See Places that Appear in Anime First-hand Top 5 Post-worthy Spots at Tokyo’s Anime Sacred Sites

Taking a pilgrimage of anime sacred sites is a travel favorite among both Japanese tourists and international visitors. Everyone from avid anime fans who want to stand in the same places as the characters in their favorite anime, to anime beginners who want to check out the sacred sites of anime they have seen or heard of, can have fun touring the actual places the settings in anime were modeled after. Tokyo is a treasure trove of prominent anime sacred sites, with a wide range of destinations for anime fans. In this article we’ll introduce several post-worthy anime sacred sites that you’ll want to share with everyone on social media. And while you’re on your pilgrimage, be sure to check out the surrounding areas too.

Setagaya Ward—Gotokuji Station

Post-worthy Spots Appearing in Anime by Makoto Shinkai

5 Centimeters per Second

Makoto Shinkai is an anime director known for the hit films Your Name and Weathering with You. It is well known even among non-anime fans that many places in Tokyo have appeared in his films. Shinkai’s animated film 5 Centimeters per Second premiered in theaters in 2007. Gotokuji Station, a train station on the Odakyu Odawara Line in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, and the surrounding area appears in the first segment of that film, titled “Cherry Blossom,” when the station is used by the main character Takaki Tono.

The station has one ticket gate, and right outside the exit there is a granite maneki neko (often translated as “lucky cat”) statue associated with the maneki neko legend of the Soto Zen Buddhist temple Gotokuji, which the station is named after. After you pass through the ticket gate, you can exit to the right or left. The left side leads to a shopping district. The views of the station’s elevated rails from both sides appear exactly as they do in the film. If you want to take an amazing photo, the best time is in the evening when the street lights of the shopping district create a romantic atmosphere. Yamashita Station (on Tokyu Setagaya Line) is located nearby, and if you time it right, you can see an old-fashioned tram pass by.

Gotokuji Station (Odakyu Odawara Line)

Address 1-43-4 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Website https://www.odakyu.jp/english/sightseeing/sidetrips/
Setagaya Ward

Gotokuji Temple

The most post-worthy spot near Gotokuji Station is the Soto Zen Buddhist temple Gotokuji. Formerly the family temple of the Ii clan, the daimyo clan of Hikone Domain, in Edo (present-day Tokyo), it is one of the largest nationally-designated Historic Sites in the area. According to legend, Hikone daimyo Ii Naotaka was beckoned by a cat in front of the temple gate on his way home from falcon hunting and decided to stop by the temple. Ii marveled at his luck that thanks to the cat he not only escaped a sudden thunderstorm, but also had an enjoyable talk with the temple priest. After that, the cat came to be called maneki neko (literally, “cat that invites luck”) at the temple and a hall was built in dedication on the temple grounds. The temple has many unique features, including the hundreds of maneki neko figurines left by visitors in thanks for making their wishes come true, ema (small wooden plaques where people write prayers and wishes) with pictures of cats instead of the usual horse, and maneki neko-themed amulets you can buy at the temple office. It is very popular as both a power spot and for taking pictures among cat-lovers and Japanese culture enthusiasts alike.

Setagaya Ward—Gotokuji Temple

Address 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Phone 03-3426-1437
Hours Open every day 6:00–18:00 from late March and 6:00–17:00 from late September
The temple office is open 8:00–16:30 (open until 17:00 in the summer)
Website https://gotokuji.jp/en/

The real joy of taking the pilgrimage of anime sacred sites is that by touring the locations appearing in anime, you learn more about the surrounding areas. Next we’ll introduce some other areas and sites in Tokyo that locations in anime have been modeled after.

Sword Art Online

Shinjuku Ward—Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
An Amazing Post-worthy Spot that Captivates Japanese and International Visitors Alike
Shinjuku Ward—Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

An Amazing Post-worthy Spot that Captivates Japanese and International Visitors Alike

SWORD ART ONLINE THE MOVIE - Ordinal Scale -

Sword Art Online is a series of anime films and TV series where the characters go into a virtual game world where adventures unfold. Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale is the only story in the series set in the real world. Using “Augma,” a next-gen wearable device with advanced AR functions, the characters engage in intense fighting scenes in areas in Tokyo such as Akihabara, Ebisu, and Yoyogi. One of the most post-worthy spots is the area around the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku Ward. The building appears in scenes like the one where protagonist Kirito races through Tokyo on a motorcycle to find the “ghost” he encountered at Yoyogi Park. One of the tallest buildings in Tokyo, it is a popular tourist destination. First-time visitors are amazed at how tall it is. Many people visit it not only in the daytime but also after dark to take in its otherworldly night view. If you want a photo of the building in the same angle as in the film, take a shot from the front in the evening. There is a Japanese Anime 88-Spots information booth at the Tokyo Tourist Information Center on the first floor of Building No.1, so be sure to stop by to get a “memorial stamp” when you visit.

Japanese Anime 88-Spots booth, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Address Tokyo Tourist Information Center 1F, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Hours 9:30–18:30
Website https://animetourism88.com/en/88AnimeSpot/Tocho
Directions Take the Toei Oedo Line to Tochomae Station. It’s only a few minutes on foot from there.

STEINS;GATE

Chiyoda Ward—Akihabara
An Ever-Popular Mecca for Anime Fans
Chiyoda Ward—Akihabara

An Ever-Popular Mecca for Anime Fans

STEINS;GATE

A mecca of Japanese subculture, Akihabara has been a popular destination for anime and video game fans for years. Akihabara Radio Kaikan is a center for otaku culture, located right outside the Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station. The surrounding area is well known for appearing in the hit science fiction anime series STEINS;GATE, which first aired in 2011. In October that year, an art piece of a fallen satellite like the one appearing in the series was installed at the old Radio Kaikan building (before it was rebuilt). It surprised not only fans of the series but everyone who visited Akihabara. The new building opened in 2014—right when the Japanimation boom was surging worldwide. One of the most popular destinations in Japan, Akihabara’s appeal goes beyond the subculture and is always filled with tourists and shoppers from around the globe. If you’re looking for an Instagrammable photo, we recommend taking a picture of the huge neon sign that says Sekai no Rajio Kaikan Akihabara (“World-famous Radio Kaikan, Akihabara”) at night. The other signs around Radio Kaikan light up as well. If you take a photo of yourself there, it will look just like you have been transported into an anime movie!

Akihabara Radio Kaikan Area

Directions 1-minute walk from Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station

Digimon Adventure

Minato Ward—Odaiba
Take an Adventure Through Odaiba—a Trove of Post-worthy Spots!
Minato Ward—Odaiba

Take an Adventure Through Odaiba—a Trove of Post-worthy Spots!

Digimon Adventure(1999)

Digimon Adventure is a hit anime TV series about Taichi Yagami and other children, the “DigiDestined,” who are unexpectedly transported into the “Digital World” and have adventure with the “digimon” (short for “digital monsters”) that inhabit the world. Midway through the series, the DigiDestined and their digimon partners appear in Odaiba, where they battle evil together in the real world. There are several places that have not changed since the series aired in 1999. In fact, the entire Odaiba area served as a model for many of the locations in the series. It is a popular tourist destination with a treasure trove of incredible post-worthy spots, including the Fuji Television building, Tokyo Big Sight, and Odaiba Seaside Park, so we recommend taking a walk through the area with camera in hand.

Odaiba Seaside Park

Directions Take the New Transit Yurikamome train to Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station or Daiba Station. It’s 3 minutes on foot from there. Or take the Rinkai Line to Tokyo Teleport Station. From there it’s 10 minutes on foot.

Tokyo Big Sight

Directions Take the New Transit Yurikamome train to Tokyo Big Sight Station. From there it’s 3 minutes on foot. Or take the Rinkai Line to Kokusai-tenjijo Station. It’s 7 minutes on foot from there.

SGT.FROG

Nishitokyo City—Skytower, the Symbol of Nishitokyo
Nishitokyo City

Skytower, the Symbol of Nishitokyo

SGT.FROG

SGT.FROG is an incredibly popular children’s anime about the day-to-day escapades of cute frog-like aliens with big round eyes and rounded bodies plotting to invade Earth. The setting was actually modeled after Nishitokyo City. There are many popular tourist destinations in the city such as Higashi-Fushimi Inari Shrine, Tamarokuto Science Center, and Sojiji Temple, but Skytower West Tokyo, the symbol of Nishitokyo City, is an absolute must-see if you visit. Nishizawa Tower, the tower that appears in SGT.FROG, was modeled after Skytower. Standing 195 meters in height, the telecommunications tower has been lit up at night since 1995. The color of the lights change depending on the weather forecast for the following morning. Unfortunately, the tower is not open for tours and the premises are off limits to the general public, so we recommend taking a photo of the entire tower from a distance.

Address 5-8-2 Shibakubo-cho, Nishitokyo-shi, Tokyo
Website http://www.skytower195.com/*

*There is a link to a Japanese site.

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