April 27, 2025

Japan's Local Regions Capitalize on Anime Sacred Sites for Economic Boost

Japan's movement to promote "anime sacred site pilgrimages"—where fans visit real-life locations featured in anime—gains momentum across the country. By 2025, 36 prefectures will feature at least one site on the "88 Japanese Anime Sacred Sites" list, based on votes from fans in Japan and abroad, matching the previous record. Nagasaki Prefecture, in particular, actively promotes its locations, including those seen in The Color of You (2024). These efforts help increase the region’s visibility as a filming destination.

The government estimates that 3.1 million inbound anime "pilgrims" could visit Japan annually, with domestic spending reaching 470 billion yen. The "88 Anime Sacred Sites" list, curated by the Anime Tourism Association since 2018, includes 124 municipalities. Nagasaki's share grew the most, by 6.9 percentage points to 8.1% in 2025. Other regions, such as Saitama and Aichi, have also experienced significant growth.

Nagasaki supports around 100 projects annually, collaborating with anime and film producers. For example, the tourism association worked with the team behind Kimi no Iro, organizing location tours and promoting the film with a wrapped tramway after its release. In 2025, Nagasaki has budgeted 6.8 million yen for pilgrimage-related tours.

Gunma Prefecture, ranked fourth in growth, is also capitalizing on anime tourism, with key locations featured in "Nanare Hana Nare" and "Initial D.” Governor Ichita Yamamoto views anime tourism as vital to the region’s economic diversification, especially as the automotive industry faces challenges.

Professor Takeshi Okamoto, an expert in anime tourism, notes that collaborating with local governments enhances production quality and boosts a region’s appeal. While certain locations, such as Shinjuku and Kamakura, were removed from the list due to their popularity, smaller, lesser-known sites are starting to gain attention.

With the increasing production of anime each year, even towns without previous connections to anime now have the opportunity to be featured as new "sacred sites."