Highlights of Anime Pilgrimage Sites
- The Anime Tourism Association (ATA) has recognized over 120 sites linked to more than 100 anime series.
- The ATA champions “content tourism, ”promoting destinations featured in anime and manga.
- The 2025 list of Anime Holy Sites was announced in January 2024, featuring locations from both classic and contemporary titles, selected in collaboration with fans.
In a recent announcement, the Anime Tourism Association revealed its updated list of “Anime Pilgrimage Sites People Should Visit, ”expanding the count to over 120 unique locations inspired by more than 100 different anime titles. The latest 2025 listing, unveiled in January 2024, incorporates sites from 15 new series, including Natsume’s Book of Friends, Girls Band Cry, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!, and the currently running The Colours Within. This annual tradition, ongoing since 2018, allows fans to track and explore these iconic locales through the ATA’s website.
Additionally, the ATA will conduct a press conference on February 13 at 14:00 JST (Japan Standard Time) to discuss their Anime Pilgrimage Sites 88 program, streaming the event on their official YouTube channel.
What is the Anime Tourism Association?
Understanding Content Tourism
The Anime Tourism Association was founded in September 2016 as a collaboration between Kadokawa and significant stakeholders in Japan’s anime and travel sectors. Its mission is to enhance tourism driven by the cultural influence of anime and manga. Based in Fujimi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, the organization is currently led by renowned mecha anime designer Shoji Kawamori, who succeeded Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of Gundam, as president in October 2024. The ATA focuses on “content tourism, ”an innovative approach that encourages visits to real-life locations depicted in various forms of media, including literature, anime, and manga.
One of the key initiatives of the ATA is the annual “88 Japanese Anime Spots, ”also referred to as “Japanese Anime Holy Sites.”This project has been running since 2018 and highlights 88 locations that fans consider significant. The use of the number 88 pays homage to the 88 temples visited by the historical figure Kūkai during his famous Shikoku pilgrimage. The chosen sites are determined through a voting process involving both Japanese and international fans, ensuring that the selections reflect the preferences of a global community.
The 2025 Anime Holy Sites
A Blend of Classic and Modern Titles
The forthcoming list of the 2025 88 Anime Holy Sites showcases a diverse selection of locations connected to both iconic classics and newer series. Featured titles include Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night (2024), My Deer Friend Nokotan (2024), SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary (2024), along with previous hits such as A Certain Scientific Railgun (2009), Digimon Adventure (1999), Hanasaku Iroha (2011), and Hyouka (2012). For a complete overview, see the detailed table below. New entries are denoted with asterisks.
|
Anime Title |
Local Government |
|
|---|---|---|
| Love Live! Sunshine!! |
Hokkaido |
Hakodate City |
| Hakuouki Shinkai | ||
| Kantai Collection – KanColle – |
Aomori Prefecture |
Mutsu City |
| Backflip!! |
Miyagi Prefecture |
Iwanuma City |
| Sanpei the Fisherman |
Akita Prefecture |
Yokote City |
| My Oni Girl* |
Yamagata Prefecture |
Yonezawa City |
| Hakuouki Shinkai |
Fukushima Prefecture |
Aizuwakamatsu City |
| Ultraman Series (Birthplace of Eiji Tsuburaya) |
Sukagawa City |
|
| Girls & Panzer Final Chapter |
Ibaraki Prefecture |
Oarai Town |
| 5 Centimeters per Second |
Tochigi Prefecture |
Tochigi City |
| Narenare: Cheer For You!* |
Gunma Prefecture |
Takasaki City |
|
Numata City |
||
| A Place Further Than the Universe |
Tatebayashi City |
|
| My Dress-Up Darling |
Saitama Prefecture |
Saitama City (Iwatsuki) |
| Moon is dead |
Kawagoe City |
|
| Kamisama Kiss | ||
| AnoHana |
Chichibu City |
|
| The Anthem of the Heart | ||
| Her Blue Sky* | ||
| Wasteful Days of High School Girls |
Tokorozawa City |
|
| Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit |
They have City |
|
| Goodbye My Cramer |
Warabi City |
|
| How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend |
Your City |
|
| Lucky Star |
Kuki City |
|
| The Anthem of the Heart |
Yokoze Town |
|
| Wataten!: An Angel Flew Down to Me |
Nagatoro Town |
|
| My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU |
Chiba Prefecture |
Chiba City |
| Blue Orchestra* | ||
| Amagami SS |
Choshi City |
|
| Trapezium* |
Tateyama City |
|
| BanG Dream! |
Tokyo |
Arakawa Line |
| Touch.* |
(Takadanobaba) |
|
| Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale |
Tokyo |
|
| STEINS;GATE |
Chiyoda Ward |
|
| Love Live! | ||
| Edomae Elf |
Chuo Ward |
|
| Digimon Adventure (1999) |
Minato Ward (Odaiba) |
|
| Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club |
Minato Ward |
|
| Lycoris Recoil |
Sumida Ward |
|
| THE iDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE! |
Koto Ward (Toyosu) |
|
| Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club |
Koto Ward |
|
| Bocchi the Rock! |
Setagaya Ward |
|
| 5 Centimeters per Second | ||
| Ultraman Series (Ultraman Shopping Street) | ||
| Love Live! Superstar!! |
Shibuya Ward |
|
| Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night* | ||
| My Dress-Up Darling |
Toshima Ward |
|
| BanG Dream! | ||
| How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend | ||
| Durarara!! | ||
| Digimon Adventure (1999) |
Nerima Ward (Hikarigaoka) |
|
| A Certain Scientific Railgun |
Tachikawa City |
|
| A Certain Magical Index | ||
| “SHIROBAKO” the Movie |
Musashino City |
|
| Laid-Back Camp |
Akishima City |
|
| No Kitaro |
Chofu City |
|
| Dropout Idol Fruit Tart |
Koganei City |
|
| My Deer Friend Nokotan* |
Hino City |
|
| Hakuouki Shinkai | ||
| Wasteful Days of High School Girls |
Higashimurayama City |
|
| CAMERA -Rebirth- |
Fuss City |
|
| Love Live! Superstar!! |
Kozushima Village |
|
| Bungo Stray Dogs |
Kanagawa Prefecture |
Yokohama City |
| Girls Band Cry* |
Kawasaki City |
|
| Slow Loop |
Yokosuka City |
|
| High School Fleet | ||
| Kantai Collection – KanColle – | ||
| Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai |
Fujisawa City |
|
| Evangelion |
Hakone Town |
|
| Yowamushi Pedal | ||
| Do It Yourself!! |
Niigata Prefecture |
Dream City |
| Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki |
Toyama Prefecture |
Kamiichi Town |
| Hanasaku Iroha |
Ishikawa Prefecture |
Kanazawa City (Yuwaku Onsen) |
| A Few Moments of Cheer* |
Kanazawa City |
|
|
Hakui City |
||
| Laid-back Camp |
Yamanashi Prefecture |
Yamanashi City |
|
Minobu Town |
||
| Super Cub |
Hokuto City |
|
| Summer Wars |
Nagano Prefecture |
Ueda City |
| SHOSHIMIN: How to become Ordinary* |
Gifu Prefecture |
Gifu City |
| Hyouka |
Takayama City |
|
| Let’s Make a Mug Too |
Tajimi City |
|
| Higurashi When They Cry: Graduation |
Shirakawa Village |
|
| Monster cat Anzu-chan* |
Shizuoka Prefecture |
Week |
| Laid-back Camp |
Hamamatsu City |
|
| Evangelion | ||
| Love Live! Sunshine!! |
Numazu City |
|
| Laid-back Camp |
Kawane Town |
|
| Shikizakura |
Aichi Prefecture |
Nagoya City |
| Laid-back Camp | ||
| Shikizakura |
Toyota City |
|
| MakeIne: Too Many Losing Heroines* |
Toyohashi City |
|
| Nagi no Asukara |
Mie Prefecture |
Kumano City |
| Hakuouki Shinkai |
Kyoto Prefecture |
Kyoto City |
| Kantai Collection – KanColle – |
Maizuru City |
|
| Ikkyu-san (Shuonan Ikkyu-ji Temple) |
Kyotanabe City |
|
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya |
Hyogo Prefecture |
Nishinomiya City |
| Hinabita♪ |
Tottori Prefecture |
Kurayoshi City |
| No Kitaro |
Sakaiminato City |
|
| If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die |
Okayama Prefecture |
Okayama City |
| Kantai Collection – KanColle – |
Hiroshima Prefecture |
Far City |
| Tamayura |
Takehara City |
|
| Shrine Maiden of the Morning Mist |
Miyoshi City |
|
| Evangelion |
Yamaguchi Prefecture |
Ube City |
| Yuuki Yuna is a Hero |
Kagawa Prefecture |
Kanonji City |
| Teasing Master Takagi-san 3 |
Tonosho Town |
|
| Ganbatte Ikimassho* |
Ehime Prefecture |
Matsuyama City |
| Dragon and the Freckled Princess |
Kochi Prefecture |
Ochi Town |
| Bull Buster |
Fukuoka Prefecture |
Kitakyushu City |
| Your Color* |
Nagasaki Prefecture |
Nagasaki City |
| Iroduku: The World in Colors | ||
| Your Color* |
Sasebo City |
|
| Kantai Collection – KanColle – | ||
| CAMERA -Rebirth- |
Tsushima City |
|
| Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion | ||
| Your Color* |
Goto City |
|
| Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm | ||
| Your Color* |
Shinkamigoto Town |
|
| Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm | ||
| Natsume’s Book of Friends* |
Kumamoto Prefecture |
Hitoyoshi, Kuma area, etc. |
| After School Fishing Diary |
Ashikita Town |
|
| 5 Centimeters per Second |
Kagoshima Prefecture |
Tanegashima |
| White Sand Aquatope |
Okinawa Prefecture |
Nanjo City |
| Ultraman Series (Tetsuo Kinjo Museum) |
Haebaru Town |
|
For access to the official 88 Holy Sites lists from previous years, visit the official website.
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