Anime and manga are perhaps Japan's biggest pop cultural exports to the world. Anime refers to Japan's hand-drawn and computer animation industry while manga refers to Japanese comics and graphic novels. Anime and manga are popular around the world, and are a major drawcard for many travellers visiting Japan.
Understand[edit]
Terminology[edit]
In Japanese, the words anime (アニメ) and manga (Kanji:
Destinations[edit]
- Mitaka. Home to the famed museum showcasing the work of Studio Ghibli.
- Odaiba. Has a huge store containing Gundam merchandise. In front of the store is a life-sized statue of the unicorn Gundam robot.
- Tokyo/Shibuya has shops that specialize in anime and manga.
- Tokyo/Nakano. Upper floors of Nakano Broadway building are packed with anime/manga related shops.
See[edit]
Museum[edit]
Tōhoku
- 1 Yokote Masuda Manga Museum (
横手 市 増田 まんが美術館 ). - 2 Ishinomori manga-kan (
石ノ森 萬 画 館 ).
Kanto
- 3 Mitaka no mori gibli museum (
三鷹 の森 ジブリ美術館 ). - 4 Kawasaki-shi Fujiko-F-Fujio museum (
川崎 市 藤子 ・F・不二雄 ミュージアム). - 5 Toshima-ku tokiwa-sou manga museum (
豊島 区立 トキワ荘 マンガミュージアム). - 6 Tōei animation museum (
東映 アニメーションミュージアム).
Chubu
- 7 Niigata-shi manga house (
新潟 市 マンガの家 ). - 8 Niigata-shi manga anime information centre (
新潟 市 マンガ・アニメ情報 館 ). - 9 Himi-shi shiokaze gallery Fujiko Fujio (A) art collection (
氷見 市 潮風 ギャラリー藤子 不二雄 (A)アートコレクション). - 10 Go Nagai wonderland museum (
永井豪 記念 館 ). The building was destroyed by fire after the Noto Peninsula earthquake Jan 2024. Most things survived the fire in a fire-proof storing room.
Kinki
- 11 The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (
宝塚 市立 手塚 治虫 記念 館 ). - 12 Kyōto international manga museum (
京都 国際 マンガミュージアム).
Chūgoku
- 13 Aoyama Goushō furusato kan (
青山 剛 昌 ふるさと館 ). - 14 Yumiko Igarashi museum (いがらしゆみこ
美術館 ). - 15 Takahashi-shi kibikawakami fureai manga museum (
高梁 市 吉備 川上 ふれあい漫画 美術館 ).
Shikoku
- 16 Kami-shi Yanase Takashi memorial house Anpanman museum & Poem and Marchen gallery (
香美 市立 やなせたかし記念 館 アンパンマンミュージアム&詩 とメルヘン絵本 館 ). Museum for the manga artist of Anpanman fame. "Poem and Marchen" was a magazine he served as the editor in chief.
Kyūshū
- 17 Kitakyūshū-shi manga museum (
北九州 市 漫画 ミュージアム).
Figure museum
- 18 Enkei gekijo Kurayoshi figure museum (
円形 劇場 くらよしフィギュアミュージアム). - 19 Kaiyōdō figure museum kurokabe ryūyū-kan (
海洋 堂 フィギュアミュージアム黒 壁 龍 遊 館 ). - 20 Kaiyōdō shimanto museum (
海洋 堂 シマント ミュージアム ビレッジ). - 21 Bankyō figure museum (
万 協 フィギュア博物館 ).
Other
- 22 Tokyo Skytree Town Campus, 8F solamachi, Tokyo Skytree Town 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, ☏ +81 3-6658-5888. 10:30-18:00. Future experience space of Chiba Institute of Technology. The full-scale MACROSS Frontier "Valkyrie VF-25F" is on display. Free.
Anime pilgrimages[edit]
Anime pilgrimages (
On the other hand, visiting general residential areas or places not intended for tourists might be a nuisance. Please be considerate of the neighbors when visiting.
A Certain Magical Index/A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある
- 23 Tachikawa. The city is the model of the Toaru series' main stage, Academy City, with elements from the monorail to parks being used in the anime. Though, apart from enjoying the similarity of street sceneries, Tachikawa is generally a satellite city of Tokyo.
- 24 Papal Palace, Avignon (Palais des Papes), Place du palais des papes. The palace where the Popes of Avignon ruled during a period when the Papacy was divided, with a Pope in Rome and another in Avignon. The Papal Palace is a key location during the Document of Constantine Arc of A Certain Magical Index III.
Attack on Titan (
- Attack on Titan in HITA -Attack on Hita-, Hita City, Oita, ☏ +81 973-27-5041. The creator of Attack on Titan: A project in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, the birthplace of Hajime Isayama.
- 25 Oyama Dam (
大山 ダム), 2008-1 Nishioyama, Oyama Town, Hita City, Oita, ☏ +81 973-52-2445. Statues of Eren, Mikasa and Armin are set up in front of the dam wall, reminiscent of the world of the work.
Gundam (Universal Century) (
- 26 Sydney. The Australian city known for being the first ever victim of colony drop. Other targets include Mid-Western America, Dublin and Lhasa.
Spirited Away (
- 27 Dōgo onsen (
道後 温泉 ), 5-6 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime. - 28 Kanagu-ya (
金具 屋 ), 2202 Hirao, Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano.
Touhou Project (
Despite neither an anime nor a manga but rather a bullet-hell video game, the game has widespread influence among Japanese pop culture through doujin works, and there is a few animated works and countless doujin comics about the series.
- 29 Hakuba (
白馬 村 ). The birthplace of Jun'ya Ota/ZUN, also a famed skiing resort in Japan. - 30 Joumine Shrine (Motomiya) (
城 嶺 神社 元宮 ), 17566 Kamishiro, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano. A small Shinto shrine in Hakuba believed to be the real-life facade of the fictional Hakurei Shrine in Gensyoko. Note that the shrine is quite unnoticed and remote even on a local standard, and locals may not even know the shrine's existence, so you may need some time to find it. - 31 Suwa-taisha (
諏訪 大社 ). A group of Shinto shrines in Nagano, which is the real-life basis of the Moriya Shrine in the series. - 32 Moriya Shrine (
洩 矢神 社 ). A Shinto shrine in Okaya, Nagano, which is the real-life basis of the Moriya Shrine (same pronunciation with different kanji) in the series. It is bigger than Joumine Shrine, and the shrine administration have publicly embraced Touhou fans visiting there. You should find plenty of placards with Suwako (or other Moriya-shrine related character) fan drawings left at there. - 33 Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum (
小泉 八雲 記念 館 Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan), 322 Okudani-chō Matsue city, Shimane, ☏ +81 852 21-2147. Apr-Sep 08:30-18:30, Oct-Mar 08:30-17:00. A museum dedicated to the Irish-Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn who subsequently migrated to Japan and changed his name into Koizumi Yakumo (小泉 八雲 ). Zun admitted that he is related to Yukari Yakumo and Maribel Hearn in the series, and subsequently fueled the fanon that the two character are the same. Adults ¥300, children ¥150, 50% discount for foreigners.
Your Name. (
- 34 Tateishi kōen (
立石 公園 ), 10399 Kamisuwa, Ōuji, Suwa City, Nagano. - 35 Keta-wakamiya jinja (
気 多 若宮 神社 ), 1297 Kamikita, Furukawa town, Hida City, Gifu.
Yuki Yuna is a Hero (
- 36 Kanonji (
観音寺 市 ). The city is the basis of the fictional city of Sanshu in the series, which in reality, is a small city in Kagawa Prefecture. - 37 Seto Ōhashi Commemorative Park (
瀬戸大橋 記念 公園 ). A park in Sakaide, Kagawa that offers good view to the 38 Great Seto Bridge. The park was the headquarters of Taisha in the series, and the bridge was destroyed and left intact for some 300 years since humanity retreated to Shikoku. No admission fee. - 39 Marugame Castle (
丸亀 城 ). A traditional Japanese castle in Marugame, which witnessed the grueling fights of the original heroes in the series' prequel, Nogi Wakaba is a Hero.
Do[edit]
- 1 Universal Studios Japan, 2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka. Events with the theme of anime and manga are frequently held.
- 2 Ai chikyu haku memorial park (
愛 ・地球 博 記念 公園 ), 1533-1 Ibaragabasama-otsu, Nagakute City, Aichi. The houses of Satsuki and Mei appearing in My Neighbor Totoro are reproduced in the park. Now Ghibli Park with the theme of Ghibli works locates in the memorial park site; Phase I part opened in 2022, Phase II part in 2023 and the final Phase III part in March 2024. - 3 Fuji-Q Highland (
富士急 ハイランド), 5-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto's Konoha village. Also, Laid-Back Camp (Yurukyan) goods are sold here. - 4 Tove Jansson Akebono Children's Forest Park (トーベ・ヤンソンあけぼの
子 どもの森 公園 ), 1-893 Azu, Hanno City, Saitama. A park that reproduces the Moominvalley of Moomin, which was originally contributed by Tove Marika Jansson in Finland and animated in Japan. - 5 Nijigen no mori (ニジゲンノモリ ("two dimensional forest")), 2425-2 Kusumoto, Awaji City, Hyogo. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto.
Cosplay[edit]
Cosplay (コスプレ, Cosupure) is hobbies and performances that you can enjoy by changing into anime or manga costumes. There are also shops you can change into a anime or manga costume and shoot.
- 6 Cospatio (コスパティオ), 1-2-7, Soto-kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo (Exit the Electric Town South Exit and walk west. On the other side of the big street). This store sells cosplay clothing and items. You can find most things needed for cosplay here.
Buy[edit]
Tokyo
- Akihabara (
秋葉原 ) is the center of Japanese manga and anime culture. There are various shops from major shops to maniac shops. - Ikebukuro (
池袋 ) is there are women's comics and anime character goods stores.
Osaka
- Nipponbashi (
日本橋 ) is the center of Kansai manga and anime culture.
Eat[edit]
There are restaurants with the theme of anime and manga. Please note that there are many stores for a limited time.
- 1 Pokémon Center TOKYO DX & Pokémon Cafe, 2-11-2 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
- 2 Otaru caffe × Hello Kitty, 1-2-32 Irifune, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido.
Sleep[edit]
Respect[edit]
Many destinations (especially film and literature settings, and current and former celebrity homes) are private property. Some are off limits to the public and intrusion may lead to criminal responsibility. Even in public places that can be legally approached, excessive photography and other anime pilgrimage-related activities might disturb locals. This is especially true in Japan where people are expected to avoid causing troubles to others.
By Japanese copyright law, works of fiction enter public domain 70 years after the author's death, or 50 years after publication in case the work is created by an organization, which is the case for most anime works funded and produced by production committees (
While widely circulated in neighbouring countries, unauthorized fansub is illegal in Japan, even if fansub participants have no intention to make money. While some anime producers condone such acts in order to raise popularity, Japanese police take frequent actions to clamp down unauthorized fansub. Note that claiming fair use is NOT a get-out-of-jail-free card, as the right to translate and redistribute is not included in the right of fair use.