This page introduces part of how you can enjoy your hiking passport. How else you enjoy this hiking passport is up to you! You can use it to write out plans or a schedule for your journey, use it as a diary, attach your favorite photos, or use it to press especially pretty fallen leaves.
Table of contents
Gather town stamps
One town stamp showcasing unique points about that area has been set up in each one of the 29 municipalities that the Michinoku Coastal Trail goes through. Visit the places where the town stamps are located and stamp them in your passport as a memento of your journey on foot.
Anyone can also use the stamps on other notebooks/pieces of paper as a souvenir.
Town stamp design by Botaruya
Gather other stamps, and buy special pin badges
Since the Michinoku Coastal Trail passes through 28 municipalities along Tohoku’s Pacific coast, there are 29 unique pin badges.
If you collect the town stamp along with two or more other stamps ※1※2 on that municipality’s page in your passport, you can purchase the town’s pin badge as a keepsake.
Enjoy your journey on foot, gather stamps, and collect the pin badges for each town to remember your time there. Before you know it, you’ll have walked along the whole trail and can enjoy the moving sight of your journey in the form of 29 pin badges.
※1 The two or more other stamps can be original stamps from other facilities near the trail route, or personal seals from store owners or other people you met along the way. Enjoy meeting people on the MCT and gather all the unique stamps you want.
※2 For example, for the Natori City page, you would use the Natori City town stamp and at least two other stamps from some place inside Natori City.
Stamp points
These “stamp points” are places that have prepared stamps for the hiking passport.
See this map, which includes the town stamps as well as other stamps.
See stamp points here (Japanese)
＜Legend＞
- Satellite facilities
- Municipality stamp points
- Stamp points (lodging facilities）
- Stamp points (other facilities)
- Please note that you may not be able to use stamps inside facilities if they’re closed that day
- Also, some lodging facilities may not be able to provide stamps for non-staying guests
For questions about the stamp points, please don’t hesitate to contact us here
How to buy the hiking passport and pin badges
Michinoku Coastal Trail Hiking Passport 990 yen, tax included
The field notebook sized hiking passport can be used to collect stamps, take notes/sketches, and otherwise document your once in a lifetime journey.
※ 5% of the purchase price is a donation for the trail to help support trail maintenance, updating the maps, and more.
Size: 16.5 cm × 9.5 cm
# pages: 80 pages
Weight: 92 grams
Design by: Matoi Creative, LLC
Town pin badges (28 kinds) 440 yen, tax included
The designs on these pin badges showcase the unique scenery, history and/or cultures of the 28 municipalities along the Michinoku Coastal Trail route.
※ 20% of the purchase price is a donation for the trail to help support trail maintenance, updating the maps, and more.
Size: 2.8 cm tall × 2.2 cm wide
Weight: 4 grams
Where and how to buy hiking passport and pin badges
Online Shop TRAIL GATE
To online shopWe can also handle payment via email and send pin badges to addresses within Japan if you send photo(s) of the stamps you’ve collected ※
※That town’s stamp + two or more other stamps from the same town
- Please send an email with picture(s) of your stamps and the name of the town you want to buy a pin badge or pin badges for.
Email to: info@m-tc.org (Approved Specified Non-profit Organization Michinoku Trail Club)
Subject line: ピンバッジの購入 - We will send an email for payment within a week of receiving your email.
- Please fill out your address and payment information from the link in the email sent to you.
- We will send the pin badge or badges within a week of receiving your order.
Satellite facilities
- Hiking passports and pin badges will be available for sale at MCT hiking facilities.
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To buy the pin badges, show staff the relevant page(s) for the town pin badges you want to purchase to show you’ve gathered the necessary stamps※
※That area’s town stamp, plus at least two other stamps - There are also original stamps at each satellite facility.
- Tanesashi Coast Information Center
14-167 Aza Tanakubo, Samemachi, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture - Kitayamazaki Visitor Center
129-10 Kitayama, Tanohata Village, Shimohei-gun, Iwate Prefecture - Jodogahama Visitor Center
32-69 Hitachihamamachi, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture - Goishi Coast Information Center
Ohama, Massakicho, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture - Minamisanriku Marine Visitor Center
21-1 Sakamoto, Tokura, Minamisanriku Town, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi Prefecture - Michinoku Coastal Trail Natori Trail Center
3-12-1 Yuriage Higashi, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture
Inquiries
Approved Specified Non-profit Organization Michinoku Trail Club
Inside Michinoku Coastal Trail Natori Trail Center
3-12-1 Yuriage Higashi, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture 981-1204
Tel. +81-22-398-6181
Fax +81-22-398-6182
E-mail info@m-tc.org