Japan Auto Camping Federation will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019. It is our great pleasure to host the 89th F.I.C.C. International Rally in this jubilee year.

This will be the third FICC International Rally in Japan after 1983 (Fujiyama/Biwa Lake) and 1994(Hamada), being held for the first time in Tohoku, the northeast region of Japan. Tohoku is known as having the most beautiful nature in Japan where agriculture plays a very important role. Over a long period of history, nature and culture have been harmonized, with the result that there is a huge variety of sightseeing spots which attract a lot of tourists.

The rally will take place in Ten-ei Village that administratively belongs to Fukushima Prefecture which is now fully recovered from the disaster in 2011. Ten-ei Village, located about 220 km northeast of Tokyo, is known as one of the best production areas of rice and rice wine (sake). It has a big lake called Hatoriko and its surrounding area called Hatoriko Highland is our rally venue where rally participants can enjoy all kinds of leisure activities such as trekking, fishing and hot spring (Onsen).

We welcome campers from all over the world to Ten-ei Village to enjoy the beautiful scenery, delicious food and contact with local people during the Hatoriko Rally.

The Japan Autocamping Federation (JAC) is the host and organizer of the 89th International F.I.C.C. Rally that will bring the world’s campers, caravanners and motorcaravanners to the beautiful Ten-ei Village, Iwase-Gun, in the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan in 2019.

Fukushima Prefecture, situated in the southern part of the Tohoku region about 200 kilometres from Tokyo, is the third largest prefecture in Japan. While being close to the nation’s capital, traditional Japanese culture still exists there and the Hama-dori district, located in Eastern Fukushima facing the Pacific Ocean, enjoys a mild and very pleasant climate.

The Naka-dori district is a commercial and industrial area with modern transportation systems that include the Shinkansen Line running north and south through its center, as well as highways and Fukushima Airport. The region began to gain importance in the 9th to 12th centuries as one of the centers of Buddhist culture and several of Fukushima’s temples were erected at this time.

The coastal region traditionally specializes in fishing and seafood industries and is noted for its electric and nuclear power-generating industry, while the upland regions are more focused on agriculture. Thanks to Fukushima’s climate, many different varieties of fruits are grown throughout the year. Fukushima also produces sake thanks to locally grown rice and pure water from mountain run-offs. Some sakes from the region are considered so special that they are served to visiting royalty and world leaders.

It is in this superb natural setting, with Lake Hatori in the foreground and Mt. Futamata towering behind, that this F.I.C.C. International Rally will take place. It is a convenient base for a variety of outdoor activities and there is the added bonus of enjoying the local hot springs as well.

As usual the Organisers are preparing a very special program of activities for campers of all ages that you will certainly enjoy and remember for many years.
I would like to express our sincerest thanks to the sponsors who are supporting this F.I.C.C. Rally and to the organisers, the Japan Autocamping Federation, as well as to all those many volunteers who are helping to prepare this F.I.C.C. Rally.

On behalf of the F.I.C.C., I extend a hearty welcome to you all and hope to see you at this International Rally. I believe that all camping, caravanning and motorcaravanning enthusiasts will return home from this beautiful venue and region with great memories. So let’s enjoy our leisure time together with our many camping friends in Ten-ei Village, Fukushima Prefecture – Japan!
I wish you an unforgettable time in Japan!

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt pleasure and appreciation that the 89th F.I.C.C. International Rally will be held in Ten-ei Village, Fukushima Prefecture. I would also like to thank all the people who have been contributing to make this event happen.

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation for the vast amount of support we have received from people around the world in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power station disaster that occurred in March 2011.

Thanks to support from people all over the world and the dedicated efforts of the people of Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture is steadily making progress towards revitalization. In most parts of the prefecture, people commute to work and school in the same way as before the disaster, consuming and using products produced in the prefecture without worry. However, harmful rumors about Fukushima remain deep-rooted. There are still countries which have not yet lifted import restrictions on agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products produced in Fukushima Prefecture. In addition, it is a fact that despite foreign visitor numbers to Japan are increasing that there are tourists who avoid Fukushima Prefecture.

It is my hope that those of you who have come to participate in this rally will deepen your friendships with each other and with the local people, while enjoying the local hot springs, excursions to Aizu and the Coastal Region, and thus that you will get a full sense of the natural beauty of Fukushima and the warmth of its people.

In addition, I hope that you will enjoy our world renowned local foods. Fukushima has also had the highest number of Gold Award-winning sake brands at the Annual Japan Sake Awards for seven years in a row. I hope you enjoy our finest sake that is the fruits of Fukushima’s rich nature and the efforts of local people. The rally season will be filled with fresh pears and grapes that are also our pride. Lastly, Fukushima is one of the most famous places for rice in Japan with our signature Ten-ei brand, so you can enjoy delicious rice wherever you eat.

I hope that all of you will have a good time in Fukushima during this rally and pass on how much fun you had here and how much you enjoyed Fukushima. Lastly, I would be honored if you could come back and visit Fukushima again someday.

I sincerely look forward to seeing you again.

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt pleasure and appreciation for the 89th FICC International Rally being held in Ten-ei Village, Fukushima Prefecture.

Also I would like to express my gratitude to all the people from around the world for their great support at the occasion of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident that occurred eight years ago.

Thanks to all of you, Fukushima Prefecture has been steadily recovering, and it has become an environment where you can live normally and eat food as well as before the disaster. However, the current situation has not been sufficiently communicated to people abroad, and Fukushima Prefecture still has an image of pollution and safety concerns, and it is very regrettable that the refusal to buy agricultural products and other Fukushima products is still going on.

With the 89th FICC International Rally being held in Fukushima Prefecture in September this year, I hope that everyone from around the world will feel fully aware of “safe and secure Fukushima” and you take a role in seeing, hearing, tasting, taking it back to your home country, and telling it to many people.

In conclusion, Ten-ei village in Fukushima Prefecture is the first municipality recognized as an “environmental kingdom”, and there are many rich products made up of a rich natural climate and clean water. Typical examples are “Ten-ei rice”, which has won the gold award at the Rice and Taste Analysis Appraisal Contest for nine consecutive years, and delicious sake, which has received seven consecutive gold awards from the National New Sake Contest.

We hope that many people will visit Ten-ei Village, look at it, touch it, eat it, and enjoy “the charm of Ten-ei Village” to the fullest. We are sincerely looking forward to your visit.