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.
Brynhildr in the Darkness
(極黒のブリュンヒルデ Gokukoku no Buryunhirude)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@Beetle787 made pilgrimages to Akihabara, Tokyo for Episode 7, and to Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture for Episode 4.
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Suwa, Nagano Prefecture for Episode 5 and Episode 6.
Episode 7
The travel in this week’s episode requires ignoring the real world distances involved. We start in Matsumoto (松本), Nagano Prefecture. Murakami and Kana plan to make a casual trip to Akihabara, Tokyo to pick up spare parts from the electronics market. This would be a minimum 3 hours trip each way, and that’s including use of the Nagano Shinkansen or Azusa limited express service.
Matsumoto Station (松本駅) is explicitly identified on the signage.
Shinonoi Line (篠ノ井線)
Akihabara (秋葉原)
Comic Toranoana (コミックとらのあな)
Akiba Duty Free’S location of electronics retailer Sofmap (ソフマップ)
Radio Center (ラジオセンター) is a labyrinth of electronics components vendors crammed under the viaduct entering Akihabara Station. This and other similar collectives began as post World War II black markets for electronics components, and are the reason for the nickname Akihabara Electric Town (秋葉原電気街). Neighboring market across the aisle Akihabara Radio Store permanently closed on 2013 November 13 (coverage here, here and here). I published a photo essay about Akihabara electronics markets as part of an urbanism research project.
Chūō-Sōbu Line (中央・総武緩行線)
Akihabara Denpa Kaikan (秋葉原電波会館)
Akihabara UDX (秋葉原UDX)
Chūō-dōri (中央通) is closed off to vehicle traffic every Sunday afternoon in a practice known as hokōsha tengoku (歩行者天国), lit. “pedestrian paradise”. However, I’m beginning to get the impression that when Akihabara appears in anime, it is always hokōsha tengoku!
One Week Friends
(一週間フレンズ。 Isshūkan Furenzu.)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@626shin made a pilgrimage to Tama for Episode 6 and to Hino (both Tokyo Metropolis) for Episode 7.
@dotproducer made a pilgrimage to Tama for the ED, Episode 2 and Episode 6.
Episode 7
All of the neighborhood scenes in this episode are modeled on Minamidaira 8-chome (南平８丁目) in Hino (日野), Tokyo Metropolis. The torii in the first frame belongs to Hino’s Kumano Jinja (熊野神社). Kumano shrines are a type of Shinto shrine that enshrine the kami of the three Kumano mountains.
Minamidaira Station (南平駅)
Hase runs to catch Fujimiya before she boards the train home.
Prominent use of the Keiō Railway logo
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
(僕らはみんな河合荘 Bokura wa Minna Kawai-sō)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@allora1207 made a pilgrimage to Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture for Episode 4/6 and Episode 7.
Episode 7
This week we’re introduced to a new design feature in Gifu City (岐阜市), this underground passage that facilitates pedestrian movement around an arterial road. As there are already zebra stripe crossings on the street, it would appear to be one of many public works projects that soak up budget surpluses but don’t actually add much value, similar to Japan’s ubiquitous pedestrian overcrossings. Like the overcrossings, this underground passage is not wheelchair accessible. In the episode, the dimly lit passage provides an opportunity for a sexual predator to trap and assault victims. Design like this is optimized for vehicle flow, not for the convenience and safety of pedestrians.
Mekakucity Actors
(メカクシティアクターズ Mekakushiti Akutāzu)
Opening Credits 2
Enemoto Takane (Ene)’s introductory episode gets its own set of opening credits. As in earlier episodes, the cityscape appears to draw elements from Odaiba (お台場), Tokyo. The first frame is Center Promenade (センタープロムナード), a section of Symbol Promenade Park (シンボルプロムナード公園). The very large park and pedestrian walk spans two islands of reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, connecting with Ariake at its northeast end.
Pedestrian overcrossing
Elevated pedestrian walkway
Transit viaduct
Episode 6
Odaiba-kaihinkōen Station (お台場海浜公園駅)
Love Live! School Idol Project
(ラブライブ! School idol project Rabu Raibu! Sukūru aidoru purojekuto)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Akihabara and Hongō, Tokyo for Episode 4 and Episode 5.
Episode 7 (Season 2)
Familiar territory this week, as training continues at Kanda Myōjin (神田明神).
I’d kind of like to see a mashup of Love Live! and Rocky, where μ’s runs through the Italian Market, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Shrubs and shade trees between the sidewalk and road create enclosure along this commercial street.
Other Pilgrimage
@ye_bi_su made a pilgrimage to the Kamo River delta and Kyoto Station for the film Tamako Love Story.
@sanana373 made a pilgrimage to Shinjuku, Tokyo for selector infected WIXOSS.
@ssslocation made a pilgrimage to Mitaka, Tokyo Metropolis for Mangaka-san to Ashisutanto-san to.
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Higashi-Koganei Station in Koganei, Tokyo Metropolis for Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san.
@Beetle787 made a pilgrimage to Sapporo for Gin no Saji.
@teo_imperial made a pilgrimage to Nerima Ward, Tokyo for Noragami.
@cairn_07 made a pilgrimage to Kōriyama, Fukushima Prefecutre for Mikakunin de Shinkōkei.
@LyricalCygnus made a pilgrimage to Izumo, Shimane Prefecture for Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha.
@Roan_Inish made a pilgrimage to Kiryū, Gunma Prefecture for Aku no Hana.
@lidges made a pilgrimage to Sendai Station for Kokoro Connect.
@rimatai made a pilgrimage to Numabe in Ōta, Tokyo for Clannad.
@paffue made a pilgrimage to Okinawa for Accel World.
