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 sacred site pilgrimage) and butaitanbou (舞台探訪 scene hunting)—on this website referred to collectively as anime pilgrimage—which are forms of place-based engagement induced by the use of real locations in show settings.
The Eccentric Family
(有頂天家族 Uchōten Kazoku)
Episode 7
Togetsukyō Bridge (渡月橋) in Arashiyama
Kamo River (鴨川)
Demachi Bridge (出町橋)
The professor’s co-op near Demachi Masugata Shōtengai
Kurama-yu (鞍馬湯)
Map of Arashiyama showing the Togetsukyō Bridge from the beginning of the episode
Most likely in the Gion district, possibly Hanami-koji (花見小路)
Rokudō Chin’nō-ji (六道珍皇寺)
Shimogamo Shrine (下鴨神社)
Oreimo
(俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない。 Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai.)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@buzz_tawagoto made a pilgrimage to Tokyo Skytree for Episode 14.
@kouhei15407 is working on an Episode 14 through 16 pilgrimage, but went back to first cover some locations from Episode 11 through 13.
@ts_kobaya made a video pilgrimage to Tokyo Skytree.
Episode 14
This pedestrian plaza and shōtengai appear in the opening scene.
In a flashback, one of our last looks at Chiba Park and the Chiba Urban Monorail (千葉都市モノレール).
Akihabara (秋葉原)
Throughout the Oreimo franchise, I can’t remember any time that Chūō-dōri was not closed off to vehicle traffic. In real life, the arterial road becomes a hokōsha tengoku (歩行者天国), literally “pedestrian paradise”, on Sunday afternoons.
Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー)
Kyousuke chases Kirino around the nearby commercial development that was built in conjunction with the landmark tower.
Kyousuke’s confession to Kirino takes place amid the large pedestrian plazas and retail development located at Kinshichō Station (錦糸町駅) in Sumida Ward.
Episode 15
A last meeting at the original Cure Maid Cafe in Akihabara, the first permanent establishment of this type of cosplay business.
Episode 16
Kyousuke and Manami’s last walk to school.
Kirino and Kyousuke head out on one final romp around Akihabara.
Day Break Illusion
(幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽 Gen’ei o Kakeru Taiyō)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@sagra_k made a pilgrimage around Nagasaki, covering the whole series through Episode 6. This is a previous pilgrimage covering scenes from the earlier episodes. He captured many neighborhoods adjacent to the locations that appear in the show. Excellent photography in both posts.
Episode 7
The tarot card users have a rare day off, so set about on a sightseeing tour of Nagasaki.
Nagasaki Electric Tramway (長崎電気軌道)
Nagasaki Chinatown (長崎新地中華街). During the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate from the 15th to 19th centuries, Nagasaki was the only part of Japan open to foreigners. Chinese traders’ movement was restricted to within Chinatown at night time.
Pedestrian greenway along both sides of the Nakashima River (中島川)
Meganebashi (眼鏡橋), lit. Spectacles Bridge
The altar at Ōura Church (大浦天主堂), believed to be the oldest church in Japan.
Bidoro, from the Portuguese word for glass, refers to the handcraft blown glass technique brought to Japan through the port of Nagasaki by Portuguese traders in the 16th century.
I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen one of these in an anime before. Gaisensha (街宣車), sound trucks, are used by political parties and candidates (usually extreme right-wing) to blast messages over loudspeakers to passers by and are generally considered a nuisance.
Gatchaman Crowds
(ガッチャマンクラウズ Gatchaman Kurauzu)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Toyosu Station for Episode 5.
Episode 6
News of a Gatchaman sighting breaks around the Tachikawa central business district.
The stationary story where Hajime works is in the Lumine retail complex atop Tachikawa Station (立川駅).
Galax users help Hajime and Utsutsu escape from chasing press, leading them on a looping run through Lumine, down to the station level and out into the central business district.
The mastermind behind Galax leads them to a meeting at Tachikawa Grand Hotel (立川グランドホテル).
Monogatari Series Second Season
(〈物語〉シリーズ セカンドシーズン)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@Beetle787 made two pilgrimages for this franchise. One was to Ōsu in Naka Ward, Nagoya, the location of the integrated traffic light and walk signal from Episode 7 of the current broadcast. He didn’t make a separate trip, but believes the seaside park scene from the same episode to be in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The other is a pilgrimage to Shimonada Station on the Yosan Line in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture for Nekomonogatari (Kuro). Possibly the most random locations of the week!
@Newyork0201 made a pilgrimage to Higashimurayama and Mitaka, both Tokyo Prefecture, for Episode 1 and Episode 5.
Episode 7
This week opens with a protracted discussion of intersection clearance interval, the period of time when signals in all directions are red, which is meant to reduce the probability of accidents due to vehicles and pedestrians crossing late in the cycle or after the phase change. It’s pointed out that this merely reduces the chance, but doesn’t eliminate it. Additionally, there are other sources of danger related to the prevailing norms of transportation design. I bet you didn’t think you were going to get a mini-lecture in planning principles when you tuned into Monogatari this week ^_^
Per the pilgrimage above, this unusual signal is taken directly from real life, and can be found in the Ōsu area of Naka Ward, Nagoya.
In the Bakemonogatari franchise, the flat, blocky style of the backgrounds can make them fade behind the action, but there are moments of clarity when bits of urban infrastructure jump out in high detail. In the case of this episode, the red light motif quickly gets out of hand.
The momentary obsession with traffic signals is a run up to the revelation that the apparition Hachikuji’s death was caused by a truck striking her while she crossed the street at a crosswalk with the green signal.
Later, Araragi encounters Ononoki while waiting for a crossing signal. His apprehension both of the apparition and new found fear of crossing the street causes his gaze to dart around the area scanning for danger. The glances fly by fast, but if you slow them down you realize just how many urban elements are present. My mind often doesn’t think of Bakemonogatari as having a city setting, perhaps because there are generally no people in the scene other than the main characters, but it’s right there just beyond the foreground.
A Certain Scientific Railgun S
(とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン） Toaru Kagaku no Rērugan)
Episode 18
Tama Toshi Monorail Line (多摩都市モノレール線)
Tachikawa-Kita Station (立川北駅)
Kongo apprehends a mugger in this heavily pedestrian trafficked side street.
Uiharu and Saten walk along a tree-shaded, protected sidewalk.
An electrical failure snarls vehicle traffic in the Tachikawa central business district, but foot traffic continues as normal on the elevated walkways that connect the two train stations to each other and surrounding area.
Saten directs everyone to a shortcut through a park to another part of Academy City.
Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@aqcuaria made a pilgrimage to Iwami, Tottori Prefecture for the OP, Episode 1 and Episode 2.
@lidges made significant updates to a previous pilgrimage to Iwami, adding cuts from recent episodes.
Episode 7
Rin’s nightmare gives us one new slice of Iwami (岩美), but otherwise it’s more of the same scenes.
Servant x Service
(サーバント×サービス)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@paffue made a pilgrimage to Sapporo to take a snap of the shopping center in Episode 7, as well as show how some of the subway stations were likely used as general models for the show.
Kinmoza!
(きんいろモザイク Kin’iro Mozaiku)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@Bf109K1 made a pilgrimage to Keisei-Usui Station and surrounding commercial district covering the OP and Episode 1 through Episode 4, as well as a pilgrimage to Tsudanuma Station.
Tamayura: More Aggressive
(たまゆら〜もあぐれっしぶ〜 Tamayura Mo Aguresshibu)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@Bf109K1 made a comprehensive pilgrimage to Mihara and Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, for Episode 6, as well as a Takehara pilgrimage covering Episode 8.
@habusan has made an encyclopedic pilgrimage for all Tamayura: More Aggressive through Episode 7.
Other Pilgrimage
@nobucafe1 made a pilgrimage to Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture for the PV of upcoming new season of Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!
@nobucafe1 made a pilgrimage to Kyoto for Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS.
@Beetle787 (post), @aqcuaria (post) and @nishionishio (post) made pilgrimages to Gifu Station and Nagara, Gifu for Love Lab.
@hiroina_7916ltd made a pilgrimage to Kyoto for Chihayafuru.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to the Tatebori neighborhood in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture for Chihayafuru 2.
@fureshima made a hiking pilgrimage to Tenransan and Tonosuyama in Hannō, Saitama Prefecture for the manga source material of Yama no Susume.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to Iida city, Nakagawa village and Takagi village, all Nagano Prefecture, for the One Off OVA.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to Iida, Nagano Prefecture for Saki.
@ngwrb made a pilgrimage to the Japan Ground Self Defense Force East Fuji Maneuver Area for Girls und Panzer.
