Anime and manga in Japan

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.

Destinations

• Mitaka. Home to the famed museum showcasing the work of Studio Ghibli. 2020-09-18
• Odaiba. Has a huge store containing Gundam merchandise. In front of the store is a life-sized statue of the unicorn Gundam robot. 2020-09-18
• Tokyo/Shibuya has shops that specialize in anime and manga.

See

Museum

Tōhoku

• Yokote-shi masuda manga museum (横手市増田まんが美術館), 39.204548°, 140.550541°. 2020-11-04
• Ishinomori manga-kan (石ノ森萬画館), 38.429673°, 141.310705°. 2020-11-04 Kanto
• Mitaka no mori gibli museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館), 35.696238°, 139.570440°. 2020-11-04
• Kawasaki-shi Fujiko-F-Fujio museum (川崎市藤子・F・不二雄ミュージアム), 35.609935°, 139.573577°. 2020-11-04
• Toshima-ku tokiwa-sou manga museum (豊島区立トキワ荘マンガミュージアム), 35.724239°, 139.686116°. 2020-11-04
• Tōei animation museum (東映アニメーションミュージアム), 35.752092°, 139.594513°. 2020-11-04 Chubu
• Niigata-shi manga house (新潟市マンガの家), 37.920601°, 139.044762°. 2020-11-04
• Niigata-shi manga anime information centre (新潟市マンガ・アニメ情報館), 37.916183°, 139.053383°. 2020-11-04
• 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), 36.859178°, 136.987358°. 2020-11-04
• Go Nagai wonderland museum (永井豪記念館), 37.396749°, 136.901595°. 2020-11-04 Kinki
• Takarazuka-city Tezuka Osamu memorial house (宝塚市立手塚治虫記念館), 34.807131°, 135.348371°. 2020-11-04
• Kyōto international manga museum (京都国際マンガミュージアム), 35.011858°, 135.759453°. 2020-11-04 Chūgoku
• Aoyama Goushō furusato kan (青山剛昌ふるさと館), 35.498054°, 133.761802°. 2020-11-04
• Igarashi Miyuko museum (いがらしゆみこ美術館), 34.595571°, 133.773986°. 2020-11-04
• Takahashi-shi kibikawakami fureai manga museum (高梁市 吉備川上ふれあい漫画美術館), 34.737129°, 133.483262°. 2020-11-04 Shikoku
• Kami-shi Yanase Takashi memorial house Anpanman museum & poem and marchen picture book house (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), 33.647316°, 133.784660°. 2020-11-04 Kyūshū
• Kitakyūshū-shi manga museum (北九州市漫画ミュージアム), 33.887416°, 130.884990°. 2020-11-04

Figure museum

• Enkei gekijo Kurayoshi figure museum (円形劇場 くらよしフィギュアミュージアム), 35.429273°, 133.815237°. 2020-11-04
• Kaiyōdō figure museum kokuheki ryūyū-kan (海洋堂フィギュアミュージアム黒壁 龍遊館), 35.380060°, 136.266833°. 2020-11-04
• Kaiyōdō shimanto museum (海洋堂 シマント ミュージアム ビレッジ), 33.152815°, 133.045057°. 2020-11-04
• Bankyō figure museum (万協フィギュア博物館), 34.494056°, 136.547710°. 2020-11-04

Other

• Tokyo Skytree Town Campus, 8F solamachi, Tokyo Skytree Town 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 35.710039°, 139.8094502°, +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 2021-01-10

Anime pilgrimages

Anime pilgrimages (聖地巡礼, Seichi-junrei) are trips to locations that became the models for manga and anime. Some smaller cities consider anime pilgrimages as an effective way to boost tourism.

A Certain Magical Index/A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある魔術の禁書目録/とある科学の超電磁砲 Written by Kazuma Kamachi)

• [Tachikawa](https://www.city.tachikawa.lg.jp/kanko/index.html). 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. 2021-02-09
• Papal Palace, Avignon (Palais des Papes), Place du palais des papes, 43.9508°, 4.8075°. 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 (進撃の巨人 Written by Hajime Isayama)

• 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. 2021-01-10
• Oyama Dam (大山ダム), 2008-1 Nishioyama, Oyama Town, Hita City, Oita, 33.243021°, 130.956392°, +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. 2021-01-10

Gundam (Universal Century) (機動戦士ガンダム Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino)

• Sydney. The Australian city known for being the first ever victim of colony drop. Other targets include Mid-Western America, Dublin and Lhasa. 2021-03-15

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Directed by Hayao Miyazaki)

• Dōgo onsen (道後温泉), 5-6 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime, 33.852037°, 132.786409°. 2020-11-04
• Kanagu-ya (金具屋), 2202 Hirao, Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano, 36.734765°, 138.432941°. 2020-11-05

Touhou Project (東方Project, Created by Jun'ya Ota/ZUN)

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.

• [Hakuba](http://www.vill.hakuba.nagano.jp/) (白馬村). The birthplace of Jun'ya Ota/ZUN, also a famed skiing resort in Japan. 2021-02-09
• Joumine Shrine (Okumiya) (城嶺神社 元宮), 17566 Kamishiro, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano, 36.651597°, 137.863334°. 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. 2021-03-16
• 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. 2021-03-15
• 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 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. 2021-07-21
• Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum (小泉八雲記念館 Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan), Okudani-chō 322, +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. (君の名は。Directed by Makoto Shinkai)

• Tateishi kōen (立石公園), 10399 Kamisuwa, Ōuji, Suwa City, Nagano, 36.053489°, 138.122529°. 2020-11-05
• Keta-wakamiya jinja (気多若宮神社), 1297 Kamikita, Furukawa town, Hida City, Gifu, 36.239489°, 137.197848°. 2020-11-05

Yuki Yuna is a Hero (結城友奈は勇者である, Directed by Seiji Kishi)

• [Kanonji](https://www.city.kanonji.kagawa.jp/) (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. 2021-12-04
• Seto Ōhashi Commemorative Park (瀬戸大橋記念公園). A park in Sakaide, Kagawa that offers good view to the 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 2021-12-05
• 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. 2021-12-07

Do

• Universal Studios Japan, 2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 34.665468°, 135.432403°. Events with the theme of anime and manga are frequently held. 2020-11-06
• Ai chikyu haku memorial park (愛・地球博記念公園), 1533-1 Ibaragabasama-otsu, Nagakute City, Aichi, 35.169351°, 137.092829°. The houses of Satsuki and Mei appearing in My Neighbor Totoro are reproduced in the park. In 2022, a Ghibli Park with the theme of Ghibli works will be opened. 2020-11-06
• Fuji-Q Highland (富士急ハイランド), 5-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi, 35.486906°, 138.780551°. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto's Konoha village. 2020-11-06
• 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, 35.830512°, 139.344938°. A park that reproduces the Moominvalley of Moomin, which was originally contributed by Tove Marika Jansson in Finland and animated in Japan. 2020-11-06
• Ningen no mori (ニンゲンノモリ), 2425-2 Kusumoto, Awaji City, Hyogo, 34.575027°, 135.006993°. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto. 2020-11-06

Cosplay

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.

Buy

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

There are restaurants with the theme of anime and manga. Please note that there are many stores for a limited time.

• Pokémon Center TOKYO DX ＆ Pokémon Cafe, 2-11-2 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 35.680622°, 139.774460°. 2020-11-05
• Otaru caffe × Hello Kitty, 1-2-32 Irifune, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido, 43.190364°, 141.007431°. 2020-11-05

Sleep

• EJ Anime Hotel (EJアニメホテル), 3-31-3 Higashitokorozawa, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, 35.797366°, 139.507561°. A hotel located in the "Tokorozawa Sakura Town (ところざわサクラタウン)". EJ of EJ Anime Hotel means Entertainment Japan. It is a hands on hotel that produces the world view of all the content that Japan is proud of in the world, such as animation, games, comics, movies, special effects, idols, etc., with the concept of "Stay with a favorite story". 2020-11-12

Respect

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 pilgrimages-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 (製作委員会). As a result most modern animes are proprietary. Businesses (including guided tours and merchandisers) might need a license to make profit from those franchises. While some franchises are more liberal towards fan works, you should still follow the guidelines given by the original creators and Japanese copyright law.

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.