | Bizen Ware Gallery Kurashiki Ichiyogama 2F Cafe | |
| 27 | Father Christmas | Limited to 50 servings |
| 28 | Fresco Coffee Kurashiki | |
| 29 | Bunkindo | |
| 30 | Machiya Cafe Miyake Shoten | |
| 31 | Motoya | |
| 32 | Ryori Ryokan Tsurugata | |
| 33 | Isono Yokan Honpo Tanaka Kashodo | |
| 34 | Happy supply cafe spica | Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 35 | Sankan Sake Brewery Direct Sales Shop | |
| 36 | Kashidokoro Hirai Main Store | |
| 37 | Kouchin | |
| 38 | Soba & Galette Cafe Takeda-ya Nanao | |
| 39 | Sora to Hana no Oka Saien Cafe Pongo-no | |
| 40 | Teien Ryokan Bingo-ya | Reservations required (by the day before) |
| 41 | Wohl Wollen |
Enjoy one of the eligible sweets at a participating shop and ask them to stamp your card.
Everyone who collects three stamps and enters will receive an original masking tape.
In addition, 80 people will be selected by lottery to receive a ¥500 voucher redeemable at participating shops.
The stamp card is printed in the event pamphlet.
It can also be downloaded from the event website.
Pamphlets are also available at tourist information centers and participating shops in Kurashiki City.
▼The prizes are as follows.
| Participation prize (everyone) | Special masking tape |
|---|---|
| 80 winners selected by lottery | ¥500 voucher redeemable at participating shops |
The sweets eligible for the event are listed in the pamphlet or on the event website.
You receive one stamp for each sweet.
Once you have collected three stamps, you can enter by placing your card in an entry box at a tourist information center in Kurashiki City, or by affixing ¥63 worth of postage and mailing it.
You can also submit multiple entries, as long as each stamp card has three stamps.
Some shops accept Go To Eat vouchers, while others require reservations, so check the event website before heading out.
▼Entry details are below.
| Event period | January 8–March 31, 2021 (postmarked by April 10, 2021) |
|---|---|
| How to enter | Collect three stamps per postcard, then place it in an entry box at a tourist information center in Kurashiki City or affix ¥63 worth of postage and mail it |
| Winner announcement | Winners will be notified by shipment of their prizes |
A gift for all participants: “Original Masking Tape”
The event’s participation prize is original masking tape.
When we spoke with Takahashi of the Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau, she kindly showed us the masking tape design.
It features a row of charming illustrations of hot sweets, with traditional buildings in the Bikan Historical Area, the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, and other things associated with Kurashiki printed in the background.
The design reflects Takahashi’s affection for sweets and the city of Kurashiki.
It is not for sale and can only be obtained through this event.
The inspiration behind the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally”
We spoke with Takahashi of the Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau about the inspiration behind the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally.”
What inspired you to plan the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally”?
Takahashi (name honorific omitted)
The effects of COVID-19 continued into 2021, making it difficult to travel far or take trips.
As anxiety continued to build during the pandemic, Kurashiki’s streets were quieter than usual, with fewer tourists…
The event came about because we wanted to bring some cheer to Kurashiki.
The “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally” was planned to encourage people living in the city and nearby areas to enjoy visiting cafes and eating sweets, and to help as many people as possible spend a warm, happy time.
The name conveys both the warmth of “HOT” and the feeling of being comforted, or “hotto”.
Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Participating shops are following Kurashiki City’s “Declaration of Commitment to COVID-19 Countermeasures.”
They are working to prevent the spread of infection so that stamp rally participants can visit with peace of mind and enjoy the sweets.
Of course, remember to take precautions against infection when participating in the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally.”
Make sure you are feeling well and wear a mask when visiting shops.
Let’s liven up Kurashiki while keeping everyone safe.
How to enjoy the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally”
Takahashi also told us how to enjoy the “Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally.”
Eligible items for earning stamps include not only food eaten at the shop, but also items available for takeout.
Take them home and warm them in the microwave for a piping-hot treat.
You can enjoy an “at-home cafe” with your family.
We also heard that each shop has its own unique stamp.
We were told that collecting the distinctive stamps is another fun part of the stamp rally.
From the Writer
The event pamphlet features a wide variety of hot sweets.
Looking at the sparkling sweets, it’s impossible to keep your heart from fluttering.
In the winter of 2021, the effects of COVID-19 make it difficult to travel far, but it seems you can still have a wonderful time walking around Kurashiki in search of “hot sweets.”
I, too, will visit cafes in my own neighborhood while taking precautions against infection.
I want to savor these delicious treats until both my heart and stomach are full.
Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally details
| Name | Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally |
|---|---|
| Dates | January 8–March 31, 2021 |
| Location | Kurashiki City (41 participating shops in total: Kurashiki, Mizushima, Kojima, Tamashima, and Mabi areas) |
| Participation fee (tax included) | ¥100–¥1,500 (eligible items and prices vary by shop) |
| Website | Winter Kurashiki Hot Sweets Stamp Rally |
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