Weekly Review of Transit, Place and Culture in Anime 393

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.

Media and General Interest

Washinomiya Jinja torii rebuilding
Washinomiya Jinja (鷲宮神社) posted a public notice indicating reconstruction of the torii will begin in 2021 Fall. The historic gate, which collapsed in 2018 August, is an iconic location used in Lucky Star.

Toyosato cleaning
Anime fans participated in the annual volunteer deep clean at former Toyosato Elementary School (豊郷小学校旧校舎群) on December 12, emphasizing attention on areas that building staff aren’t able to apportion time during routine cleaning. The school is an historic building in Toyosato, Shiga Precture and location model for K-On!

アニメファンの皆様による豊郷小学校旧校舎群、年に一度の大掃除が行われました🧹「いつもお世話になっているので」と皆様ボランティアでお掃除して下さっています✨普段職員が掃除しきれていない場所まで手にかけてくださり、頭が上がりません🙇今日も多くの人に愛され続ける豊郷小学校旧校舎群です🏫 pic.twitter.com/XtLGBvOXVb

— 豊郷町観光協会 (@toyosato_kankou) December 12, 2020

Kaigake cleaning
A small group of anime fans organized a deep clean of the club room at former Kaigake Elementary School (旧鎌掛小学校) on December 12. The school is an historic building in Hino, Shiga Precture and location model for Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai!

2020年、鎌掛小学校の部室の大掃除完了しました#chu2koi pic.twitter.com/4Aec0dQWqw

— 田村興業　代表　田村勝弘 (@katuhiro_tamura) December 12, 2020

Yuyuyu character birthday
Koyoikaze (こよいかぜ @koyoikaze) published a photo essay including the December 6 to birthday celebrations for Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru character Inubōzaki Itsuki at Michi-no-eki Toyohama (道の駅とよはま), as well as adjacent seichijunrei travels in Kan’onji, Kagawa Prefecture.

Yorimoi character birthday
Fujinon (ふじのん @huji_nonn) published a report and photography from fan-organized December 12 birthday celebrations for Sora yori mo Tōi Basho character Shiraishi Yuzuki at Shiromachi Shokudō (城町食堂) in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture.

現在のよりもいコーナーです(^^)
本日ご来店くださった皆様、ありがとうございました。お花を頂戴し華やかになっております。おかげさまで今ではファンアートもこんなに沢山✨
改めてこの作品に関わるすべてに感謝いたします。#館林 #よりもい #結月誕2020 #白石結月誕生祭2020 pic.twitter.com/0h6dLzN0zj

— 城町食堂＠館林 (@shiromachi_h30) December 12, 2020

Kimetsu no Yaiba seichijunrei
Another week, another batch of articles about Kimetsu no Yaiba pilgrimage. The content of these pieces has been discussed previously. Media coverage: Oricon News, Chūbu Keizai Shimbun, Abema Times, Zakzak, Hokkoku Shimbun, Chūnichi Shimbun

Tachikawa Toaru collaboration
Tachikawa Tourism Association (立川観光協会) sponsored a product sales event at Isetan deparment store Tachikawa branch (伊勢丹立川店) and smartphone based digital stamp rally in Tachikawa on November 7 and 8 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of marketing collaborations between the city and the Toaru Majutsu no Index series and spinoffs. Media coverage: Tachikawa Keizai Shimbun

Den’enchōfu Furuba collaboration
Den’enchōfu Shotengai Promotion Association (田園調布商店街振興組合) in Ōta Ward, Tokyo Metropolis is sponsoring a Christmas themed collaboration between the district and Fruits Basket (TVアニメ「フルーツバスケット」コラボ企画 Den-en-chofu Christmas 2020), including release of a collaboration poster and augmented reality smartphone app. The collaboration will run from November 7 to December 25. Media coverage: Official site, Mantanweb, Otafull, Anibu, Anime News Network

Sotobō Kiminami cycling tour
Chiba-Bōsō Bicycle Play Council (千葉・房総自転車アソビ協議会) is organizing a cycling tour of locations around the Sotobō area in Chiba Prefecture that appear in Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara (グランサイクルロゲイニング×きみと、波にのれたら～スナメリ探しの3か月～). Reservations should be made in advance. The tour can accept up to 20 riders per day and will run from 2020 November 15 to 2021 February 20. Media coverage: Cycle Sports

The Day I Became a God

(神様になった日 Kamisama ni Natta Hi)

Fan Pilgrimage Update

@nadukari_h made a pilgrimage to Yamanashi City and Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture for Episode 10.

@habusan made a pilgrimage (updated wiki) to Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture and Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture for Episode 8 and Episode 9.

Opening Credits

A few new cuts were added to the opening credits for Episode 10.

It’s not yet known if the sanatorium is a real building.

This observation deck in Fuefukigawa Fruit Park (笛吹川フルーツ公園) has a plaque indicating selection by NPO Lover’s Sanctuary (恋人の聖地), which has the dual mission of regional revitalization and reversing the declining birthrate, through promotion of locations it deems ideal for marriage proposals. That’s a tall order and a rather roundabout way of addressing it, but I digress. The deck is the background for the series key visual, but this is the first time it appears in show.

Episode 10

This week is a mix of recycled locations, expansion of exiting ones, and a few new spots, cycling between Yamanashi City (山梨市) and Kōfu (甲府市), Yamanashi Prefecture

Nezu-bashi (根津橋) in Yamanashi City

Yamanashi High School (山梨県立山梨高等学校) in Yamanashi City

Berume Sakurachō-dōri Shōtengai (ベルメ桜町通り商店街) in Kōfu

Yamanashi High School

The returning basketball court combines implied location in Manriki Park (万力公園) in Yamanashi City with hardware from Kose Sports Park (山梨県小瀬スポーツ公園) in Kōfu.

Yamanashi High School

Non-existant ramen shop situated roughly in the Fruit-kōen-iriguchi intersection (フルーツ公園入口交差点) in Yamanashi City

Michi-no-eki Yamanashi (街の駅やまなし)

Outside the north entrance of Yamanashishi Station (山梨市駅)

Yamanashi High School

Outside the north entrance of Kōfu Station (甲府駅), the beginning of a sequence of locations in Kōfu

Nishiki-dōri (錦通り)

Berume Sakurachō-dōri Shōtengai

Kasuga Mall (春日モール)

Disaster Prevention New Building intersection (防災新館東交差点). Off screen is the multi-function government building that appeared in Episode 4, for which the intersection is named.

Back in Yamanashi City, this spot is adjacent to an additional grade level railroad crossing on the Chūō Main Line (中央本線), the Shinmachi fumikiri (新町踏切). The crossing is near the Manriki Shindō fumikiri, which appeared in Episode 5.