Anime tourism is making the rounds across Japan as increasing numbers of anime and manga fans visit the locales featured in their favorites. 

Municipalities and shopping districts in such areas are using a range of tactics to bring in sightseers in the hopes of attracting repeat visits.

Some aficionados have even moved to regions they learned about through the fictional stories.

ROLLING OUT RED CARPET

Situated near the border between Wakayama and Osaka prefectures, the Kojimaichi Shoten grocery store in Wakayama city’s Kada fishing district is packed with a stream of visitors who enjoy photographing the shop’s facade.

The outlet’s manager, Shuichi Kojima, 61, said up to 30 to 40 people a day are there on weekends. The phenomenon became a trend in April, when the anime version of a manga called “Summer Time Rendering,” set in Wakayama, began airing.

The sci-fi suspense title was first serialized in 2017 in Shueisha Inc.’s online magazine. Its protagonist repeatedly time-travels to scrutinize a childhood friend’s inexplicable death, as well as mysteries concerning an island’s tradition.

“Summer Time Rendering” features Wakayama’s landscapes and characters converse in the region’s dialect. Kojimaichi Shoten is likewise featured.

As a rice cake flavored with mugwort, which is referred to in the anime as “the islet’s specialty,” is available at the store, many fans visit to buy the delicacy at the shop.

Kojima said he watched the anime every week and put up the title’s poster at his store to roll out the red carpet to those who love “Summer Time Rendering.”

“I really appreciate the many fans who have shown up, now that fewer tourists are coming due to the novel coronavirus crisis,” Kojima said.

PORTRAYING WAKAYAMA

The work’s creator, Yasuki Tanaka, hails from Wakayama. He lived in the city until he finished high school.

Working on the concept of his new creation, Tanaka hit upon the idea of making a manga set in Tomogashima, a remote island off Wakayama.

“Few manga are based in Wakayama,” Tanaka recalled. “I felt my portraying it would have significance.”

Tanaka went to Wakayama to see locations to be illustrated in his manga.

The noise of a steamship to ferry passengers to Tomogashima was recorded to be utilized in his manga’s animated adaptation. A language coach was also hired to help voice actors speak in Wakayama’s dialect.

The comic’s publisher and the anime-producing company worked with local entities.

An event was organized last year where participants unlocked mysteries on Tomogashima.

Wakayama city in March appointed the manga’s heroine, Ushio Kofune, as its envoy to promote tourism.

A map featuring renowned spots on Tomogashima has been published on the municipality’s website and elsewhere, while life-size cutouts of Ushio have been set up across 10 sites in the city.

A municipal representative said fans have posted images of their tours of the city on social media since the start of the anime’s broadcast.

“I would be thrilled if Wakayama draws a lot of attention and is enlivened via my work,” Tanaka said.

COLLABORATIVE CAKE, TOWEL

Fans traditionally visit settings for anime, according to the Anime Tourism Association.

The practice quickly grew in popularity during the 2000s, as background scenery began to be depicted in more detail in anime. Making pilgrimages to such “sacred spots” became the norm afterward among anime buffs.

Since 2018, the association designates 88 so-called sacred destinations each year. Among them is the town of Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture, which started attracting anime lovers after an anime titled “Girls und Panzer” was aired in 2012.

Data from the town’s commerce and industry association showed that 1,000 individuals turned up daily before the novel coronavirus pandemic, and people continued visiting there a decade following the end of the anime’s broadcast.

The title’s producer negotiated with the town on many occasions prior to its airing, resulting in the installation of real-life cutouts of characters throughout the municipality.

Local shops, such as restaurants and clothing stores, gained permission to sell a specialized cake and a special towel inspired by the anime.

“Shop operators’ finding the project fascinating and actively engaging in it has contributed to our success,” said a representative of the town’s commerce and industry association.

About 100 individuals intrigued by “Girls und Panzer” are believed to have moved to Oarai.

Takeyuki Hibi, 41, who runs a cafe in the municipality, is one such newcomer.

“I came here for the first time five or so years ago,” Hibi said. “I was impressed that the settings from the anime actually exist.”

Hibi explained he was moved by the town’s appeal, as the old sightseeing destination made careful use of the anime as a tourism resource. Residents warmly welcomed Hibi, though he went there simply because he loves “Girls und Panzer.”

“Enamored by the town’s cozy atmosphere, I moved here two years ago,” Hibi said.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

In a similar example, Washinomiyajinja shrine in Kuki, Saitama Prefecture, is flooded with worshippers on New Year’s Eve because the establishment is deemed a sacred spot among fans of “Lucky Star.”

A fictional festival from “Hanasaku Iroha” is reproduced every year in the Yuwaku Onsen resort in Kanazawa, where the anime was set.

The findings of a 2017 survey conducted by Development Bank of Japan show “Lucky Star” brought 3.1 billion yen ($20.9 million) to Kuki and elsewhere in economic benefits over the 10 years from the beginning of the anime’s broadcast in 2007.

It produced not only sales of anime-related goods and food consumption by sightseers but also employment of more than 300 people.

However, only a handful of local communities have been significantly revitalized.

Norimichi Suzuki, managing director of the Anime Tourism Association, said that residents and officials being involved make all the difference.

“Visitors to sacred destinations not only take photos but also experience local specialties and cultures,” he said. “What is important is getting them to find attractions in the process to urge more people to come again.

“Anime creators and local communities must work toward the same goal for benefits to continue to be seen, such as developing collaborative items using regional delicacies and anime.”