Eki Stamp Your Way Through Japan Train Routes

Each time I visit Japan, I am accompanied by a few lists and at least one new obsession with their culture. In the past, there were engraved chopsticks, Daruma Dolls, and Ekiben. This time, it was the Eki stamp.

Eki Stamp To Wa?

_{Eki stamp (駅スタンプ, train station stamp) is a free collectible rubber ink stamp that is found at many train stations in Japan. Their designs typically feature imagery emblematic of the station’s associated city or the surrounding area, such as landmarks, mascots, and locally produced goods – Wikipedia.}

I got to know about the Eki stamp recently while doing research on where to get my next Goshuincho (temple seal — another obsession. I will write more about it soon) from Japan. It was first introduced 79 years ago at Fukui train station. It was a government initiative encouraging local tourism, especially targeting youngsters. But like most things in Japan, it’s fun and kawaii. It has also become a local obsession, combining the two things Japanese love: stamps and trains.

I remember seeing the Eki stamp stand in Japanese train stations during my Japan trip. Maybe in Hokkaido in passing. But it was not until I fell into the Eki stamp rabbit hole one fine Sunday that I wanted to start my own collection.

The best thing about the Eki stamp is that it’s FREE, unique to the station, and usually has beautiful details decrypting the area. It also makes a great souvenir for Japanophiles or fellow train nerds.

Also, as a self-proclaimed train nerd, how can I not collect Eki Stamp??

Where to Find Eki Stamp?

You can find the stamp stand in almost any major train station in Japan. But since the Japanese train station has multiple exits, a little research on which exit it’s located in beforehand will save you a lot of time. Otherwise, you can also ask the friendly train station staff to direct you to it. And there are more than nine thousand train stations all over Japan (77 JR lines in Tokyo itself), so this, my friend, can surely be a lifelong hobby even if you live in Japan.

excuse me, Where is the train station (eki) stamp?

sumimasen, Eki no hanko doko desuka?

You can also find stamps in ferry ports, airports, and tourist attractions. Though it’s not necessarily an Eki stamp, they can be treated similarly. At least, I do, since I added the Toyusu Fish Market stamp to my Eki stamp book.

Ps. I read the Eki stamp trend has spread to Taipei too.

How to Collect Eki Stamp?

You can put the stamp anywhere (avoid face or passport). The common practice is to stamp it on any book, kept only to collect such stamps. I have tried it on my medium-sized Moleskin, and it looked splendid.

You can get an actual Eki Stamp book if you want to be extra. It’s a 50+ pages book, with a place to put the stamp, date and note section on each page. Guess who went to four bookstores in Tokyo, including Tokyuhands searching for it. When I was about to give up (hence stamping it on the Moleskin), I found it in the Foreign Book section at the very end of Shinjuku Kinokuniya’s first floor. Two colours, blue and red, each sold for ¥650.

Using an actual Eki stamp book might feel more special for some. But if you don’t care much about it, as I said, you can use any book. By the end of the Japan trip, I used my Midori travel book, which I got as a 10th-year anniversary gift, to collect the stamps.

Btw, if you are not sure about cultivating this new hobby, most Eki stamp stands in the train station have a stack of loose papers on it that you can use to stamp and take back with you. It also can be used on the days you forget your stamp book and as a separator between your freshly inked stamp page and an empty page on your book.

Special Occasions Eki Stamp

There are seasonal, limited editions and occasion-based stamps, which bring the stamping hobby to another new level. I managed to get the 2020 New Year Eki stamp from the Oshiage train station. It remains my favourite stamp I have collected so far.

Train Nerd United!

Chasing Eki stamps is a travel-time-consuming hobby, which is why so far, I have only collected a few stamps on my last Japan trip. I think it’s best done when you travel solo or as a group with the same obsession. I failed to convince Fafa to get into the Tetchan (Japanese train-nerd) groove, but I am sure I can easily convenience my best friends when we travel to Japan next time.

One of my travel dreams is to travel around Japan solely by train and collect train stamps for each of the 47 prefectures. Stamp me crazy, I don’t care!

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