When you go to Japan, what do you want to see? Of course, there are the major landmarks that everyone knows like Tokyo Skytree, Kiyomizudera, Tsuutenkaku… all landmarks on the “Golden Route” of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. However, there are so many other things to see outside of the Golden Route, and a lot of them are related to popular anime. It may be logistically difficult to reach these places, but with the help of H.I.S. Co. Ltd., your wish to see other things outside of the Golden Route can be granted! You don’t have to stay only within the Golden Route – H.I.S. can take you to visit your favorite anime locations. Here are some locations and ideas that you can consider adding to your itinerary!
Ghibli
“The Ghibli Museum is in Tokyo, though,” I can hear you say. I know. And it is famously difficult to get tickets to. Same with Ghibli Park in Aichi. Both of these facilities have one day a month where they open ticket sales and if you aren’t quick enough to get them while it’s hot, that’s your vacation plan ruined! But with H.I.S., you can put together a tour that includes tickets to the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park if you so choose. You can also see if you can add inspirational locations to your itinerary such as Yakushima National Park in Kagoshima Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that inspired Princess Mononoke, or Dogo Onsen in Ehime Prefecture, said to be one of the inspirations for Spirited Away.
Detective Conan
It’s rather well known that Gosho Aoyama, the mangaka of Detective Conan, is from Tottori and there are a lot of Conan-related attractions there. However, Tottori can be hard to get to especially if you’re here for a limited time. You can fly into Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport, where statues and standees of different Conan characters will greet you – including trick art that you can enjoy! You can check out the sand dunes in Tottori (including riding camels!) or go straight to Hokuei. At Hokuei, you can start at JR Yura Station – also known as Conan Station! And then walk about twenty minutes up Conan Street, a street dotted with statues of different characters, to the Gosho Aoyama Museum. You can’t forget to check out Conan’s House Beika Shopping Street, either!
Gegege no Kitaro
If you’re already in Tottori for Conan, why not spend some more time and check out the attractions on the other side of the prefecture featuring Gegege no Kitaro? You can be greeted by Kitaro and his friends at Yonago Kitaro Airport, including statues around the airport including on the conveyer belts at baggage claim and head to Yonago, where you can check out the Mizuki Shigeru Road, where you can enjoy finding statues of different yokai and stop by the Mizuki Shigeru Museum. Don’t forget to stop by Kitaro Station (JR Sakaiminato Station) to check out the wrapped trains and the Nezumi Otoko platform!
Evangelion
So this one depends on the time of year, but Ube in Yamaguchi actively collaborates with Evangelion every year! Right now until March 15, 2026, there is a 7m-tall Spear of Longinus speared into the ground. The town gets in on the fun with various activities such as collaboration foods, a “sound tour” where you can listen to background music and introductions to each area by Misato herself via your smartphone, and even a puzzle-solving game around the city! You can also buy exclusive merch in shops around the city. Why not include a quick day trip to Ube if you’re heading down south?
One Piece
Did you know that Eiichiro Oda is from Kumamoto Prefecture? So, after the earthquakes in 2016 that caused an incredible amount of damage throughout the prefecture, including to the famed Kumamoto Castle, he donated a lot of money to the reconstruction process, both under his name and Luffy’s. Another cool thing that he worked with the prefecture to create is to set up statues of his characters all around the prefecture! Not only can you see and take photos with Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the gang around the prefecture, it has an app that you can use to play with AR around the statues. And for you figure collectors, each town with a statue sells exclusive figures of the character in its statue pose. Other One Piece activities around the prefecture include the Sunny-Go Train that’s covered in One Piece decorations inside and out, and depending on the time of year, there may even be a puppet show featuring everyone’s beloved Chopper!
These locations and more – such as Miyagi for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, Hokkaido for Love Live! Sunshine!! and Aichi for The Quintessential Quintuplets – are all incredible spots to enjoy your favorite anime in real life. There are more places in the country that you can go to see, but if you really want to go off the beaten path and see more unique sights than the standards, make sure to contact H.I.S. and find assistance in putting together the best itinerary you can!
from Tokyo Otaku Mode News https://ift.tt/yVqE7Tt
