Welcome to this week’s review of notable instances of public transit use and urban design, as well as discussion of place identity and culture, through anime currently broadcast or screening in Japan and simulcast internationally via the web. This review also documents seichijunrei (聖地巡礼 holy land pilgrimage) and butaitanbou (舞台探訪 scene hunting), which are pop culture tourism and place-based engagement induced by the use of real locations in show settings.
Media and General Interest
Kobe Shimbun published an article about persistent anime tourism to Kasumi, Kami, Hyōgo Prefecture for Air, 13 years after the original broadcast.
Magazine Tabi to Tetsudō will release a 2018 September special edition Anime to Tetsudō (official site, press release, Amazon.jp) devoted to railroad scenes in anime during the period 2017 Fall to 2018 Summer, with a feature section on Mirai no Mirai.
Free! Dive to the Future
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@ssslocation made a pilgrimage to Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture and Ueno, Taitō Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for Episode 2.
Episode 2
Iwami Junior High School (岩美町立岩美中学校) in Iwami, Tottori Prefecture
Denny’s Ichihara Kokubunjidai shop (デニーズ 市原国分寺台店) in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture
Ueno Station (上野駅) Shinobazu entrance (不忍口)
Ueno Okachimachi Chūō-dōri-kai (上野御徒町中央通り会) is one of many shōtengai running parallel to the rail viaduct to the south of Ueno Station. The vending machines are along the back wall of the Ueno branch of the Marui department store.
Ueno Station
While the images of Ueno Station, streetscape and buildings are consistent with real life Ueno, the pedestrian footbridges there have been replaced with designs found on one in Takashimadaira (高島平) 1-chōme, Itabashi Ward.
[Credit: @ssslocation, Twitter]
Encouragement of Climb Season 3
(ヤマノススメ サードシーズン Yama no Susume Sādo Shīzun)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@hauyashi made a pilgrimage to Hannō, Saitama Prefecture for Episode 4.
@habusan (updated post) and @rimatai (post) made pilgrimages to Tenkakusan and Ōtakayama in Hannō, Saitama Prefecture for Episode 3.
Episode 4
Hannō Ōhashi (飯能大橋)
Seibu Ikebukuro Line (西武池袋線), first crossing north of Higashi-Hannō Station
Shidax Hannō Club (シダックス 飯能クラブ)
Hannō Ginza Shōtengai (飯能銀座商店街)
Same crossing from earlier in the episode
Other Current Season Pilgrimage
@flyingbird1124 made a pilgrimage to Jinbōchō and Akihabara (Soto-Kanda), Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for Jashin-chan Dropkick.
@ssslocation made a pilgrimage (updated gallery) to Yokohama and other locations for Hanebado! Episode 3.
@ssslocation made a pilgrimage to Kodaira and Musashino, Tokyo Metropolis for Shōjo Kageki Revue Starlight Episode 1.
@ara1940 made a pilgrimage to Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture for Harukana Receive Episode 3.
Past Season Pilgriamge
@fureshima2223 made a pilgrimage to Chino, Ina and Komagane, Nagano Prefecture for Yuru Camp.
@shira_ry made a pilgrimage to Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture for Slow Start.
@Nagatoyukito5 made a pilgrimage to Gifu-Hashima Station in Hashima, Gifu Prefecture for Toji no Miko.
@keihi49 made a pilgrimage to Tsurugisan in Tokushima, Prefecture for Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru: Yūsha no Shō.
@teo_imperial made a pilgrimage to the Shinjuku’s Eye (新宿の目) sculpture—created by Miyashita Yoshiko and installed at Shinjuku Station in 1969—for Concrete Revolutio. He visited on the last day of operation for the Shinjuku Subaru Building, which is above the underground entrance where the work is located. The building will be dismantled, but the underground level will be left alone in the near term, pending a future decision about what to do with the sculpture.
