Go Tokyo Your Experience
In recent years, Japan’s tourism industry has seen a new opportunity—“pilgrimages to sacred sites”. This method utilizes scenes from popular animations as a means of tourism promotion, effectively attracting a large number of anime enthusiasts who come to stay and spend locally. This phenomenon is welcomed by local governments, pleased with the boom in tourism. However, when an animated work is no longer being aired, maintaining this tourism fervor and economic benefit becomes a new challenge.
Thus, more and more local governments in Japan are beginning to encourage anime fans not just to visit for a short time, but to move and live in these “sacred sites” for the long term. It is rumored that the economic value brought by an anime fan who lives there for two years is equivalent to the consumption of 100 ordinary tourists. Next, let us explore this so-called trend of “moving to sacred sites.”
In recent years, the popular anime “Kaguya-sama: Love Is War” has spurred a tourism boom in Kagawa Prefecture’s Shodoshima.
Due to the popularity of the animated series, live-action dramas, and movies, Shodoshima has become a holy land for many anime fans, attracting a large number of tourists.
The worship of Kameyama Hachiman Shrine on Shodoshima Island is very welcome, as “fans come to explore this place.” He hopes that the pilgrimage to the sacred site can bring new vitality to the island.
I welcome it very much!
Even if it’s just to find the stage in the play, as long as you can be interested in this place…
I warmly welcome tourists to come.
However, beyond the pilgrimage to the holy land, another equally eye-catching activity has gradually emerged, which is “Holy Land Relocation.”
The so-called “Holy Land Relocation” refers to anime fans no longer viewing their favorite anime scenes merely as travel destinations, but choosing to live there and become part of that land.
Mr. Kōtarō Kumamoto, 28 years old, moved to Shodoshima two years ago because of his love for “Takagi-san, who is good at teasing”. “Takagi-san changed my life”.
Upon arriving on the island, he found the olive cultivation industry very attractive, so he decided to try this work himself.
He constantly participated in pilgrimage to the sacred sites, and was ultimately deeply attracted by the scenery in the drama, deciding to integrate into this land.
This practice of viewing anime sacred sites as a second hometown is spreading among young people, especially among anime fans aged between 20 and their 30s.
Among them, Oarai Town in Ibaraki Prefecture, where “Girls und Panzer” is set, and Numazu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, where “Love Live! Sunshine!!” takes place, are the most representative locations, each attracting no fewer than 100 fans to settle in the area.
In addition, Numazu City actively holds relocation information sessions to strengthen and increase the trend of fans moving there.
Compared to simply visiting pilgrimage locations for photography, the joy of living here lies in integrating anime scenes into daily life and establishing a deeper connection with the region.
According to estimates, the economic benefits brought by relocating to a pilgrimage site for two years, including taxes and daily spending, are higher than the economic benefits contributed by 100 short-term visitors.
So, among these charming anime locations, is there a place that moves you and makes you want to move there?
