Train lines operated by Japan Railway form the backbone of public transportation infrastructure in Japan. They traverse the entire country, and have made life more convenient and helped society grow for 150 years. In fact, they are so integral to daily life that people often take them for granted.

To address this issue, we were asked to develop a campaign that would reconnect Japan Railway with its customers in a personal way. Despite the fact that Japan is a small island nation, only 6% of Japanese have visited all 47 prefectures.

So our objectives were twofold: 1) to maximise interest in domestic travel that had grown after the pandemic and encourage people to visit Japan's scenic attractions, and 2) to inject an element of fun into rail travel and engage people in an interactive activity that enabled them to create their own personal "My Japan Railway".

The tradition of collecting woodcut-style stamped images in a travel scrapbook has a long history in Japan. It traces its origins to the nation’s shrines and temples, where visitors can have the official “seal” of a shrine or temple stamped into a travel scrapbook as a way to commemorate their visit. The collection of such stamps is something of a national passion, and “stamp rallies” have become a popular way to encourage people to visit all of the points of interest at travel destinations.

Our campaign was conceived from the insight that we could leverage this traditional stamp rally culture and national affinity for stamp collecting to communicate with customers in an interactive way.

[Billboards]

I wonder what the land beyond this mountain looks like.

I wonder what lies beyond the sea.

How has travel changed, between the ancient past and the world of today?

Travel makes us wonder about things like this.

The varied nature, animals, regional cuisine, architecture, people and more.

We take inspiration from new sights and experiences.

Today, too, we hope you will encounter a Japan you have never known before.

[Book]

Departing soon.

The first day of railway. A new chapter in history.

Every story begins and ends at the stations.

Mountains are strong backbones of this country.

Train is time machine.

Note: The stamps show the stations near the heritage sites.

Many animals welcome us throughout the journey.

Gods live all over Japan and greet us.

Note: The stamps show TORIIs, the gates of shrines in Japan.

They are local idols.

Note: The stamps show the idols literally. And in Japan, there are many idols dancing and singing in local areas. So when we say “local idols” with these stamps, you see nice double-meaning here.

Get aboard to make your dreams come true.

Note: The stamps show EMAs, the plates you write down your wishes and dedicate them to the shrines in Japan.

They are known as great people. And our mentors.

Peaceful is beautiful.

Mysterious creatures are tremendous supporters for Japan.

Welcome to the country of festivals.

There is nothing on the ocean but horizon.

Dive into the world of autumn.

Just like that, Winter comes here.

Onsen is oasis in travel.

Note: Onsen means hot spring being treated as oasis since ancient times in Japan.

No national flower in Japan. Too many great flowers to choose.

A country of rice is a country of noodles.

More you eat, more you find what you want to eat.

There is My Mt. Fuji. And your Mt. Fuji.

Meet Japanese citizens under the water.

Japanese waters run deep.

Walk more. Explore more.

Catch the view you’ve never seen before.

It's time to pass the baton from the sun to the moon.

Vista can be made by human and nature.

200 km circle. 4000000 years history.

ETO all-stars.

Note: ETO means zodiac in Japanese.

Cheering here and there.

Green covers over half of this country.

Timeless crafts are countless in Japan.

Note: Timeless craft means traditional craft in Japanese.

Man cannot live without culture.

Where are we going today?

For the next 150 years, we will keep travelling with you.

Before the opening of the railway, Shinagawa was a calm place.

The rare turntable that was active at the rail yard.

The first Station Stamp in history

The vendor is no longer there, but we remember the taste.

The station that connected land and sea.

Debut of the West Kyushu Shinkansen "Kamome."

Stations present and past, remembered in our hearts.

Even in areas without rails, we are one.

Note: We also created a stamp even in areas without railway tracks.

To replicate the look and texture of traditional Japanese woodblock printing—and to emphasise the historic nature of the role that railways have played in Japan—we deliberately chose to work with a restricted colour palette of just six colours. And for the stamp designs, we used only simple letterforms and graphic elements that could actually be reproduced in analogue form on wooden or rubber stamps.

Although the medium of stamp delivery was digital, our designs had a warm, handcrafted look that evoked nostalgia for the past and a sense of human connection that directly supported the psychology of the brand-customer relationship the campaign sought to create.