From Kamakura to London: The Anime Pilgrimage

(Hero image) *No anime-inspired journey is complete without a visit to Akihabara. This Tokyo neighbourhood remains the global capital of anime; (Above) London’s Victorian architecture provides the backdrop for series such as Black Butler and Moriarty the Patriot.*

On a sunny afternoon in Kamakura, a steady stream of visitors gathers beside an ordinary railway crossing overlooking the sea. There are no famous monuments here. No centuries-old temples. No celebrated restaurants. Yet people travel from across Asia to stand at this exact spot.

The crossing beside Kamakura-Koko-mae Station became famous through Slam Dunk, one of Japan’s most beloved manga and anime series. For fans, this stretch of road is more than a backdrop. It is where fiction and reality meet. Across the world, destinations like this are creating a new kind of traveller.

Anime fans are no longer content with watching their favourite stories unfold on screen. Increasingly, they are boarding planes to experience those worlds for themselves.

The phenomenon is known in Japan as seichi junrei, or anime pilgrimage. What began as a niche activity among dedicated fans has evolved into a significant travel trend, influencing where people stay, what they visit and even which countries they choose for their next holiday.

The numbers suggest this shift is accelerating. According to a recent report by Trip.com, searches for anime and comic-related travel experiences across Asia surged by 195 per cent year-on-year. Interest is particularly strong among travellers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea, reflecting the growing influence of anime culture across the region.

Far from being a niche hobby, anime has become one of the most influential forms of cultural travel in Asia and increasingly, around the world.

Walking Through Fiction

Many of Japan’s most visited anime locations are remarkably ordinary.

The staircase outside Suga Shrine in Tokyo became internationally recognisable after appearing in the final scene of Your Name. In Saitama, Washinomiya Shrine attracts visitors because of its appearance in Lucky Star. The coastal town of Oarai continues to draw fans ofGirls und Panzer, while Hakone has become synonymous with Neon Genesis Evangelion.

These places were never designed as attractions. Their appeal lies precisely in their authenticity. Fans visit because they want to stand where a scene happened, compare reality with animation and experience a location that once existed only in their imagination.

For local communities, the impact has been remarkable. Small towns that rarely featured on international itineraries now welcome visitors from around the world, creating a new form of tourism driven not by history or architecture, but by storytelling.

(Above) Shinjuku Suwa Shrinestair case is seen in the closing scene ofYour Name; Hida associated with hit anime filmYour Name; Dogo Onsen linked to Hayao Miyazaki’s inspiration for Spirited Away; Orai, a coastal town associated with Girls und Panzer.

The Convention Economy

For some travellers, anime tourism begins not with a location but with an event. AnimeJapan in Tokyo, Hong Kong Comic Con and the legendary Comiket in Japan attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. These gatherings have become powerful tourism drivers, filling hotels, restaurants and attractions far beyond the convention halls themselves.

Trip.com’s data highlights the scale of the phenomenon. As the exclusive overseas ticketing partner for AnimeJapan 2026, the company recorded a 697 per cent increase in international ticket sales compared with the previous year. Visitors travelled from 82 countries and regions, with Millennials and Gen Z accounting for the majority of attendees.

The impact extends well beyond ticket sales. Hotel demand around major anime events consistently rises during convention periods, while destinations hosting large-scale festivals benefit from increased visitor spending and longer stays. For many travellers, a convention ticket becomes the catalyst for an entire holiday.

Beyond Akihabara

No anime-inspired journey is complete without a visit to Akihabara. The Tokyo neighbourhood remains the global capital of anime, manga and gaming culture. Multi-storey stores packed with collectibles, themed cafés and gaming arcades continue to attract visitors from across the world.

Yet today’s anime travellers are increasingly looking beyond retail experiences. Across Japan, hotels, attractions and tourism operators are creating immersive experiences that allow visitors to step directly into their favourite stories. Themed accommodation, interactive exhibitions and anime-inspired attractions are becoming increasingly common.

At Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, collaborations with major anime franchises have become some of the park’s most popular experiences. Visitors can walk through worlds inspired by beloved characters and storylines, blurring the line between fiction and reality. The appeal is no longer simply seeing a place. It is becoming part of the story.

Beyond Japan

While Japan remains the spiritual home of anime, the influence of animated storytelling on travel now extends far beyond its borders.

In Hong Kong, the neon-lit streets and towering skyline have inspired the futuristic worlds of Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell. Shanghai’s dramatic skyline and modern cityscape have appeared in numerous animated productions and influenced settings in The King’s Avatar.

Europe has become equally recognisable through anime. Paris remains forever linked with The Rose of Versailles, while London’s Victorian architecture provides the backdrop for series such as Black Butler and Moriarty the Patriot. In Venice, fans of Aria travel to experience the canals that inspired the fictional Neo-Venezia, while Heidelberg and other German locations are familiar to followers of the psychological thriller Monster.

Elsewhere, the Swiss Alps continue to attract fans of Heidi, Girl of the Alps, while Turkey has appeared in various historical anime and inYuri!!! on Ice. Even Singapore’s skyline has featured in contemporary anime productions, giving fans another reason to explore one of Asia’s most recognisable cityscapes.

What began as a uniquely Japanese phenomenon has evolved into a global travel movement, with destinations across continents becoming part of anime’s expanding cultural map.

A New Kind of Cultural Travel

Film tourism is nothing new. Travellers have long visited destinations made famous by Hollywood productions and television series. Anime, however, feels different.

Rather than simply visiting filming locations, fans are engaging with entire fictional universes. They travel not only to see where a scene took place, but to meet fellow fans, attend events, collect memorabilia and immerse themselves in the culture surrounding the stories they love. It is a form of travel driven as much by community as by destination.

The success of anime tourism also demonstrates the growing influence of popular culture on travel decisions. Increasingly, travellers are choosing experiences that reflect their personal interests and identities rather than following traditional sightseeing routes.

A railway crossing in Kamakura. A staircase in Tokyo. A canal in Venice. A street in London. A skyline in Hong Kong. Places that might otherwise have remained ordinary are finding themselves on travel wish lists around the world. For a generation raised on anime, the journey is no longer about ticking off landmarks. It is about stepping into a world they have already visited a thousand times in their imagination.