From young kids to adults, the magic of manga and anime has enchantsed and fascinated many generations

Although fictional stories, real-life places inspired them. In Tohoku and Niigata, places that were the origin or inspiration for many manga and anime have become revered sites for fans.

Let's go on a pilgrimage to these lands and step into the world of your favorite manga and anime!

First is the immensely popular manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki. This series has sold more than 100 million copies to date.

The setting of Part 4 and Part 8—S-city, Morioh Town —is inspired by Araki's hometown in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. Names inspired by Sendai also appear in places and characters in JoJo.

One example is Jozenji, Morioh Town (Jozenji Temple), where the protagonist of Part 4, Josuke Higashikata, lives. This temple can be found on Jozenji-dori Avenue, one of the main streets in Sendai and a symbol of the city of trees.

The surname of Koichi Hirose in Part 4 and 5 and Yasuho Hirose in Part 8 is named after the Hirose River, another symbol of Sendai.

Fans of Jojo can come across other names of places such as Kotodai and Kakyoin while strolling around the center of the city.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Official Portal Site

https://jojo-portal.com/

It is said that the depiction of nature in Fisherman Sanpei, one of the most popular nature-oriented manga, was based on that of Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, where the author, Takao Yaguchi, was born.

In particular, his hometown of Masuda-machi Saruhannai, Yokote City, still retains a rich natural environment, and visitors can feel as if they have stepped into his world.

The Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, where Yaguchi served as honorary director, is located in Masuda Town. Here, visitors can view the museum's collection of original drawings and exhibits related to the culture of manga.

Although Yaguchi passed away in November 2020, his beautiful depictions of nature and the manga culture he established continues to charm many fans.

Yokote City Masuda Manga Museum

https://manga-museum.com/

Flying Witch is a popular manga set in Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture, created by Chihiro Ishizuka, a native of the city.

The protagonist of the manga—apprentice witch Makoto Kowata—moves to Hirosaki City, where her relatives live, to become a full-fledged witch; many famous places from Hirosaki City appear in the story.

A particularly popular pilgrimage spot among fans is the Taisho Roman Tea Room of the Fujita Memorial Garden, which served as the model for Café Conclusio.

The tea room appears as a restaurant run by a witch. We recommend paying this place a visit because it actually serves the apple pie just as in the manga.

Hirosaki Park features prominently in the manga where a number of locations in the park can be seen in the story.

(*The location of the castle keep is currently being moved due to reconstruction.)

Hirosaki Tourism and Convention Bureau

Flying Witch Pilgrimage Tour

https://www.hirosaki-kanko.or.jp/web/edit.html?id=fc_flyingwitch

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is an anime which began airing in 1972. It was later brought back in 2013 as Gatchaman Crowds.

In the sequel to this popular show, Gatchaman Crowds: Insight (broadcast in 2015), real-life places in Nagaoka City in Niigata Prefecture, was featured.

Tsubasa Misudachi, one of the main characters in the story, attends a high school in Nagaoka City.

The building that appears in the climax of the second episode is Riverside Senshu, a shopping mall in the city. The manga faithfully depicts the interior of this place. 

Also, the City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka and other buildings also appear in the intro

NAGAOKA LOCANAVI Gatchaman Crows: Insight in Nagaoka

https://locanavi.jp/osusume/gatchaman/

Go on a pilgrimage to places brought to life through manga and anime and see the real-life locations that inspired the creators to bring their works to the world.