The culture of souls is proving to be a great driving force behind the boom of Japanese tourism. An increasing number of international travelers is visiting real life places present in the popular Japanese animation, contributing to a new trend of tourism that not only promotes local culture, but also excites the country’s tourist industry.
Second media outlet The times of the StraitMore and more foreign visitors are arriving in Japan with the specific aim of exploring iconic sites related to souls. From the famous Tokyo neighborhoods to less known cities in regional Japan, these “anime pilgrimages” are remodeling the panorama of travel.
The data of the Japanese tourist agency show that the percentage of international tourists who visit seats relating to souls and the film increased from 4.6% in 2019 to 7.5% in 2023.
A remarkable example is Noshiro City in the prefecture of Akita. Noshiro Science and Technology High School, which was the model for the technical high school of Sannoh in the basketball anime “Slam Dunk”has become a tourist attraction from the global success of “The first slap” In 2022
Kasukabe City in the prefecture of Saitama, the environment of the beloved anime “Crayon Shin-chan”I also saw an increase in tourist numbers. At the end of 2024, the fans crowded to visit the ITO-Yokodo Kasukabe-Inspiration department store in real life for the supermarket of the series-Prime Minister of its closure. To assist international visitors, the city has published multilingual tourist maps entitled “Crayon Shinhan Kasukabe”With some local companies that even introduce digital payment to be tailored to Chinese tourists.
At Chibi Maruko Chan Land, an entertainment park in the prefecture of Shizuoka, the attractions have been adapted to satisfy the preferences of Chinese tourists. For example, a sand angle of art with Maruko and the popular Hanawa-Kun character has been introduced, together with collectible magnets representing various Japanese cities.
The boom of anime tourism is partly fueled by the “Cool Japan” strategy of the Japanese government, which promotes the creative industries of the nation all over the world. Starting from 2022, the anime and content industry had extended to a market size of 4.7 trillion of Yen (about 33 billion dollars), three times its value a decade earlier.
However, the increase in tourism related to souls also brought challenges. The concerns for noise, obstructive photography and crowd control pushed some locations to improve safety. Animation studies such as Wave Comix movieswhich is known for “Your name”They even abstained to reveal places of the real world to prevent disorders for local communities. According to Professor Takeshi Okamoto of the University of Kindai, while it is important for the places that welcome tourists lovers of souls “Invent expedients” To please those people, many of these “Sanctuaries” They are not actually points for tourists, so the understanding of local residents and the creation of adequate guidelines are important.
