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.
Owarimonogatari
(終物語)
Episode 9
Arganzuela Footbridge in Madrid, Spain
[Credit: @tesra1141, Twitter]
Kakinokizaka (柿の木坂), Meguro Ward, Tokyo Metropolis, along the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line (東急東横線) tracks between Toritsu-Daigaku Station (都立大学駅) and Gakugei-daigaku Station (学芸大学駅)
Now we’re being played with. After being led to believe there must be some deep meaning hidden in the many background settings used over the years, they could perhaps be merely props in Gaen’s puppet show.
Always playful with tropes, and seeming to drop another hint as to art styles that inform Monogatari settings, we’re treated to some ukiyo-e (浮世絵) backgrounds. The flock of birds flows through each scene and continues on through the characteristic show style.
Nihonbashi (日本橋)
East side of the original Tokyo Station (東京駅) Marunouchi Building, prior to World War II
Modern day Roppongi—I think. Chime in if you have another theory.
Concrete Revolutio
(コンクリート・レボルティオ～超人幻想～ Konkurīto Reborutio: Chōjin Gensō)
Episode 9
Nice Pearl Harbor reference. Concrete Revolutio seems to have reached the end of being coy about the underlying content.
Setagaya Ward (世田谷区), Tokyo Metropolis
A quick search did not reveal an historic explosion in Kawasaki (川崎), Kanagawa Prefecture. However, one did happen just this past summer at a Nippon Steel plant.
Streetcar bound for Ryōgoku (両国), Sumida Ward
Modern day Sakurashinmachi Shōtengai (桜新町商店街) is a business collective of shop owners on several traffic bearing streets surrounding Sakurashinmachi Station in Setagaya Ward. I’m curious about this scene, as I could not find any photographs of an historic covered arcade.
Covered shōtengai are usually quite study, but even the best are no match for giant robots.
Beautiful Bones: Sakurako’s Investigation
(櫻子さんの足下には死体が埋まっている Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru)
Episode 8
Asahikawa (旭川), Hokkaidō Prefecture
K Return of Kings
Episode 9
Shibuya Center Gai (センター街)
So, the secret, underground, cavernous evil lair has to be a complete fiction, right? Actually, this looks a lot like the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (首都圏外郭放水路), flood water diversion infrastructure in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture.
Noragami Aragoto
(ノラガミ ARAGOTO)
Episode 9
Hiyori and classmates walk to school on the morning commute.
The Perfect Insider
(すべてがFになる Subete ga F ni Naru)
Episode 8
Nagoya Juvenile Detention Center (名古屋少年鑑別所)
[Credit: @nanoexpTS2, Twitter]
Other Pilgrimage
@yomikatajiyu made a pilgrimage (post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5, post 6) to Ōgaki, Gifu Prefecture for the manga Koe no Katachi, which will be adapted as a theatrical film directed by Yamada Naoko and produced by Kyoto Animation.
@gromit1446 (post) and @kou1mori (post) made pilgrimages to Shioiri, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture for the just released third of four planned Tamayura ~Sotsugyō Shashin~ theatrical films, subtitled Dai-3-bu Me -Akogare-.
@fragments_sue made a pilgrimage to Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture for the first two Tamayura films, Dai-1-bu Me -Kizashi- and Dai-2-bu Me -Hibiki-.
@qqbb5at9k made a pilgrimage to Ichigaya, Chiyoda Ward Tokyo Metropolis for Osomatsu-san.
The news blog of goods and media retailer Animate published a pilgrimage to Colmar, Paris, Strasbourg and Riquewihr, France; and Budapest, Hungary for Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka?
@rimatai made a pilgrimage (post 1, post 2) to Takaoka and Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture for YuruYuri San Hai!
@kyo_date made a pilgrimage to Ogikubo Station in Suginama Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for theatrical film Wake Up, Girls! Seishun no Kage.
@tesra1141 made a pilgrimage to Zenkō-ji in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture for Nagato Yuki-chan no Shōshitsu.
@kyo_date made a pilgrimage (post 1, post 2, post 3) to Nerima Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso.
@shira_ry made a pilgrimage to Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Metropolis for Etotama.
@mikkatatsu made a pilgrimage to Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture for Gokukoku no Buryunhirude.
@kyo_date made a pilgrimage to (post 1) Akihabara Station in Chiyoda Ward; and (post 2) two locations used in a composite, Akiba Jinja in Ueno and Yanamori Jinja in Chiyoda Ward (all Tokyo Metropolis) for Steins;Gate.
@cairn_07 made a pilgrimage to multiple locations in Aichi Prefecture and Hyōgo Prefecture for Fate/stay night.
