Enjoy the "Fossil Town Tour" from Golden Week to Summer Vacation! The 3rd Minamisanriku Town Fossil Stamp Rally Held

Background of the Event Minamisanriku Town is an area where fossils from over 250 million years ago are produced. Japan's first "Nautiloid fossil" and the world's oldest "Ichthyosaur fossil" have been discovered here, and paleontologists still visit the area for research. In 2024, two new species of fossils were reported. The town offers fossil excavation experiences (irregularly) on weekends and holidays excluding winter, and this experience is highly popular among families and fossil enthusiasts.

What is the Fossil Stamp Rally? The "Fossil Stamp Rally" is a "Fossil" x "Stamp Rally" project, now in its 3rd year. This year, the event will be held during Golden Week to summer vacation. Participants will visit various spots in Minamisanriku Town and collect stamps of "ancient creatures" actually discovered in the town. By filling the stamp rally book, a fossil encyclopedia will be completed.

This event is the 3rd installment, and some of the previous content has been reviewed and updated to allow more visitors to enjoy it.

As a main change, the stamp impression locations have been reviewed and configured to further enhance tourism within the town. This allows participants to experience the diverse charms of the region while touring widely within Minamisanriku Town.

In addition, as a new initiative, for those who stay overnight in the town, we have prepared "exclusive benefits only available here" in addition to the usual benefits. This aims to promote stay-type tourism that involves overnight stays, not just day trips.

See details

Event Details <Implementation Period> May 2, 2026 (Sat) - August 31, 2026 (Mon)

<How to Participate> Free participation Obtain a stamp book placed at stamp spots

<Stamp Spots / 10 Locations> - Utatsu General Branch Fossil Exhibition Room - Utatsu Ichthyosaur Fossil Site - WHITE SHIP / Maruara - Sacho Shoten - ENEOS Ito-ya Shizugawa Inter SS - Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo - Minamisanriku YES Kobo - Iriya Hachimangu Shrine - Minamisanriku Sea Visitor Center - Kamiwarizaki Campground

<Prize Redemption Point> Minamisanriku Portal Center (within Roadside Station San-san Minamisanriku)

Prize Information (Image) "Sparkling Fossil Sticker" - First 700 people - Condition: Obtain one stamp from each of 3 areas out of the 4 areas: Utatsu, Shizugawa, Iriya, and Tokura. - Note: The image is for illustration purposes only; the actual item will be a hologram sticker. (Image) "Fossil Acrylic Keychain" - First 450 people - Condition: Obtain 8 out of 10 types of stamps. (Image) "Fossil Can Badge" - First 300 people - Condition: Post a purchased product or used service from a spot on SNS with the specified hashtags. - Specified Hashtags: #Minamisanriku #FossilStampRally (Image) "Genuine Fossil from the Town" - First 100 people (※Up to 1 per group) - Condition: Stay at an eligible accommodation and obtain an accommodation verification stamp. - Note: Eligible accommodations will be listed on the official website.

Contact for this matter Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association (Attn: Yu Kikuchi) Email: [email protected]

You can view a list of press releases from the Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/searchrlp/company_id/32102

Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association Official SNS Accounts X (@MSkankou): https://twitter.com/MSkankou Instagram (@mskankou): https://www.instagram.com/mskankou/ Facebook (@minamisanriku): https://www.facebook.com/minamisanriku

About Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association <https://www.m-kankou.jp/> The Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association was established in 2009. It aims to utilize the cultural, social, and economic characteristics of Minamisanriku Town and its surrounding areas to promote tourism, introduce and publicize tourist destinations and products, promote the improvement of tourist facilities, and enhance the quality of tourism-related personnel, thereby contributing to the improvement of local living culture and the development of the industrial economy. It conducts business to achieve these objectives.