Anime Pilgrimage Around the Kanto Region

It would be a bald-faced lie to say that a majority of people come to Japan because of anime. Many of us grew up watching shows like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z on programs like Toonami and Adult Swim, and those shows continue to inspire us to this day. In the past few years, anime pilgrimages have become very popular. Travelers come from all over the world just to visit some of the locations that appear in many of their favorite shows. The popularity of these trips has grown so much in recent years that now quite a few companies dedicate time to creating tours for anime pilgrimages all over Japan. However, even if your pockets are kind of short, you can still take some time on your own for a quick anime tour of the Kanto area.

Sailor Moon: Hikawa Shrine

Hikawa Shrine| Left Real, Right Anime

As one of the most popular shows, Sailor Moon of course has to be at the top of the list. Did you know the creator of Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi used to be a shrine maiden? In university, she used to work at Hikawa Shrine in Azabu Juban, and it’s the same shrine Rei Hino works at in the show. The first kanji of the shrine has been changed from water (水) to fire (火) to match the aesthetic of Rei’s character more but the layout is overall the same. Enshrined here are the deities Susanoo no Mikoto— the younger brother of Amaterasu (the sun goddess) and Yamato Takeru no Mikoto. The shrine is seen as lucky by many visitors, and people come here to pray for luck, business prosperity, and wealth.

Aside from the shrine, Sailor Moon is filled with references to the Azabu Juban area including the station, Patio Park, and Arusigawa-no-Miya park. The Azabu Juban area is also quite popular as a more foreigner-friendly part of Tokyo since this is where many of the diplomats and embassies are found. While you’ll likely be able to find a good chicken and waffle plate be prepared to open your wallet because it’s not cheap.

Death Note: Hibiya Park

The art of executing suspense, with drama and gore is complicated but is done excellently in Death Note. Although the show is fairly old now, it still lives in the heart of Misa cosplayers and bad live-action revivals. Since the show is set in Tokyo, there are lots of places around the city that fans can come and visit. Hibiya park is probably the most popular area for cosplayers to visit. In the anime Hibiya Park is the place where Naomi and Light walk together before he writes her name in death. The park is said to be Japan’s oldest western-style park, making it a great place to visit even if you aren’t a Death Note fan.

Spirited Away: Shima Onsen

The next stop on your anime pilgrimage is about 2 hours outside of Tokyo at Shima Onsen. Spirited Away is one of the most famous Studio Ghibli movies of all time. The setting for the movie is the supernatural bathhouse for spirits called Aburaya which is run by the witch Yubaba. Although there is no specific bathhouse that Aburaya was designed after it’s easy to see the resemblance to the movie. Shima Onsen’s Sekizenkan Honkan was built in 1691 and is said to be the oldest wooden bathhouse (ryokan) in Japan.

While Miyazaki hasn’t exactly claimed Sekizenkan as a specific reference, the locals of the area often claim the movie was inspired by this area of Japan. There isn’t much to do around the bathhouse since it is quite a rural town but Sekizenkan is a great relaxing getaway from the city with beautiful views of the mountain.

My Neighbor Totoro: Sayama Hills

Another Studio Ghibli fan favorite and the next stop on our tour isn’t one place but an entire forest, Totoro’s Forest to be exact. Only an hour outside of Tokyo in Saitama, the sacred forest is a great day trip for those looking to get out of the city and have a little walk through nature. While walking through the forest you can learn facts about Japan’s ecological conservation efforts and the deep meaning behind the movie itself. You can even walk all the way to the KurosukeHouse and visit the giant Totoro statue there. Don’t forget to bring water!

Lucky Star/ Shin Chan

I remember being in middle school when the Shin Chan and Lucky Star fever overtook the United States. The two slices of life children’s anime are still beloved and are both based in the sleepy town of Kasukabe. Kasukabe is just like any other suburb you’d find in Japan with not much going on. Although it’s not the most exciting place it’s a good day trip outside of the city and it’s always fun to see all the Shin Chan and Lucky Star memorabilia around the city.

Going to Kasukabe can be a little anti-climatic so I recommend visiting the area when there’s a festival such as the Wisteria Festival, Giant Kite Festival, or the Summer Festival.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Hakone

Even if it wasn’t for NGE, Hakone should already but on your Japan bucket list. It’s another onsen town like Shima Onsen in Gunma, but here Hakone is famous for its picturesque views of Mt. Fuji. For Evangelion fans, Hakone is the location of Tokyo-3, the fortress city where most incarnations of the Evangelion franchise take place. Some of the battles against the Angles were set at landmarks like Mt. Takanosu and Lake Ashi. Other notable spots include Hakone Shrine and the sulfuric Owakudani valley.

Initial D: Tochigi

I’ll admit I’ve never seen Initial D but I wanted to give a small homage to my first home in Japan Tochigi. Initial D is a street racing series about Takumi Fujiwara. He’s the delivery boy for his father’s tofu business. He would drive his car up the mountains every morning to deliver tofu to the hotels for the day and he eventually went on to become a famous street racer for Project D. Nikko, Tochigi is the setting of Project D’s race on the Momiji Line on the Irohazaka Winding Road. Funny I’ve been on that road multiple times and didn’t think anything of it.

Durarara!!!: Ikebukuro

Durarara!! shortened to DRRR!! is a Japanese light novel series that was adapted into an anime in the early 2000s. Following the story of the Dollars an internet-based gang, as they run rampant around the city, the particular setting of the show was based in Ikebukuro. Although Akihabara gets a lot of attention as the anime town Ikebukuro has much more to offer considering it’s the home of one of the largest Pokemon centers in Japan.

Fruits Basket: Tama River

Natsuki Takaya hasn’t quite confirmed where Fruits Basket takes place, but fans have speculated that it takes place in a rural town in Tokyo. Ota Ward’s quiet Den-en chofu district seems to be the most likely place for the setting. Much like Kasukabe, there isn’t much to point out for a spectacular visit but it’s a nice place to visit to get a feel of the small-town feel of the anime.

Your Name: Yotsuya

One of the most famous anime locations is the stairs found in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The stairs lead up to Suga Shrine, which is easy to visit if you happen to be in Tokyo. Walk up these iconic stairs and who knows you might be reunited with your own Mitsuha/Taki.

Despite anime being one of Japan’s largest exports, it’s easy to see that Japan itself isn’t some anime safe haven. As you can see from this list many of these places don’t have much going for them besides their claim to fame. But they’re still worth a visit and who knows maybe you’ll feel inspired to create your own story. Have you ever made an anime pilgrimage? If not have you traveled anywhere just because it was featured in a movie? Leave a comment below!