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.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
(小林さんちのメイドラゴン Kobayashi-san Chi no Meidoragon)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@ssslocation made a pilgrimage to Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture for Episode 6.
Episode 6
Higashi-Koshigaya 8-chōme Keyaki Park (東越谷八丁目けやき公園)
Motoara River (元荒川)
Higashi-Koshigaya Peony Park (東越谷ボタン公園)
The media and goods district seems like it may be an Akihabara inspired synthetic setting. Thus far, no one has found anything like this in Koshigaya.
March comes in like a lion
(3月のライオン Sangatsu no Raion)
Fan Pilgrimage Update
@Roan_Inish made pilgrimages to Hotel Chinzansō Tokyo in Sekiguchi, Bunkyō Ward and Tsukuda, Chūō Ward for Episode 17; and to Koishikawa, Bunkyō Ward and Tsukuda and Shinkawa, Chuo Ward for Episode 18.
Episode 18
Further adding to Inish’s synthetic location theory, this week mixes a stairway and wall from Koishikawa (小石川), Bunkyō Ward with the previously noted area in Tabata to create Shimada’s neighborhood.
Tsukuda (佃)
Tsukuda (small) Bridge (佃小橋)
Kitasenju Arakawa Hinode-chō greenfield embankment (北千住荒川日ノ出町緑地土手), between Kita-Senju Station and Horikiri Station
I had a hunch this was along the Arakawa, but originally thought it was at a point slightly further south, the Arakawa Yotsugi-bashi greenfield. @unimaru_ pointed out to me that this is a parody of the opening credits from television drama Kinpachi-sensei (3年B組金八先生). In that sequence, the teacher is walking along the embankment (土手 dote) just south of the viaducts for the Jōban Line and Tōbu Skytree Line:
「3年B組金八先生」のオープニングのパロディですね https://t.co/5l2Uy25tPc
— うにまる (@unimaru_) February 22, 2017
Kamejima River flood gate (亀島川水門)
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen
(昭和元禄落語心中 -助六再び篇-)
Episode 7
Kototoi Bridge (言問橋)
This week revisits a synthetic location from the first season, combining Awa-Ikeda Station (阿波池田駅) in Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture with what appears to be a fictional onsen town.
The contemporary station building looks quite different from this, but the clock is still there.
Awa Ikeda Ekimae-dōri Shōtengai (阿波池田駅前通り商店街)
As before, the onsen town doesn’t appear to match up directly to any known locations, but may have been inspired by Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉) in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture.
Special Items
Media and General Interest
Setonaikai Broadcasting (KSB), a local network in Kagawa and Okayama prefectures, aired a segment about ongoing efforts to leverage Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru to drive tourism and local activation in Kan’onji, Kagawa, including an exhibition of character panels, marketing posters and a special event featuring voice actors from the series. The segment also includes interviews with fans who attended the event:
Location Japan magazine presented a special award under its 7th Location Japan Grand Prize to Hida, Gifu Prefecture, for the city’s proactive and welcoming response to the sudden influx of tourism induced by Kimi no Na wa.
PR Times published an article containing detailed descriptions of promotional events, marketing materials and anime goods for a planned marketing collaboration between Saga Prefecture and Yūri!!! on Ice.
Jōnan Shinpō published an article about a symposium on seichijunrei for Hibike! Euphonium held at Kyoto Bunkyō University in Uji.
Other Current Season Pilgrimage
@touyoko_com made a pilgrimage (updated post) to Tama, Tokyo Metropolis for Kuzu no Honkai Episode 6.
@tesra1141 made a pilgrimage (updated post, new post) to Osaka for Hand Shakers through Episode 5.
@Barnirun made a pilgrimage (updated post) to Osaka for Hand Shakers Episode 5 and Episode 6.
Past Season Pilgrimage
@kbt_tigers1985 made a pilgrimage to Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture for Hibike! Euphonium 2.
@york21c made a pilgrimage to Uji, Kyoto Prefecture for Hibike! Euphonium 2.
@Bf109K1 made a cycling pilgrimage (post 1, post 2) from the Onomichi mainland, across Mukōjima and Innoshima, to Ikuchijima for Long Riders! Episode 12.
@Roan_Inish made a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Cathedral, Tokyo in Sekiguchi, Bunkyō Ward for Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen.
@touyoko_com made a pilgrimage to Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture for Futsū no Joshikōsei ga Rokodoru Yattemita.
@paffue made a pilgrimage to Obihiro, Hokkaidō Prefecture for Gin no Saji.
@touyoko_com made a pilgrimage to Tama, Tokyo Metropolis for Mimi wo Sumaseba (Whisper of the Heart).
3 comments
Linda says:
Feb 22, 2017
Stubbornly tried to watch Showa Genroku again. Love the art and the scenery but the problem is, it’s so full of…. rakugo. I mean, you have to give them credit for the lovingly detailed recreation of entire routines, except that means you have to actually watch rakugo routines. Maybe I should try fast-forwarding through them?
Michael says:
Feb 23, 2017
The routines kind of grew on me. I probably wouldn’t seek out that kind of thing on my own. Wish the characters had more dimensions. Konatsu is always tense and nervous, Yotaro laughs at everything, Kiku is depressing. The only one I enjoy is the dead Sukeroku, probably because I keep hearing Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel whenever he speaks.
Linda says:
Feb 24, 2017
They’re not growing on me but neither are any of the other series I’ve tried to watch, so… If I can watch Sangatsu without caring about the shogi maybe I can figure out how to watch this without caring about the rakugo.