Waseda University

Noriko Takao

1M160538-2

Professor Graham Law

Anime as Icon:

Pilgrimage Becoming Culture

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Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………2

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..3

Chapter I: Defining Anime………………………………………………………………...5

1. Anime in Japan

2. Anime and Media Mix

3. Anime and the Fans

Chapter II: Defining Pilgrimage…………………………………………………………..9

1. Pilgrimage and Contents Tourism

2. History and Development

3. Pilgrimage and the Fans

4. Defining Pilgrimage

Chapter III: Case Studies………………………………………………………………...13

1. Girls und Panzer

2. Free!

3. In Saitama Prefecture

4. Rinne no Lagrange

Chapter Ⅳ: Conclusion……………………………………………………………….24

1. Effects Made by Pilgrimage

2. Anime as Culture

Works Cited List………………………………………………………………….……26

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Abstract

This dissertation will discuss about how anime, referring to the Japanese animation industry

broadly within Japan, works as a representative culture in the country. By focusing on the fan

activities done relating to the anime, how fans get influenced and become active for them will be

described. Moreover, taking deeper steps into pilgrimage, which is one of the popular actions

taken by the fans relating to anime influence, and effects made to the people, the local place and

to the anime itself are analyzed. Pilgrimage as a culture will be defined from two different

aspects: the location information and the affect made to the actual places relating to the anime.

Case studies are also used, according to the definition made earlier, to mention the various

influences that anime could make in the terms of pilgrimage and make it as a proof of anime

holding an effective power to bring about a change to regions. Lastly, through concluding the

analysis, the effects of pilgrimage and the effects of anime are redefined to answer the research

questions that were mentioned in the first part of this dissertation.

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Introduction

“We are the ones who are moving the economy of this country!” This is one of the phrases “otaku”

people are in the habit of saying today. It might sound foolish; however, it cannot be said that is just a

joke among otaku themselves. Otaku is a Japanese term referring to those who are absorbed to one

thing especially in subculture contents, which started to be used since the 1970s. Japanese otaku

culture is now one of the big contents that holds influence not only within their fans, but also to the

actual world. In terms of otaku, what mostly are imagined are anime. Anime is now one of the most

popular contents among various age groups. From how it is influencing people as a content industry, it

is possible to remark that Anime is becoming an iconic culture. Therefore, throughout this dissertation,

anime as an icon of Japanese culture will be discussed, how anime could be defined as an icon of the

Japanese culture and its process of how it became so. By focusing on the fan activities relating to

Anime, how this otaku culture could affect people in real life will also be investigated. Revealing the

real fact of the fan activity will lead to the conclusion of the discussion, that will try to prove how

anime is now one of the main culture Japan holds which could affect not only within the fans or the

producers, but to the real world, as an icon of the Japanese culture. From all the various fan activities

held today, pilgrimage, in other words, “contents tourism,” will be focused on. Pilgrimage becoming

to hold metaphorical meaning could also be part of the discussion of how Anime has an influence as a

cultural icon.

Anime contents tourism and pilgrimage is now a topic taken up by tourism study from its big change

made in a short period of time. Therefore, theses such as Lucky Star the anime and its influence made

to the background location are published by several experts. In the wake of contents tourism as a

subject of research, resources which demonstrate tourism and anime culture contains deep connection

that could influence each other do not happen by chance but with concrete evidence as culture.

Materials used in this dissertation are mainly those which focuses on anime as culture and its effect

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made to fans and tourism. Especially Yamamura Takayoshi, who studies the effect of contents tourism

and the historical transition of the pilgrimage as in term of cultural study is referenced for its

reliability from his number of studies and lectures done about contents tourism and anime history.

Regarding the anime that were used as reference in the case studies for defining the actual effects of

pilgrimages, these are chosen for their definite popularity among the anime otaku community.

Arguments both for and against are mentioned in the discussion, although every anime are equally be

thought valuable, interesting, and produced with efforts by numbers of concerned people. This is a

prerequisite in order to keep in mind the importance of this industry as one of the representative

Japanese cultures.

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ChapterⅠ: Defining Anime

1. Anime in Japan

First, as a premise, anime as in Japanese animation industry will be explained, how it is unique. The

vocabulary “Anime” used in this discussion indicates the animation culture developed in Japan. The

main characteristic Japanese animation has is its unique production, dramatic and complex story and

specific targeting age called “young adults.”

Unique production process is one of the unique features Japanese Anime has. What is unique is that

animators and staffs have to create a work within the low budget and short span, because of the

increase in the demand of animation production. In Japanese animation, techniques such as camera

works, still images and editing are highly valued. Moreover, abbreviation of these techniques due to

the busy cycle, brought out tempo and movements that became Japanese Anime feature. By all these

skills, Japanese animation aimed to compete with American animation.

Japanese Anime is also thought unique from its dramatic and complex stories. How it is dramatic is

that there is more depiction of character’s entire life from one’s growing to an end. Since the 1970s,

the style of main themes started to turn to individual stories rather than focusing on social movements.

Aiming at “young adults” is also the unique part of the Japanese anime. Animation used to target

children to have fun, however, for those who did not “graduate” watching animation eventually began

to be called young adults, between teenager and mature adult. Due to these grown-up audiences

demanding reality for fictional animation, complexity in settings and backgrounds began to be

produced. Therefore, of the demand, maniac animation also started to increase, targeting only a

specific group of people. For example, animation depicting idols and animation that is based on the

characters which is the personification of animals are some of the major popular but also maniac

stories.

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For these reasons, the Anime industry is now attracting various age groups, and growing in several

ways. This growth is helping people to have more opportunity to get into the Anime world and

eventually to become a core fan.

Despite all the praise the Japanese animation has, there also are criticisms made relating to the

possible effects made by animation projects. One opinion is that animation might somehow include

bad influence especially for children to what in terms of thought and morality, by watching those

kinds of genres that has extreme violence or sexual expression. In addition, as mentioned formerly,

Japanese animation is relatively careless about serious issues today such as stereotypes among

different society and female depiction. By overcoming those critical points, anime as Japanese culture

is trying to develop more oversea, as well as in domestic industry.

2. Anime and Media Mix

Then, how anime has become one of the big culture industries will be focused from the point of view

of media mix progress in order to concentrate more on the actual effects made by anime. Today,

various opportunities exist to diffuse anything, especially through the Social Networking Service. For

example, uploading derivative works to You Tube, collecting information and gathering them into

their own website, or binding a book with one’s personal consideration, and propagating to another

fans is the way how people in this world spread their supporting contents and enjoy as a part of fan

activity. Moreover, some people would make a costume and wear them as a group and call it a

gathering event or distribute the derivative work, or “doujinshi” at such place for example the Comic

Market. Yamamura mentions how fans are both consumers of the anime content and producers of

secondary contents, are in other words are “prosumers” of the content, and this aspect of the fans are

affecting the contents in a big way (2011). Yamamura also mentions that contents that were born from

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fan movements are letting another culture grow; blogs and reports made by fans help other fans to be

encouraged to follow. As fans and tourists, or “prosumers,” fans each other affects one another to be

interested in doing the pilgrimage among the anime content. The development of media is helping the

contents to be famous with the fans’ individual interactions. It is now becoming a common action for

otaku to create an account in such SNS as Twitter, just for the use of their relations in hobbies, aside

with one’s actual relation. With the usage of account just for the hobbies, this will help them to collect

information more easily and variously by following official accounts or connecting with another otaku

friends who like the same contents. Movements made by these accounts are now one of the important

powers to support a content to know their interests towards them. Additionally, by having more

friends to follow the same or similar contents, will help otaku to gather and deepen communication as

one real relationship other than those created in schools or companies. The development of media

influenced the activity of the fans from who used to reluctantly move alone for their contents, to the

places which encourages to gather and have fun with their otaku friends. This change is said to be the

real affect made due to the media mix progress, that fans movement ideology began to transform.

3. Anime and the Fans

Through many experiences, those who were only a casual follower could easily get absorbed into the

Anime and level up to become an avid fan. For the fans, there are many opportunities to take in order

to follow the contents; simply watching the works, joining the official events, and looking for

activities to move independently for the content.

First, watching the Anime to support is the biggest and the easiest activity that people could do to take

the first step as a fan. Because of the device to take an approach to the works increased recently, “light

otaku” also increased, who just enjoy watching the Anime content but do not attempt to do something

additionally as a fan. This increase of the audience is supporting the content from the aspect of its

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reputation or popularity, to lead to further step, the actual events relating the content.

Then to deepen the interest in the Anime works, participating in the Anime related events is the

common step taken by the fans. Anime officials normally hold an event to promote the Anime for the

fans to support them, such as commemorating events due to the release of the DVDs or concert live of

the music used in the Anime. Normally, these kinds of events will contain the actual comments from

the casts of the production for example, the voice actors, producers, and the directors. Event

participation sometimes would become a proof of being the big fan of the content, showing how one

is devoted.

Finally, for deep fans of the Anime, some would move more for deep sympathy to the content, notably,

creating derivate works, doing cosplay of the character, and visiting sites relating to the Anime are the

major activities. As mentioned, as in such places like Comic Market, many fans enjoy sharing their

works and showing costumes as their shape of love towards the Anime. For visiting sites of the anime

related location, it is well known as “seichi-junrei,” or pilgrimage today. Compared to other two,

pilgrimage is easier to do, and is now one of the popular activities among the fans.

Through fan activity, people try to know more about the anime and get closer attention to it. Anime

today is not only the works itself, but also the relating activities, that is attracting the audiences.

Especially for the individual fan activities, this is gradually becoming a significant movement to move

not only the anime industry but also to the actual places.

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Chapter II: Defining Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage in its primary sense is a journey to a holy place for religious reasons (Oxford). However,

the pilgrimage mentioned in this dissertation represents an extended sense: contents tourism or anime

tourism. As a part of “contents tourism,” pilgrimage will be defined, how it is belonging as a

supportive action made by anime fans and how it affects who is concerned.

1. Pilgrimage and Contents Tourism

Over the past 10 years, “contents tourism” had been used as a typical Japanese concept that includes

various aspects of pop culture relating to tourism. It was in the 1990s, when the concept of “contents”

had started to use as the connected idea of thematic quality and narrative quality along with pop

culture. After the appearance of this idea, Japanese researchers began to reconsider about the form of

tourism by then, and some discussion come to find out this form of content tourism might had existed

from a few centuries ago. For instance, Masubuchi argues that the action of people in Edo era to visit

the places where Matsuo Bashou had read his poem is the early form of contents tourism (2010). In

Japan, this concept of contents tourism was positioned within the Japanese tourist policy in 2005, by

the joint statement of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Economy,

Trade and Industry, and the Agency of Cultural Affairs. According to the statement, content tourism is

a tourism that is aimed to promote the tourism and related industry by utilizing contents including

films, TV dramas, novels, mangas and games, that has to do with the local. Moreover, the basis of the

tourism must conjugate the tourist attraction by adding thematic quality and narrative quality to the

local in order to bring on peculiar images or atmosphere through the content.

Today, pilgrimage as in contents tourism has a given a definite meaning, that it is a project that is

possible to involve this whole country, as official tourism activity.

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2. History and Development

Nishie defines the start of the contemporary pilgrimage as the fans of “Tenchi-Muyou!” visiting the

Tairou Shrine in Okayama prefecture, the model of the Anime, in 1992 (2016). Hence, pilgrimage had

already becoming one of the fan activities done by Anime fans by the 1990s. While the Anime fan

community used to stand in underground and limited areas, the spread of internet helped the fans to

improve their communing environment, and pilgrimage grew also. Later, in the 2000s, popularization

of internet brought the big boom of services such as BBS, personal blogs and homepages. Fans who

watched the Anime pilgrimage to the sacred places, posted the article or the experience to the internet

services, and another fan got stimulated to go on a pilgrimage. Occurrence of this kind of circulation

could be assumed from the historical flow. Pilgrimage used to be fan initiative event, that locals that

were visited rarely moved for the Anime visitors. However, from the middle of 2000s, pilgrimage

began to move from fans initiative to local initiative, or in other words, with more participation of the

local than before. What is more, Anime producers’ approach had also increased; due to the big effects

made by fans, Animes that uses the technology of using actual landscape and building and trace as the

background of the animation increased. Pilgrimage as the movement by Anime fans gradually bean to

focused by news medias, and in 2016, the vocabulary “seichi-junrei” was nominated in the top 10 of

the Keywords-of-the-year contest in Japan, proving that a number of people are now paying attention

to the activity. As an additional explanation, the Keywords-of-the-year contest is a historical event

held from 1984, with the sponsor of U-CAN Inc. It is one of the celebrated contests in Japan as well

as the “This Years Kanji” in each end of the year, to reflect the social condition and fashion of the year,

by searching the word that were mostly picked up in many places. The vocabulary contents tourism or

“seichi-junrei” appearing to such place refers to the anime becoming one of the popular topics that got

into the news.

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3. Pilgrimage and the Fans

In relation of the increase of the technology to use of actual landscapes and traces as the background

of the animation, the background effect will be focused. The background scene in the Anime are used

to be depicted simply as fictional animation. Most of the drawing was drawn as fantasy. However, in

the Anime works today, even if it still an animated background, most of the depiction resembles to the

actual landscapes. Since the development of the effects, it is possible for the audiences to identify the

used background to the actual location. It is a rare case for the Anime works to announce the used

location officially. There are some titles that obviously portray the place, but then, would change the

name of the location like as parody. Therefore, those who would go on pilgrimage to the “sacred

places” and visit those locations that were depicted in the Anime. Kurose explains that the technology

used by the animators is leading the audiences to imagine the actual scenery penetrating into the

fictional space and cause the discordance of dimension as awkwardness, which in other hand would

give a reality in the work (2009). Hence, pilgrimage is an action made by Anime fans who look for the

connection between the fictional works and actual location in reality, in order to acquire deeper

understanding to the Anime they support.

4. Defining Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage actions that are done by the fans can be defined in several types. First, pilgrimage could be

defined from the information about the location used. As mentioned earlier, location used as model is

often concealed by the official. For this reason, fans try to find out the names of the modeled place in

order to pilgrimage from the characteristics depicted. There are cases that officials inform, too that

they have model they had used, especially recently. Fans would visit the spot in any way that was

informed, but it might bring a slight difference in how people related would react, not only the fans

but also the local people. Then, is the effect made by the movement, that divides the two types of

pilgrimage: image change and economic change. Former type literally stands for the change that was

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made in the impression to the place. Latter mentions especially about the economical affects or the

countryside revitalization. These two are different from the aspect of the influence, either it just

changed the image of the location, that could end up within the fans, or, the project completely helped,

supported, or changed the local. By using these terms of location and real effects, my case studies

would go on to explain the pilgrimage itself and how it affected the real world.

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Chapter III: Case Studies

Along with the definition mentioned formerly, several case studies will be given in order to analyze

how pilgrimage affects people and the work itself. The cases are chosen according to a simple

classification: location information and the real effect. For the former, could be divined the

information that is informed officially in the story, such as when the actual names were used, or if it is

a place found out by the fans of the anime. The latter refers to the effective change made by the

pilgrimage. There are two points; image change or economical change of the local. With a brief

summary of the anime used for the case study, pilgrimage activity done by the fans and how other

relationships became to relate will be criticized.

1. Girls und Panzer

a. Concept

Girls und Panzer (Garupan) is a TV series broadcasted in 2012 as an autumn season anime. Directed

by Tsutomu Mizushima, it had only one season (12 episodes) as the main story. Few original video

animation (OVA) and movie series were produced with time difference. The story takes place with the

basis of two concepts of links and bonding between people and the spirit of sport among the

“Sensha-do.” Miho Nishizumi as the leading character, enters the Ooarai Girls High expecting her

new life to grow out of her former life. The teen school life story and family relation story of Miho

and her friends, through the school activity was developed. Along that side, the “Sensha-do (the way

of operating tank)” from military aspect as another main concept of traditional fighting spirit of sport

are combined. This way of operating the tank in the story lines up with such ways of traditional

Japanese culture of flower arrangement (Ka-do) and tea ceremony (Sa-do) as the Yamatonadeshiko,

Japanese ladies’ modesty. “An unusual combination of tank and high school girls, depicting heartful

tank story” is the official line used as the catchphrase. One of the characteristics of this anime is that

despite its long run hit, most of the characters are female, other than those who sometimes appear as

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background characters. Hence, it is possible to suppose that this Anime is targeting a male audience

for all the unique young female characters and the military fans from the detailed depiction of the

tanks used in the story.

The location which became the sacred place is Ooarai city in Ibaraki prefecture. Drawing in the anime

and the actual place has many points that create links, for instance, in the fourth episode, when

Ooarai city was used for the practice game of the tanks, not only the scenery was reflected faithfully,

but also the actual names of the shops were used. Thus, for the fans, how Ooarai city is just as it were

in the fictional work, were very attractive, it was possible for them to trace after the characters’ life in

Ooarai city.

b. Pilgrimage Effect

Garupan is said to be one of the most successful examples for pilgrimage. The key points the

pilgrimage project to be counted as successful example, is the “changes” mentioned formerly, and for

Garupan, it is the economic change. According to the research in 2013, tourists who visited the

Ooarai city was 159,000 people as a total, and the direct economic effect was up to 721,000,000 yen.

Not only the numbers, but the effects to the local people in another point that could be raised to the

success of pilgrimage. Because it was a late-show Anime, not every people in the local deeply

understood about the anime and all the project itself. Especially when the pilgrimage project was to

start, there were many people who were skeptical about it. However today, Garupan is indispensable

for Ooarai city. According to Kamiyama and Kinoshita, reasons why Garupan ended up attaining

successful pilgrimage project is hidden in the four “Ds”: deepness, detour, durability, and dialogue

(2014).

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First, Ooarai city completely went through the setting of the story and reflected to the tourist spot. For

example, in the anime, the Ooarai Prefectural High School, which is the school where the main

characters go, wins the championship of the sensha-dou competition. From that setting of the story,

banners and flags celebrating the Ooarai High winning as champions were put up all over the city as if

they were actually cheering the main characters and celebrating their actual local high school team.

By eliminating the border between the fiction and reality, stakeholders work on building the world

that the fans could deeply be absorbed.

Then, due to Ooarai city having many local sites used in the story, a map was created for the fans to

make a pilgrimage with detail such as “the hotel where the tank bumped into” or “where the tank was

shot and exploded.” Moreover, it is often the case within the stores that the panels of the characters

are settled. For those who do the pilgrimage would walk all around the city as it is a stamp rally, to

complete seeing all of the panels built, leading visitors to detour the Ooarai.

The third D stand for durability, as in the campaigns and events held still today, not only in Ooarai

city but, in various places in Ibaraki prefecture. Although the broadcasting of the TV series was only

three months, those campaigns relating to Garupan are still planned. Consequently, pilgrims would be

able to gain new findings and enjoyment every time and leads to repeat visiting the local.

Finally, interaction between the fans and locals is the big point raised for the successful reason of this

case. From the panels settled by the store, conversation between the visitors and shop holders would

increase, which also would lead to more purchasing products and opportunity to become regular

customers. Dialogues that occurred within the people eventually become one big connection who

supports the anime together.

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By the all the interactions happening, synergistic effect would occur between the people, who visits

and who welcomes. Ooarai city’s success in pilgrimage project from the economical aspect were

recognized by the government. In 2013, Ooarai city received the encouraging prize for “the First

Award for the Effort Supporting ‘Now or Never’ Travel by the Young” from the Ministry of Land,

Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Tourism Agency, and in 2014, Ibaraki prefecture

received grand prize for “Ibaraki Image Encouraging Award”.

2. Free!

a. Concept

Produced by Kyoto Animation, Free! became one of the most important and famous works of the

production since the first broadcast in 2013. Through three seasons of TV series and several film

versions, school life of the high school boys as the main characters and their complicated adolescence

relationships were drawn along with the main concept of swimming competition starting from the

swimming club to the club activity to the professional world. Through each season, characters grow

up and experience different problems or suffer along with their changes. Those realities of human

drama attract the audiences to bring emotions to every details of the characters. Compared to how

Garupan was targeting male audiences, Free! was more for female audiences, which could be

imagined from the catchphrase used by the official PR, in early time of the publicity, “the story of

swimming, adolescent and friendship, brought to you by handsome high school boys.”

Iwami city in Tottori prefecture was used for the model of the city where the main characters grew up

until high school. Unlike in Garupan, while the city itself was completely portrayed the detailed parts

of Iwami city, the names of the actual places were never used in the work, except for the names of the

big city such as Tokyo or Sydney. In the story, where the main characters live is named “Iwatobi city”

with a little twist with the actual name. According to the interview of the tourism association of Iwami

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city, fans of Free! guessed and found out the location by themselves and spread among medias such as

SNSs (2014). The tourism association of Iwami city now has a Twitter account to inform fans about

the events taking place, since October 2013. Since the locations are just the same as how it was in the

animation, fans enjoy themselves tracing the characters life and call it the pilgrimage. Because the

anime has the competitive swimming as the main concept, several facilities appear such as Namihaya

Dome in Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Aqua Arena in Kyoto Prefecture. Those places also rarely

indicated by the official, therefore, fans look for the close figures all around the country and share

with each other to verify.

b. Pilgrimage Effect

From the aspect of tourism, Iwami city used to be a tourist spot for gourmet or hot spring lovers, thus

of course it made a big economical effect as Garupan did; however, it had also changed the image of

Iwami city as a touring location. This city originally had several local specialities such as sea foods

fished from the local seaside, and historical natural hot spring which is the oldest in Inaba region. In

contrast to Garupan, Free! has many female audiences, as mentioned formerly. According to the

interview done by the tourism association of Iwami city, it first was a big visible difference that young

female tourist began to come and enjoy the city (2014).

In Ooarai city, the tourism association tried not to commit too much with the anime in order to avoid

big image change to the location. However, for Iwami city, on the other hand, they made a location

map according to the story in haste, and guest houses or hotels arranged the meals to mackerel foods

such as saba teishoku, set meal lunch with mackerel as main meal, which is the favorite food of the

main character. How the official Twitter of Iwami city has changed its icon to the mascot of this story

could tell that Iwami city is now emphasizing Free! as a heart of their tourism.

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Connecting to other fan activities, cosplay is one of the popular activities, especially among female

otaku. It is without exception about this title, too, that it is one of the choice fans have to go around

the location of Iwami city with the costume of the characters in the story. This action made by the fans,

becomes the vague reproduction of Murakami’s point of view towards the pilgrimage; he explains that

the sacred places within the pilgrimage are the idea existing in between the fiction and non-fiction.

When projecting the fiction to the actual place, it will become the place of pilgrimage, but on the

other hand, real location projected to a fictional scene will bring out a scenery, even though neither of

them does not hold substantial being (2011). Fans, not only the cosplayers, go after the presence of the

characters by interpreting each scene where they were impressed about the character or the scenes.

That action itself might not seem important for those who are in ignorance of the work, however, for

the ones who enthusiastically follows, refers to a precious time just like a ritual.

Free!, started from 2013, is still on its way to expand the story further to the characters’ future. The

animation production company, Kyoto Animation received a severe damage by the tragic fire which

occurred in July 2019 and confronting their tough time. The official Tottori Prefecture Web Site

announced that the given donation to Kyoto Animation went up to 1,434,408yen and donated

completely to Kyoto Animation (2019). Relationship between the fans, locals and the anime became

definite due to all of the interactions made by the pilgrimage movement.

3. In Saitama Prefecture

a. Concept

Saitama Prefecture is known for having a number of anime titles that modeled the location in the work.

For example; Lucky Star (2007) modeling Washinomiya city, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

(2011) modeling Chichibu city, Crayon Shinchan (1992) modeling Kasukabe city, My Neighbor

Totoro (1988) modeling Tokorozawa city, and more than 50 titles could be named for modeling

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Saitama.

Lucky Star is one of the big turning points in the anime history that led otaku culture itself to become

more popular. Following the pilgrimage action “Tenchi-Muyou!” took the lead of, fans of Lucky Star

visiting Washinomiya city gradually increased and made a great success in economical aspect, which

lead to regional revitalization.

Especially the movement made by Washinomiya shrine had ignited this big hit of Lucky Star and the

pilgrimage action alongside. After the broadcast of the anime in April 2007, the main character in

opening animation was drawn in the Washinomiya shrine and its surrounding spot was seen by the

audiences. Even though of the appearance was so short, the playful spirit in whole animation brought

fans to have an influential impression. Then, from those who found out the shrine as the location

gradually began to visit. This used to be a small event for the small numbers of fans to just visit and

take some pictures, but made a change from the Washinomiya shrine and other places picked up as the

sacred place of Lucky Star in anime magazines, and a number of people began to visit the shrine as

the sacred place for the anime they love. Along with the gradual change of visitors, events held also

supported Washinomiya city to turn more vibrant. Media reporting this movement favorably also

assisted the fans and the local to improve each other’s impression.

Moreover, Anohana being a big hit anime had many tie-ups with Chichibu city, especially with the

Seibu Railway. Campaigns such as souvenir train tickets, wrapping train and bus, and anime related

event took place in Chichibu city. These campaigns worked out very well, so that even though the TV

broadcast was completed in 2011, events were still hosted in 2014, and it even progressed to live

action film in 2015. Both works helped the local to revitalize from the aspect of economical affect

they have made. How they were able to be successful, is the ideal way that other regions try to

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undergo borrowing the titles of anime and connect it to the local place. However, pilgrimage project is

not always an easy affair to be done even with the power of anime. Example for those unsuccessful

case will be analyzed later.

What Uno pointed out about pilgrimage is the trend shifting in anime concepts from the genres that

makes audiences to be absorbed in to another fictional world, or fictional chronological stories, to the

genres with less narrative qualities and more with atmospherically worlding, or story based on the

everyday life of the characters (2011). Accordingly, the function of “fiction” made a shift from

connecting the audience to different dimensional world to reinterpret the real world with fictional

world. The titles given for the Saitama Prefecture based anime, is mostly the heartwarming characters’

everyday life focused story.

Saitama Prefecture taking pride in having a number of titles for being modeled, is now moving on to a

further step, not just to be dependent on the anime titles, but to work on the anime from Saitama

Prefecture.

b. Pilgrimage Effect

Due to the number of the works related to Saitama prefecture making big hit, this became their chance

to start up new tourism promotion along with Anime and Otaku culture. They set up a touring

information website “Saitama Cho-(very) Deep Tourism Association (埼玉ちょ～でぃーぷな観光

協会)” to introduce Saitama from the aspect of anime and manga as an attraction. In 2009, “Saitama

Prefecture Anime Tourism Investigative Commission (埼玉県アニメツーリズム検討委員会)” was

set by the experts with the subtitle of “association to discuss about Anime Tourism of the Otaku, by

the Otaku, for the Otaku.” Moreover, as for a place to support creators in Saitama, “Anime

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Do-Saitama (アニメど埼玉)” was settled , to produce PR animation for tourists, in order not to end

up its popularity as a temporal boom that is depended to the popularity of the animation works.

Since 2013, Saitama is hosting a festival named “Ani-Tama Festival (Festival of Anime and Manga in

Saitama),” gathering all the titles that were brought out from Saitama Prefecture. Thus there, Saitama

appeals themselves as the sacred place for anime. Matsumoto, the member of Saitama Prefecture

industry labor section tourism division commented in his interview that it was when Lucky Star

brought an enormous number of people and economical effects, that he noticed they had influential

power as the tourist attractions (2014). Tanaka, in the same interview mentioned that of course

inviting anime fans is important, but the most important thing for them is to have people to come and

visit the locals. He also analyzed that the majority of participants in Ani-Tama Festival were the light

users within the people who has the anime as hobby. Therefore, having the festival as the opportunity,

Saitama Prefecture is looking forward for the tourists to have fun all around the Saitama. Ani-Tama

Festival in 2014 had about 63000 people in two days. This is affecting the image of Saitama as

“Saitama = Anime”, not just the core fans, but also the light users. Saitama Prefecture is now planning

a project that is supporting Saitama Prefecture to become anime sacred place.

While it is often the case with the sacred places to lose their tourists along with the end of broadcast,

Saitama prefecture has keeping its value as a location for pilgrimage although many of the anime have

ended. This could be said to be due to all the efforts made by the local and the developers to follow

the fans action such as holding an event and to maintain their tourist attraction.

4. Rinne-no-Lagrange (Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne)

a. Concept

“Rinne-no-Lagrange (LagRin)” is a Japanese robot anime work. As original TV series, it started to be

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broadcast in January 2012. Total two seasons were released in the same year. LagRin has the subtitle

“Flower declaration of your heart” and English translated title “Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne” set

officially. The story starts with the leading character Madoka Kyono, who is a normal high school

student in Kamogawa Girls High, somehow getting chosen as a rider of a robot “Wox” by a

mysterious girl, Ran. To save the people and the city of Kamogawa, Madoka and the girls start to fight

against the enemies from the outer space who try to attack the earth. Throughout the story, Madoka

and her fellows will face their fate and the Wox robots, and what “Rinne (metempsychosis)” is. Anime

would pick up the relationship between the Earth or Kamogawa and the “Polihedron” which is the

planet relates to the Earth, as history and with the existence of Wox as a key affair.

The largest characteristic of this anime is the designs of the robots used in the story. Production I.G,

who is known for specializing in robot scientific actions, being the main producer, collaborated with

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., from the experience of former collaboration in Ghost in the Shell STAND

ALONE COMPLEX Solid-State Society (2006). The design of the main robot and some other

machines used in the story were designed by the professionals, and that fact led science fiction and

robot otaku to support the anime.

The story takes place in Kamogawa city in Chiba prefecture. Most of the backgrounds used in the

anime were based on the actual scenery. Moreover, the actual name “Kamogawa city” was used in the

story, which is the rare case for anime. In Kamogawa city, official committee had settled to support

both the LagRin and Kamogawa city as tourist spots. Events often took place in Kamogawa city, for

example, naming it as Kamogawa resident or Chiba resident limited event, an advance screening of

the first episode were held in 2011.

LagRin has its core and deep fans due to its uniqueness of the concept and their relationship between

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the anime official and the fans through the events held. Therefore, from its unique characteristic, the

Anime itself had made a good hit among the Anime fans, and along that, many events were held, too.

b. Pilgrimage Effect

Apart from the favorable reception from the aspect of attractive robot anime, LagRin is also known

for its unsuccessfulness in the terms of pilgrimage. By revealing the tourism in Kamogawa city,

another aspect of pilgrimage will be analyzed. What was notable for this Anime other than the robot

part is that throughout the story, Kamogawa city in Chiba prefecture was too strongly commended as

the part of the story. It was supposed to work well, by pushing Kamogawa city more, press might pick

up them as representative local that could be pilgrimage with the support of the local and become

every otaku’s sacred place. However, this part of this project was little esteemed. Because the story

was pushing too much, the misunderstanding that Kamogawa intervened into the story had spread

among some fans who had little attention to LagRin. This could be heard less difference between the

former example when the local and anime official cooperated as the content tourism, however the

remarkable point different is that the project might have overlooked too much to acquire the result

from the first place, without thinking deeper about the narrative of the anime. That misinterpretation

brought antipathy by some Otaku and led to its being called as the unsuccessful example of

pilgrimage.

Despite those criticisms, according to the fans who have a positive feeling to the relationship between

the anime and local, this place has a different attraction as a sacred place compared to other anime.

Not like the former examples, Kamogawa was not able to make a big effect in the economic aspect.

Yet, the relationship is good, between Kamogawa, anime, and the audiences. All the events held in

Kamogawa prived good evidence for this. Yet, it is notable for taking close contact with fans and the

production team and the local people.

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Okamoto discusses that holding as event relating to the anime should not be thought just to attract

visitors (2015). How Lucky Star and Washinomiya city were able to succeed was the unity among the

fans and the local. Mutual understanding between the anime with local and local with visitor might be

the key point to definite rise of the local. The excessive push of Kamogawa brought some bad

reputation to the anime, however, without that, this content as an anime could be said as a success.

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Chapter Ⅳ: Conclusion

1. Effects Made by Pilgrimage

From all of the case studies, pilgrimage is possible to be defined to have an effective role to change

the city where are taken place as the background of the anime and then became a sacred place among

the fans. Some makes economical change, and some would get image change from the aspect of

tourism. Moreover, the sacred place is not always found in the ending credit. Still now, anime that

uses the specific actual local names is rare, that audiences try very hard on finding out and targeting

the sacred place.

Pilgrimage is now one of the important contents industry in Japan that could make a big influence not

only within the fans but also who relates as modeled location in other words, as sacred place. What is

more, according to the case study, it could be said that being the model of the anime could help the

local to revitalize from an economical point of view. Even if it used to do good with their local

attractions, being anime’s sacred location will let them gain more advantage as a touring spot.

Regardless of whether the notion of the local name comes from the official or is found by the

audience, it is a good entertainment for the fans to trace down the figure of the characters in the story

just going over where is applicable.

Defining pilgrimage as contents tourism leads to more expectation of anime industry in the terms of

connection between fiction and reality. Pilgrimage, which used to be used just for religious term is

now becoming a common sense to be utilized in metaphorical usage. Although this action of visiting

the modeled places as sacred locations has been done other than anime fans, history of anime industry

growth and popularity is closely following the process of pilgrimage becoming common, leading to

connect the two as deeply related industries.

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2. Anime as Culture

Anime is now gradually becoming a part of Japanese people’s everyday life. Other than locations that

are visited as pilgrimage, there are several places that emphasize anime featured objects. For instance,

the giant Gundam is settled at the entrance of popular theme park in Odaiba. Those kinds of objects

become not just for the entertainment for the fans but also for new interests for those who do not

know much about the anime works. Today, Japan is receiving more and more tourists from abroad,

and is becoming a chance to propagate Japanese unique cultures. The Cool Japan strategy started from

2010 is trying to push subcultures including anime to flourish more on cultural aspects.

In addition, pilgrimage is becoming more casual between anime fans to undergo because of the

popularity of concept cafes. A concept cafe is a limited spot dedicated to one anime or content and

provide foods and goods imaging the work. Consequently, anime fans today have easier access to

anime related contents more than just visiting distant locations as in the case studies. However, of

those rise of easy pilgrimage, traveling far away to the modeled spots are still popular activity done by

fans. Therefore, of popularity in both functions, it is becoming one movement to open the concept

cafe in the local modeled places. How the locals join hands with anime projects to attract customers is

contributing as the demonstration of the impact of anime among people.

Pilgrimage growing as expected industry, leads to show that anime effects are helping local areas to

revitalize, with fans interests. Seeing from collaboration such as overseas traveling tours, its effect is

progressing time to time. Since there are people who would visit Egypt for anime pilgrimage, it might

not be too far to find long tour pack to pilgrimage all around the world, and pilgrimage be noticed to

more people as in subculture activity. Otaku moving the economy might not be a joke from these

perspectives. Anime as culture has sub-culture that could influence the audiences in many ways and is

one of the representative cultures that Japan can show proudly to the world.

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