Nintendo’s New Animal Crossing Summer Travel Campaign Invites Fans to Explore Japan’s Hokkaido Region
Nintendo has announced a large-scale summer celebration themed around Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bringing together travel experiences, shopping events, themed attractions, and exclusive merchandise across Japan’s Hokkaido region.
The campaign features three major attractions designed to encourage fans to explore the country’s northernmost region, including a railway stamp rally in partnership with JR Hokkaido, a special event at New Chitose Airport, and a Nintendo pop-up store experience in Sapporo.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons originally launched on Nintendo Switch in 2020 and quickly became one of Nintendo’s most successful games, allowing players to create and customize their own island paradise alongside a cast of memorable animal villagers.
The Hokkaido campaign takes inspiration from the game’s spirit of exploration and community, encouraging visitors to travel between destinations while collecting stamps, discovering themed displays, and enjoying exclusive merchandise.
One of the largest attractions is the “Animal Crossing: New Horizons x JR Hokkaido Train Stamp Rally,” which invites participants to visit 13 stations across central Hokkaido and collect villager-themed stamps placed at each location.
Participating stations include Sapporo, Naebo, Shiroishi, Shinrin-Koen, Nopporo, Soen, Shinkotoni, Eniwa, New Chitose Airport, Tomakomai, Otaru-Chikko, Teine, and Hassamu.
Each station will feature unique character panels and posters, while visitors who collect stamps can enter prize drawings for original campaign merchandise.
Applications for the prize lottery will be accepted until entries received by October 18.
As part of the railway collaboration, one Rapid Airport train set operating between Otaru, Sapporo, and New Chitose Airport will receive a special Animal Crossing: New Horizons exterior design during the campaign period.
New Chitose Airport will also host the “Gather ‘Round Hokkaido Airport Island – Animal Crossing Pop-Up Event in New Chitose Airport” inside the Domestic Terminal Building’s second-floor Center Plaza.
Visitors will find themed photo opportunities inspired by Dodo Airlines and locations designed to recreate the feeling of visiting an island from the game.
The venue will offer exclusive airport merchandise alongside Animal Crossing products typically available through Nintendo’s official stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.
Guests can also participate in a target-shooting style attraction using a pachinko launcher, with every participant receiving a venue-exclusive soft glider.
GPS check-in activities using the Nintendo Store smartphone application will reward visitors with a limited event-exclusive sticker while supplies last.
A separate Animal Crossing-themed experience titled “Nintendo POP-UP STORE in SAPPORO: Gather ‘Round Daimaru Department Store Island” will be hosted at Daimaru Sapporo.
Decorations at the venue will include a large Dodo Airlines airplane balloon, displays featuring villagers, a recreation of Timmy and Tommy’s Nook’s Cranny, themed resort-inspired scenery based on Kapp’n’s family, and capsule toy areas designed to resemble the trees seen in-game.
In addition to Animal Crossing merchandise, visitors will also find selected products from other Nintendo franchises including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Pikmin.
New Animal Crossing products are also planned for release during the event.
The Nintendo Store GPS check-in promotion will also be available at the Sapporo venue, offering another opportunity to obtain a limited-edition sticker while supplies last.
Visitors who collect stamps from four JR Hokkaido rally stations and then visit the Daimaru event will qualify for a participation gift.
Guests who travel to the venue using limited express train services booked through Ekinet will also be eligible for the same reward program.
Beyond the major events, a separate retail campaign will run at participating game retailers across Hokkaido.
Customers who purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 system or Animal Crossing-related merchandise totaling at least ¥3,300 (approx. $23 USD/ £18 GBP) will receive a commemorative acrylic keychain while supplies last.
Participating retailers include Aeon, Aeon Style, Edion, GEO, Kojima, Toys”R”Us, Don Quijote, MEGA Don Quijote, Bic Camera, Yamada Denki Group, Yodobashi Camera, Furuhon Ichiba, Furuichi, and participating Game TSUTAYA stores.
The Animal Crossing x JR Hokkaido Stamp Rally and themed Rapid Airport train will operate from July 17 through October 12, 2026.
The New Chitose Airport pop-up event will run from July 25 to August 30, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
The Nintendo POP-UP STORE in SAPPORO will be held at Daimaru Sapporo from August 14 to September 6, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
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