Anime and manga are perhaps Japan's biggest pop cultural exports to the world. Anime refers to Japan's hand-drawn and computer animation industry while manga refers to Japanese comics and graphic novels. Anime and manga are popular around the world, and are a major drawcard for many travellers visiting Japan.
Akihabara
Destinations
Map of Anime and manga in Japan
- Mitaka. Home to the famed museum showcasing the work of Studio Ghibli.
- Odaiba. Has a huge store containing Gundam merchandise. In front of the store is a life-sized statue of the unicorn Gundam robot.
- Tokyo/Shibuya has shops that specialize in anime and manga.
See
Museum
Mitaka no mori gibli museum
Go Nagai wonderland museum
Tōhoku
- 1 Yokote-shi masuda manga museum (横手市増田まんが美術館).
- 2 Ishinomori manga-kan (石ノ森萬画館).
Kanto
- 3 Mitaka no mori gibli museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館).
- 4 Kawasaki-shi Fujiko-F-Fujio museum (川崎市藤子・F・不二雄ミュージアム).
- 5 Toshima-ku tokiwa-sou manga museum (豊島区立トキワ荘マンガミュージアム).
- 6 Tōei animation museum (東映アニメーションミュージアム).
Chubu
- 7 Niigata-shi manga house (新潟市マンガの家).
- 8 Niigata-shi manga anime information centre (新潟市マンガ・アニメ情報館).
- 9 Himi-shi shiokaze gallery Fujiko Fujio (A) art collection (氷見市潮風ギャラリー 藤子不二雄(A)アートコレクション).
- 10 Go Nagai wonderland museum (永井豪記念館).
Kinki
- 11 Takarazuka-city Tezuka Osamu memorial house (宝塚市立手塚治虫記念館).
- 12 Kyōto international manga museum (京都国際マンガミュージアム).
Chūgoku
- 13 Aoyama Goushō furusato kan (青山剛昌ふるさと館).
- 14 Igarashi Miyuko museum (いがらしゆみこ美術館).
- 15 Takahashi-shi kibikawakami fureai manga museum (高梁市 吉備川上ふれあい漫画美術館).
Shikoku
- 16 Kami-shi Yanase Takashi memorial house Anpanman museum & poem and marchen picture book house (香美市立やなせたかし記念館 アンパンマンミュージアム＆詩とメルヘン絵本館).
Kyūshū
- 17 Kitakyūshū-shi manga museum (北九州市漫画ミュージアム).
Figure museum
- 18 Enkei gekijo Kurayoshi figure museum (円形劇場 くらよしフィギュアミュージアム).
- 19 Kaiyōdō figure museum kokuheki ryūyū-kan (海洋堂フィギュアミュージアム黒壁 龍遊館).
- 20 Kaiyōdō shimanto museum (海洋堂 シマント ミュージアム ビレッジ).
- 21 Bankyō fifure museum (万協フィギュア博物館).
Other
- 22 Tokyo Skytree Town Campus, 8F solamachi, Tokyo Skytree Town 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, ☏ 81 3-6658-5888. 10：30-18：00. Future experience space of Chiba Institute of Technology. The full-scale MACROSS Frontier "Valkyrie VF-25F" is on display. Free.
Anime pilgrimages
Dōgo onsen
Anime pilgrimages (聖地巡礼, Seichi-junrei) are trips to locations that became the models for manga and anime.
A Certain Magical Index/A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある魔術の禁書目録/とある科学の超電磁砲 Written by Kazuma Kamachi)
- 23 Tachikawa. The city is the model of the Toaru series' main stage, Academy City, with elements from the monorail to parks being used in the anime. Though, apart from enjoying the similarity of street sceneries, Tachikawa is generally a satellite city of Tokyo.
- 24 Papal Palace, Avignon (Palais des Papes), Place du palais des papes. The palace where the Popes of Avignon ruled during a period when the Papacy was divided, with a Pope in Rome and another in Avignon. The Papal Palace is a key location during the Document of Constantine Arc of A Certain Magical Index III.
Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人 Written by Hajime Isayama)
- Attack on Titan in HITA -Attack on Hita-, Hita City, Oita, ☏ 81 973-27-5041. The creator of Attack on Titan: A project in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, the birthplace of Hajime Isayama.
- 25 Oyama Dam (大山ダム), 2008-1 Nishioyama, Oyama Town, Hita City, Oita, ☏ 81 973-52-2445. Statues of Eren, Mikasa and Armin are set up in front of the dam wall, reminiscent of the world of the work.
Gundam (Universal Century) (機動戦士ガンダム Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino)
- 26 Sydney. The Australian city known for being the first ever victim of colony drop. Other targets include Mid-Western America, Dublin and Lhasa.
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し Directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
- 27 Dōgo onsen (道後温泉), 5-6 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime.
- 28 Kanagu-ya (金具屋), 2202 Hirao, Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano.
Touhou Project (東方Project, Created by Jun'ya Ota/ZUN)
- 29 Hakuba (白馬村). The birthplace of Jun'ya Ota/ZUN, also a famed skiing resort in Japan.
- 30 Joumine Shrine (Okumiya) (城嶺神社 元宮), 17566 Kamishiro, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano. A small Shinto shrine in Hakuba believed to be the real-life facade of the fictional Hakurei Shrine in Gensyoko. Note that the shrine is quite unnoticed and remote even on a local standard, and locals may not even know the shrine's existence, so you may need some time to find it.
- 31 Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社). A group of Shinto shrines in Nagano, which is the real-life basis of the Moriya Shrine in the series.
Your Name. (君の名は。Directed by Makoto Shinkai)
- 32 Tateishi kōen (立石公園), 10399 Kamisuwa, Ōuji, Suwa City, Nagano.
- 33 Keta-wakamiya jinja (気多若宮神社), 1297 Kamikita, Furukawa town, Hida City, Gifu.
Do
- 1 Universal Studios Japan, 2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka. Events with the theme of anime and manga are frequently held.
- 2 Ai chikyu haku memorial park (愛・地球博記念公園), 1533-1 Ibaragabasama-otsu, Nagakute City, Aichi. The houses of Satsuki and Mei appearing in My Neighbor Totoro are reproduced in the park. In 2022, a Ghibli Park with the theme of Ghibli works will be opened.
- 3 Fuji-Q Highland (富士急ハイランド), 5-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto's Konoha village.
- 4 Tove Jansson Akebono Children's Forest Park (トーベ・ヤンソンあけぼの子どもの森公園), 1-893 Azu, Hanno City, Saitama. A park that reproduces the Moominvalley of Moomin, which was originally contributed by Tove Marika Jansson in Finland and animated in Japan.
- 5 Ningen no mori (ニンゲンノモリ), 2425-2 Kusumoto, Awaji City, Hyogo. There are areas and attractions themed by Naruto and Boruto.
Cosplay
Cosplay (コスプレ, Cosupure) is hobbies and performances that you can enjoy by changing into anime or manga costumes. There are also shops you can change into a anime or manga costume and shoot.
Buy
Manga and anime goods
Tokyo
- Akihabara (秋葉原) is the center of Japanese manga and anime culture. There are various shops from major shops to maniac shops.
- Ikebukuro (池袋) is there are women's comics and anime character goods stores.
Osaka
- Nipponbashi (日本橋) is the center of Kansai manga and anime culture.
Eat
There are restaurants with the theme of anime and manga. Please note that there are many stores for a limited time.
- 1 Pokémon Center TOKYO DX ＆ Pokémon Cafe, 2-11-2 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
- 2 Otaru caffe × Hello Kitty, 1-2-32 Irifune, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido.
Sleep
- 1 EJ Anime Hotel (EJアニメホテル), 3-31-3 Higashitokorozawa, Tokorozawa City, Saitama. A hotel located in the "Tokorozawa Sakura Town (ところざわサクラタウン)". EJ of EJ Anime Hotel means Entertainment Japan. It is a hands on hotel that produces the world view of all the content that Japan is proud of in the world, such as animation, games, comics, movies, special effects, idols, etc., with the concept of "Stay with a favorite story".