Photo/Illutration Provided by otomo Inc.

Fans of “Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai” and other anime can visit real-life settings of the stories, with reduced worries they will disturb locals during their visit.

Private tour operator otomo Inc. is offering official anime-themed tours aimed at sustainable tourism. The company helps local areas prepare to receive overseas visitors and supports their sightseeing businesses.

So-called “seichi junrei” pilgrimages have increased in recent years, bringing more tourists than are always welcome to locations around Japan that appear in popular manga and anime.

The company, which co-developed the tour packages with Anime Tourism Association, is giving three separate tours that cover “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,” “Hyoka” and “Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.”

Japanese anime culture has become popular around the world in recent years.

In one overseas survey on tourism, 56 percent of respondents in Asia and 75 percent in Europe said they became interested in Japan through anime, manga and video games.

The number of inbound tourists has been rising every year, with more than 31 million people coming to Japan in 2018. Their tourism needs have also become increasingly diversified.

Participants in the “Bunny Girl Senpai” tour visit Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, while the “Hyoka” tour takes place in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. Fans of “Haruhi” will get to see the anime-related locales in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.

A guide leads each tour and also takes participants to other sightseeing spots. Inbound tourists taking the tours receive exclusive items tied to the anime the tours celebrate.

More tours will be added in the future.

For more information, visit otomo’s official website at (https://otomo-travel.com/).

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To learn more about the latest developments in Japanese anime, visit the official site of Anime Anime (http://animeanime.jp/).