15 Best Anime Real-life Locations in Japan You Actually Visit

In this article, we have compiled a list of the best anime real-life locations in Japan you actually visit.

Anime and manga play a significant role in Japanese popular culture and are also widely recognized in other pop cultures. Their impact is evident, as they have influenced creatives who are not Japanese to produce their own works, such as Netflix’s Castlevania and Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender!
These media’s stories are frequently set in made-up worlds, such as the vivid settings of Violet Evergarden or the desolate, gloomy fantasy realms of the late Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. However, a good number of anime and manga exist in real life, such as Shibuya, which is the setting for one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s most bizarre plot arcs, and the busy port city of Yokohama in Bungou Stray Dogs.

Anime Real-life Locations in Japan

• Yakushima Island – Princess Mononoke
• Yokohama – Bungou Stray Dogs
• Suga Shrine Steps – Your name
• Harajuku – Jujutsu Kaisen
• Akihabara Radio Kaikan – Steins;Gate
• Shinjuku Station East Exit – Tokyo Ghoul
• Chichibu Bridge – The Flower We Saw That Day (Ano Hana)
• Kamakura Kokomae Station – Slam Dunk
• Shirakawago (Takayama) — Higurashi When They Cry
• Kanagawa – Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
• Kamei Arena Sendai – Haikyuu!!
• Tokyo – Terror In Resonance
• Dogo Onsen – Spirited Away
• Asakusa – Demon Slayer
• Sendai – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

 Yakushima Island – Princess Mononoke

Unquestionably one of Hayao Miyazaki’s greatest works of animation, Princess Mononoke is a mainstay of Japanese animation. The island of Yakushima in Japan serves as a unique setting that greatly inspired the film’s intriguing atmosphere and sets located in southern Japan, off the coast of Kagoshima. It is well-known for its thick woods and Yakusugi cedars, which are trees that are thousands of years old.

Because of its pristine state, this island is the perfect setting for Princess Mononoke and it is detail explored in the movie. Since 1993, Yakushima has even been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It may be reached both by air and water, and its central highlands and surrounding sandy beaches are some of its most distinguishing features.

Yokohama – Bungou Stray Dogs

Yokohama is situated on Tokyo Bay, immediately south of Tokyo, in Kanagawa Prefecture. It serves as the primary setting for Bungo Stray Dogs, as I previously stated, and the anime included numerous of the city’s most well-known sights.

One such site is the Museum of Art in Yokohama. One of the biggest museums in Japan, it features a vast collection of modern and contemporary works by both local and Western artists! You’ll be happy to hear that some of your favorite painters, including Salvador Dali’s “Fantastical Landscapes” and Pablo Picasso’s “Woman Sleeping in a Chair,” are available there.

Suga Shrine Steps – Your name

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Tokyo is the seemingly random steps that lead to Suga Shrine in Your Name. This is because Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name uses this location for its powerful climactic sequence.

Although the story takes us to many different parts of the capital of Japan, such as The National Art Center in Roppongi and Shinjuku’s Yunika Vision, fans have come to associate this peaceful set of stairs with a crimson railing with the story.

Although Yotsuya contains the stairs, Shinkai undoubtedly made some creative license in his film. Beyond Taki and Mitsuha lies a more expansive view that includes a portion of the Tokyo cityscape in the distance.

Harajuku – Jujutsu Kaisen

After the main character Yuji receives an invitation to enroll in the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, we meet Nobara Kugisaki, another new student, in the first chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami. Both Yuji and Nobara are from rural Japan, so when they arrive in Tokyo’s famous Harajuku neighborhood

Anyone who has visited Harajuku can relate to this feeling. Tokyo offers visitors a truly unique experience because of the delicious food, vibrant colors, and live music that fills the streets. The manga (and anime) depiction of these two exploding with joy perfectly reflects the feeling that many of us have when we walk out of Harajuku Station and onto Takeshita Street for the first time.

Akihabara Radio Kaikan – Steins;Gate

Just a short distance from JR Akihabara Station lies the Radio Kaikan building, home to the time machine on its top floor and the site of the first episode’s seminar.

There aren’t any metal oopas, but inside the building are Steins;Gate vending machines that serve Dr. Pepper beverages, in honor of the show. Located right there in Akihabara, it’s a convenient site to visit if you’re in the area.

It’s also possible to spend several hours in only the Kaikan building because it houses several stores selling anime-related good

Shinjuku Station East Exit – Tokyo Ghoul

This location should not be missed because Shinjuku Station is a large location. This is the actual site of a Tokyo Ghoul scenario where Kaneki meets Touka at the East Exit. Though it’s only mentioned briefly, it’s well worth a visit because it looks exactly like the scenario in the anime!

Chichibu Bridge – The Flower We Saw That Day (Ano Hana)

The touching anime series “The Flower We Saw That Day” tells a lovely tale of friendship and finding closure for unresolved issues. In this show, we watch as a group of friends gradually grow apart following the death of one of them in an accident. They all reunite to assist her in realizing her dream of fully transitioning into the afterlife when she reappears in a ghostly form.

You will witness them reconcile over their friendships and old grievances throughout the series. The personalities are likeable and realistic.

Chichibu Bridge is the bridge that appears in the anime’s opening sequence and as background for a few of the important sequences. Situated in Saitama, just one prefecture over Tokyo lies this unusual bridge. Without a doubt, you could spend a day excursion there!

Kamakura Kokomae Station – Slam Dunk

The opening shot of the well-known sports anime Slam Dunk features Hanamichi Sakuragi, the main character, at a train crossing with the ocean in view. This train crossing offers breathtaking views of the glittering Sanami Bay and is located close to Kamakura Kokomae Station in Kamakura City, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan.

Besides its breathtaking scenery, Kamakura is a bustling seaside resort town with plenty to offer. Explore Kamakura’s many temples, shrines, hiking paths, beaches, and islands, all just an hour’s drive from Tokyo.

Shirakawago (Takayama) – Higurashi When They Cry

Hinamizawa, the village in the horror/murder mystery series Higurashi When They Cry, was really inspired by this UNESCO World Heritage Site. This charming village, home to sites like the Wada House and Hachiman Shrine, is far from cursed (ideally). The picturesque traditional village, surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation, is stunning in all seasons thanks to its distinctive gasshō-zukuri building style.

Kanagawa – Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Bunny Girl Senpai is mostly set in Kanagawa, the second most populated prefecture in Japan. This is a well-known beachy, laid-back tourist destination with tons of anime-related sightseeing to do

Enoshima, a small island off the coast of Fujisawa City that is connected to the mainland via a bridge, is the most notable of its several locations. Highlights from the anime include the breathtaking Enoshima Shrine and the Nakamise Shopping Street, where you can taste the region’s renowned delicious whitebait. The popular commercial photo from Enoshima Aquarium’s Jellyfish Fantasy Hall features the title Bunny Girl in front of an aquarium filled with jellyfish.

Many of the dramatic beach scenes in the anime are set at Shichirigahama Beach, which is reachable from the island by a short stroll along the mainland coast.

Kamei Arena Sendai – Haikyuu!!

Hard-fought games at Kamei Arena Sendai, formerly known as Sendai City Gymnasium, are nothing new to the Haikyuu!! players. Situated in the home territory of Kurasuno High, Miyagi Prefecture, this venue hosted major competitions such as the Miyagi Interhigh Preliminaries and Representative Playoffs. Every day the public can use the gymnasium. Athletes utilizing the facilities should not be disturbed by fans snapping pictures when they visit the gym at any time.

Tokyo – Terror In Resonance

The Tokyo Metropolitan building, which serves as the Terror in Resonance show’s primary setting, is bombarded at the beginning of this anime. The majority of the anime’s settings are well-known, such as the group’s gathering spot in Shibuya Scramble Square and the area around the billboards in Shinjuku. According to the anime, the Azabu police station, which is also situated in Roppongi, is the same as the Roppongi police station. Other locations include Katsushika’s Shirahige Shrine and Shibuya’s Maruhachi eatery.

Dogo Onsen – Spirited Away

In Matsuyama, Ehime, Dogo Onsen is another iconic anime setting. Since 759 AD, it has been a popular location for hot spring baths and was the basis for Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away“. If you’re a fan of the film, you really must see Dogo Onsen’s vintage wooden bathhouse.

The onsen is supposed to have therapeutic properties, and it’s thought that the local gods have bestowed these qualities on the waters. The onsen is a fantastic location to explore and discover the history and culture of the area because it is also the location of numerous shrines and temples.

Asakusa – Demon Slayer

Ikegitsu The streets of Asakusa, where Tanjiro first met his archenemy Muzan Kibutsuji, are undoubtedly familiar to Demon Slayer fans. Nevertheless, a lot of the sights you saw in Demon Slayer are no longer in Asakusa because the anime takes place during the Taisho period. One location that you can still visit is the Sensoji Temple’s entryway, which is similar to the Kaminarimon gate. The Asakusa Rokku neighborhood is another real-life site to visit; in the anime, Tanjiro was astounded by Asakusa’s modernism and he also met Kibutsuji there.

Sendai – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Despite being one of the most geographically and culturally varied franchises in Japan, not much of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure takes place in Japan. All of that, though, is altered in “Diamond is Unbreakable,” the fourth installment of the 35-year-old series, which abandons the globe-trotting tone of its earlier iterations in favor of a looser slice-of-life, monster-of-the-week narrative set in Japan.

The fictional town of Morioh, which is based on the actual city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, is the setting for the Diamond is Unbreakable arc. In contrast to the tranquil Morioh, Sendai is a vibrant, mid-sized city full of energy. It is best known for being the birthplace of Jojo author Hirohiko Araki and for having been founded by the samurai Date Masamune.

These are only a handful of the numerous places you might visit that are depicted in manga and anime. Simply put, there are too many to name all. However, if you are interested in discovering more anime locations, check out our Anime tourism section and subscribe to our newsletter to get more insights