Japan’s manga and anime industries have created cultural landscapes that attract millions of dedicated fans from around the world. Beyond purchasing merchandise, many fans now pursue seichi junrei — “sacred place pilgrimage” — visiting the real locations that served as visual references for beloved series, and exploring the creative hubs where the stories were made. This guide covers both the commercial centres and the quieter pilgrimage destinations that reward deeper exploration.
Akihabara, Tokyo
Akihabara remains the global capital of anime, manga and game merchandise. The Electric Town district around Akihabara Station clusters dozens of multi-floor specialist shops: Animate’s nine-story flagship, Yodobashi Camera’s gaming floors, Radio Kaikan’s doujinshi (self-published fan comics) specialists, and hundreds of smaller shops stocking figures, artbooks, trading cards and cosplay supplies. Maid cafes and concept cafes themed around current anime titles line the side streets. Retro game shops occupy older buildings; second-hand figure markets operate in basement floors.
The best strategy is to arrive mid-morning on a weekday, walk the main Chuo-dori avenue first to understand the overall layout, then spend the afternoon in side streets. Budget considerably — limited edition items and import merchandise can accumulate quickly. Many shops accept major international credit cards; some have English-speaking staff.
Nakano Broadway, Tokyo
Less crowded and more focused on vintage and rare items than Akihabara, Nakano Broadway is a covered shopping complex housing hundreds of small dealers. Mandarake’s multiple specialty floors here — divided by category: vintage manga, bishoujo figures, tokusatsu props, animation cels — are the strongest single concentration of used anime and manga goods in Japan. Serious collectors often rank Nakano above Akihabara for genuine vintage finds. The surrounding Nakano Sun Mall shopping arcade has inexpensive restaurants for pre- or post-shopping meals.
Den Den Town, Osaka
Osaka’s equivalent of Akihabara occupies a stretch of Nipponbashi near Namba. Slightly less intense in tourist pressure than Akihabara, Den Den Town has strong specialist shops for figures, vintage games and doujinshi alongside Animate and Kotobukiya flagships. Combining a Den Den Town visit with Namba and Shinsaibashi makes a full Osaka day without requiring separate transport.
Seichi Junrei: Location Pilgrimage
Location pilgrimage involves identifying the real-world settings used as backgrounds in anime or manga, then visiting to compare the recreation with the original. The practice has grown dramatically since the 2000s, generating tourism economies in previously little-visited towns.
Washinomiya Shrine, Saitama: The fictional Takanomiya Shrine in Lucky Star was based on Washinomiya, one of Japan’s oldest Kanto shrines. The series sparked one of the first major seichi junrei phenomena, with visitor numbers doubling after the anime’s broadcast.
Chichibu, Saitama: The real-world basis for Anohana‘s fictional Sechinomiya. Honjo Shoin, the old school building, Chichibu Shrine and local streetscapes are recognisable from the series. Chichibu also inspired aspects of Ano Hi Mita Hana locations.
Ōarai, Ibaraki: The setting for Girls und Panzer, Ōarai’s real fishing port and shopping street were mapped with exceptional accuracy into the series. Local businesses have embraced the connection with remarkable enthusiasm — collaboration goods, stamp rallies and painted manhole covers create a complete fan tourism circuit.
Shimokitazawa and Shibuya, Tokyo: Multiple slice-of-life and contemporary anime series use these districts as background references. Walking tours comparing scene-by-scene stills with actual locations are popular among fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Durarara and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Museums and Studios
The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, is the most famous animation museum in Japan — tickets must be purchased online from Japan one month in advance through the Lawson ticketing system. Suginami Animation Museum (free, Ogikubo, Tokyo) covers the history and production process of Japanese animation with hands-on exhibits and a library of animation cels. Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka, Hyogo, honours the “god of manga” and creator of Astro Boy with comprehensive exhibits and screening facilities.
Practical Notes
Fan convention events — Wonder Festival (twice yearly, Chiba), Comiket (twice yearly, Tokyo Big Sight) — draw enormous crowds and require separate ticket or registration research well ahead of travel dates. Cosplay is welcome at designated areas in most convention and themed event spaces. Photography rules at museums, shrines and filming locations vary — always check signage. Many pilgrimage locations have developed official tourism materials in response to seichi junrei demand; local tourist boards often publish dedicated fan maps.