Finding eki stamps across Japan is a fun way to commemorate your own individual trip, plus it’s completely free!
I’ve been collecting stamps across Japan since I discovered them on my first trip to Japan in 2018. Since then, my stamp book always comes with me in my day bag, just in case we come across any new stamps. You can see some of my favourites on my Instagram here.
In this guide, I’ll share how to find them and some extra tips on how to create your own eki stamp collection on your next trip to Japan.
Where to Find Stamps in Japan?
Stamps can be found pretty much anywhere in Japan. Once you start to notice them, you’ll start seeing them everywhere!
Train stations (and metro stations) are some of the most popular ones, and there usually is a booth or table with the stamps located outside the ticket gate or in the waiting area. At larger stations, they can sometimes be found elsewhere. Sometimes, they are a bit tricky to find, but part of the fun is hunting them down.
Sometimes, the eki stamps are kept behind counters at the ticket office or information centre. If this is the case, you can ask the staff, “Sutampu ga arimasu ka?” which translates to “Is there a stamp?”. This can happen pretty much anywhere. In the past, we had to ask for the stamp at Kurashiki Station, as it wasn’t out on a table, but the station staff happily handed them to us after asking.
If you really can’t find them, you can use the Stamp Funakiya website. They have all the stamps listed, with the location. But as they also show you the design of the stamp, it may ruin the surprise a little. Plus, finding them yourself really is part of the game!
Tons of places in Japan have stamps, and new ones are popping out of the ground what seems like every day. You can find stamps at (but not limited to):
- Museums
- Onsen (Kinosaki Onsen, for example, has a stamp rally around the seven public bathhouses in the town)
- Popular landmarks
- Tourist information centres (even if they don’t have stamps themselves, they sometimes have a map of where to find stamps around the city or town).
- Airports
- Parks and gardens
- Castles
- Ropeways
- Observation decks
- Highway rest stops
- Hotels
- Theme parks
- Shops (sometimes shops hold special stamp rallies for a certain promotion).
If you happen to find any cool ones or want to do some more research, you can check out our Japan Stamp Facebook Group. We have nearly 100,000+ members sharing the stamps they found!
How to Ask for Stamps (In Japanese)
If you can’t find the stamp or you want to ask a member of staff about stamps, you can use the following sentences:
- Sutampu ga arimasu ka? (Is there a stamp?)
- Sutampu wa doko desu ka? (Where is the stamp?)
About Special Layered Stamps
During certain stamp rallies, you can find special stamps that come in different layers. By adding each layer, the full picture will slowly be revealed. Often, the layers are different colours.
You usually get a separate sheet for this, one that fits perfectly in the stamp frame. I would recommend using the dedicated sheets that are provided instead of using your own notebook, as the layered stamps only work if you line them up perfectly. You can then always add the separate sheet to your notebook afterwards.
What Stamp Book do I Need for Eki Stamps?
To start collecting stamps, you can use any notebook or piece of paper. It’s best to get a notebook without lines that is at least A6 size. Stamp sizes depend on what type of stamp you find, but generally, eki stamps are about 8/9cm by 8/9cm.
As there are tons of stationery shops in Japan, you’ll easily be able to pick one up. I got my first one from LOFT. It wasn’t a specific stamp book, but a regular, plain notebook with thick enough paper so the ink wouldn’t bleed through.
Some places have some pieces of paper next to the stamp, but it’s not super common, so it’s best to bring your own notebook. Plus, having them all in a notebook is the best way to create a special memento from your trip.
It’s also a good idea to bring a spare piece of paper to put behind the page you’re stamping, as some stamps are quite wet and could ruin the next page (it has happened to me!). Extra paper can also help you try out the stamp before putting it in your notebook, just to see how hard you have to stamp to get the full design.
What is a Stamp Rally?
There are special stamp rallies that you can join, too. They are often limited-time events, where you can pick up a paper, flyer or booklet with spaces for stamps, which you can then collect in a certain area.
Rallies are usually part of some sort of promotion. This could be to highlight a special seasonal promotion, a festival, highlighting a different part of a Prefecture or town, or a rally focusing on certain characters.
You can search on Google (スタンプラリ + location + current year) to see if there are any currently happening. Our Facebook Group also highlights any current rallies that are going on.
Usually, they are free, but some come at a small fee of a few hundred yen just to get the official booklet. You can obviously also just use your own stamp book instead of the rally booklet/paper, unless there are any rewards you can get for filling out the flyer (which is sometimes the case).
What’s the Difference Between Eki and Goshuin Stamps?
I wanted to quickly highlight the difference between eki souvenir stamps and goshuin.
Goshuin are calligraphy seals you can collect at temples and shrines as proof that you’ve visited them. They often cost around ¥300–500 and are usually handwritten by the shrine or temple staff.
To “collect” goshuin, you need a special book called goshuincho. You can buy these at most temples that offer goshuin, but you can also get them at certain stationery and souvenir shops.
It’s very important to keep your eki stamps and goshuin stamps in separate books. Goshuin are part of a religion, and it’s very much frowned upon to put other, non-religious stamps in the same notebook.
Extra Tips for Stamping (& Etiquettes)
I’ve listed a few extra tips and things to keep in mind while collecting the souvenir stamps in Japan here:
- Do NOT refill the ink pad with your own ink. Even if you think it’s the same colour, it may be slightly different and ruin the stamp pad for others who want to use it afterwards. If the stamp pad is dry, it’s best to ask a member of staff (if available) to refill it for you.
- Always close the lid of the ink pad once you’re done, so it doesn’t dry out for the next person.
- Don’t press too hard to avoid breaking or damaging the stamps.
- Don’t stamp your actual passport (I have seen someone do it in Japan, but doing this will invalidate your passport! Only use a notebook or sheets of paper for collecting stamps)
- Don’t mix and match eki stamps and goshuin seals in the same notebook. Goshuin stamps should be put in special goshuincho books, and you shouldn’t put eki stamps in them.
- Bring your stamp book EVERYWHERE. You’d be surprised at the number of places that offer stamps, even when you don’t expect them. If you get an A6 book, pop it in your backpack or day bag, even if you only head out for dinner after a rest in the hotel. You never know where you end up, and you never know if they have a stamp ;).
- Share your stamps with our Facebook community if you find any cool ones!
- There is also an app for collecting digital stamps called EKITAG, but it doesn’t quite hit the same spot as collecting the physical stamps, in my opinion.
Happy stamping!
