International tourists flock to anime locations across Japan

The famous electronics and anime district of Akihabara in central Tokyo, Japan on January 10 - Photo: AFP

More and more foreign tourists are coming to Japan to visit real-life locations featured in popular anime series, creating a new travel trend that is helping to promote local culture and boost the tourism industry, according to the Straits Times .

According to a survey by the Japan Tourism Agency, the proportion of international tourists visiting anime and movie-related locations increased from 4.6% in 2019 to 7.5% in 2023.

In Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, Noshiro High School of Science and Technology - the model for Sannoh Technical School in the basketball anime Slam Dunk - has become an attractive destination following the global success of the 2022 film The First Slam Dunk .

The school's basketball team attracts many foreigners to watch practice, while the Noshiro Basketball Museum also recorded a 5.5-fold increase in international visitors compared to 2019.

Kasukabe City (Saitama Prefecture), the setting of the anime Crayon Shin-chan , also saw a sharp increase in international visitors, especially in late 2024 when the Ito-Yokado Kasukabe store - the model for the supermarket in the film - was about to close.

The Kasukabe City Government has released a “Crayon Shinchan Kasukabe” sightseeing map in multiple languages ​​to support tourists, and stores in the area are also actively implementing electronic payment services for Chinese tourists.

At the Chibi Maruko Chan Land theme park in Shizuoka Prefecture, services are tailored to the tastes of Chinese tourists, such as a sand painting area featuring Maruko and her classmate Hanawa-kun - characters that are very popular in China - and souvenirs such as magnets of Japanese cities.

The anime tourism boom is part of the success of the Japanese government 's "Cool Japan" strategy, which has helped the anime and content industry expand internationally, reaching a size of 4.7 trillion yen by 2022 - more than three times that of a decade ago.

However, the increase in tourists also brings challenges in terms of order and safety management, such as noise or photography that obstructs traffic. Some places have had to increase security, while film studios such as CoMix Wave Films - famous for the movie Your Name - proactively do not disclose the actual location to limit negative impacts.

According to Professor Takeshi Okamoto of Kindai University, "anime sanctuaries" need to develop clear regulations to harmoniously combine welcoming tourists and ensuring the lives of local people.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-khach-quoc-te-do-xo-den-cac-dia-diem-anime-khap-nhat-ban-2025041412165889.htm