Anime pilgrimage guides

Explore Japan Through Anime

Find real places connected to anime, then discover what else is worth seeing, eating, and experiencing nearby.

Published guides

Find a Work

Every published guide, one card per work. Search by title in English, Japanese, Chinese or Korean, or narrow by region; the card says which languages its guide can be read in.

Each card is one work. Every guide is published in English, Traditional Chinese and Korean, so the card links to the edition you are reading. The regions are on the Destinations page, and the base-city planner groups the same guides by the city you will be sleeping in.

How much time you have

Choose by the shape of the trip

Each row is taken from that guide's own Quick Trip Guide and itinerary: how long the journey from the gateway takes, how long the trip itself needs, how far you get without a car, and the one thing most likely to break the plan. Journey time and time on the ground are separate figures, and where a figure covers only part of the journey the row names that part: the leg into the region is not the leg from the gateway to the route itself. Where a guide says a car is not needed for the main route but helps for an outlying place, the row says what the main route covers and what it does not.

A day trip from a big city

  • Slam Dunk — Kamakura and Enoshima, Kanagawa from Tokyo
    Getting there
    About 1 h from Tokyo Station
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it, on the Enoden and on foot
    Watch for
    The crossing is crowded; parking near the coast fills early
    See the itinerary
  • Bocchi the Rock! — Shimokitazawa, Tokyo from Tokyo
    Getting there
    7 min from Shinjuku
    Time there
    An afternoon and an evening
    Without a car
    All of it; the district is 15 min end to end
    Watch for
    A live house needs a ticket bought in advance
    See the itinerary
  • Love Live! Sunshine!! — Numazu from Tokyo
    Getting there
    About 1 h to Numazu Station, then 35 min and 1,040 yen by bus
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it: one bus route serves every location in Uchiura
    Watch for
    That bus is infrequent; last one back was 17:30 on the day checked
    See the itinerary
  • anohana — Chichibu, Saitama from Tokyo
    Getting there
    77 min from Ikebukuro
    Time there
    One day on foot
    Without a car
    The whole town walk
    Watch for
    Shimo-Yoshida needs a second day; the night festival is 2–3 Dec
    See the itinerary
  • Botan Kamiina — Chichibu and Nagatoro, Saitama from Tokyo
    Getting there
    77 min from Ikebukuro
    Time there
    One day for the town, two with Nagatoro
    Without a car
    Both towns, on two separate railways
    Watch for
    Seibu and Chichibu Railway are separate tickets; Mount Buko is a full day
    See the itinerary
  • Food for the Soul — Hachioji and Mount Takao, Tokyo from Tokyo
    Getting there
    About 50 min from Shinjuku
    Time there
    One day for Takao; the city is a separate half-day
    Without a car
    All of it: Trail 1 is 1 h 40 up, 1 h 20 down
    Watch for
    The last cable car changes month by month
    See the itinerary
  • mono — Kofu and Yamanashi from Tokyo
    Getting there
    About 1 h 30 from Shinjuku to Kofu
    Time there
    2 nights, 3 days for a fair share of the map
    Without a car
    The Kofu walk and the Chuo Line station towns
    Watch for
    A car for the three official model courses, Lake Shibire and most of Kiyosato
    See the itinerary
  • K-ON! — Toyosato, Shiga from Kyoto
    Getting there
    49 min Kyoto to Hikone, then Ohmi Railway, 460 yen
    Time there
    Half a day
    Without a car
    All of it; 10 min on foot from the station
    Watch for
    The old school building keeps its own opening days
    See the itinerary
  • Sound! Euphonium — Uji, Kyoto from Kyoto
    Getting there
    JR Nara Line south from Kyoto
    Time there
    One day for either route
    Without a car
    All of it, on foot; JR Uji is 10 min from Uji Bridge
    Watch for
    Uji asks visitors to come by public transport in the busy seasons
    See the itinerary
  • Summer Time Rendering — Tomogashima and Kada, Wakayama from Osaka
    Getting there
    Osaka to Wakayamashi first; then Wakayamashi to Kada on the Nankai Kada line, 370 yen, and a 20-min walk to the ferry
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; the island is explored on foot
    Watch for
    The ferry, 2,800 yen return, may not run
    See the itinerary
  • Too Many Losing Heroines! — Toyohashi, Aichi from Nagoya
    Getting there
    Tokaido Shinkansen stops at Toyohashi
    Time there
    One day for the station area
    Without a car
    The station area, Futagawa and Nonhoi Park; streetcar a flat 200 yen
    Watch for
    A car for the coast and the Oku-Mikawa hills
    See the itinerary
  • Your Name — Hida, Gifu from Takayama
    Getting there
    About 15 min on from Takayama
    Time there
    One day, or 1 night 2 days
    Without a car
    The town centre, on foot
    Watch for
    The Ochiai bus stop needs a car or a taxi, and the bus is very limited
    See the itinerary
  • Zombie Land Saga — Karatsu and Yobuko, Saga from Fukuoka
    Getting there
    70 to 95 min from Hakata
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; Showa Bus to Yobuko, 850 yen each way
    Watch for
    The Yobuko bus is the timetable to plan around
    See the itinerary
  • Golden Kamuy — Otaru and Sapporo, Hokkaido from Sapporo
    Getting there
    Into the region: New Chitose Airport to Sapporo, 37 min, 1,230 yen. Each day then starts from Sapporo
    Time there
    Each day is a return trip from Sapporo
    Without a car
    All of it: train, one city bus in Otaru, one bus to the village
    Watch for
    Winter daylight is short
    See the itinerary
  • Haikyu!! — Sendai and Akiu, Miyagi from Sendai
    Getting there
    Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai; 25 min from the airport
    Time there
    Each route is a day from Sendai
    Without a car
    All of it: subway day ticket 840 yen, 620 at weekends
    Watch for
    Akiu is a 940 yen bus each way and a separate day
    See the itinerary
  • Teasing Master Takagi-san — Shodoshima, Kagawa from Takamatsu
    Getting there
    Ferry from Takamatsu Port
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; Olive Bus for Angel Road, IC cards work
    Watch for
    Angel Road only appears at low tide
    See the itinerary
  • Tamayura — Takehara, Hiroshima from Hiroshima
    Getting there
    1,400 yen by bus from Hiroshima, or 510 yen from Mihara
    Time there
    One day; two with Okunoshima
    Without a car
    All of it, on foot in Takehara
    Watch for
    Okunoshima adds the Kure line, 200 yen each way, and a ferry
    See the itinerary

No car needed at all

  • Love Live! Sunshine!! — Numazu
    Getting there
    About 1 h to Numazu Station, then 35 min and 1,040 yen by bus
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it: one bus route serves every location in Uchiura
    Watch for
    That bus is infrequent; last one back was 17:30 on the day checked
    See the itinerary
  • Slam Dunk — Kamakura and Enoshima, Kanagawa
    Getting there
    About 1 h from Tokyo Station
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it, on the Enoden and on foot
    Watch for
    The crossing is crowded; parking near the coast fills early
    See the itinerary
  • Bocchi the Rock! — Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
    Getting there
    7 min from Shinjuku
    Time there
    An afternoon and an evening
    Without a car
    All of it; the district is 15 min end to end
    Watch for
    A live house needs a ticket bought in advance
    See the itinerary
  • Sound! Euphonium — Uji, Kyoto
    Getting there
    JR Nara Line south from Kyoto
    Time there
    One day for either route
    Without a car
    All of it, on foot; JR Uji is 10 min from Uji Bridge
    Watch for
    Uji asks visitors to come by public transport in the busy seasons
    See the itinerary
  • Golden Kamuy — Otaru and Sapporo, Hokkaido
    Getting there
    Into the region: New Chitose Airport to Sapporo, 37 min, 1,230 yen. Each day then starts from Sapporo
    Time there
    Each day is a return trip from Sapporo
    Without a car
    All of it: train, one city bus in Otaru, one bus to the village
    Watch for
    Winter daylight is short
    See the itinerary
  • Teasing Master Takagi-san — Shodoshima, Kagawa
    Getting there
    Ferry from Takamatsu Port
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; Olive Bus for Angel Road, IC cards work
    Watch for
    Angel Road only appears at low tide
    See the itinerary
  • Haikyu!! — Sendai and Akiu, Miyagi
    Getting there
    Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai; 25 min from the airport
    Time there
    Each route is a day from Sendai
    Without a car
    All of it: subway day ticket 840 yen, 620 at weekends
    Watch for
    Akiu is a 940 yen bus each way and a separate day
    See the itinerary
  • Summer Time Rendering — Tomogashima and Kada, Wakayama
    Getting there
    Osaka to Wakayamashi first; then Wakayamashi to Kada on the Nankai Kada line, 370 yen, and a 20-min walk to the ferry
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; the island is explored on foot
    Watch for
    The ferry, 2,800 yen return, may not run
    See the itinerary
  • Tamayura — Takehara, Hiroshima
    Getting there
    1,400 yen by bus from Hiroshima, or 510 yen from Mihara
    Time there
    One day; two with Okunoshima
    Without a car
    All of it, on foot in Takehara
    Watch for
    Okunoshima adds the Kure line, 200 yen each way, and a ferry
    See the itinerary
  • Zombie Land Saga — Karatsu and Yobuko, Saga
    Getting there
    70 to 95 min from Hakata
    Time there
    One day
    Without a car
    All of it; Showa Bus to Yobuko, 850 yen each way
    Watch for
    The Yobuko bus is the timetable to plan around
    See the itinerary
  • K-ON! — Toyosato, Shiga
    Getting there
    49 min Kyoto to Hikone, then Ohmi Railway, 460 yen
    Time there
    Half a day
    Without a car
    All of it; 10 min on foot from the station
    Watch for
    The old school building keeps its own opening days
    See the itinerary

Worth a night or two

  • Attack on Titan — Hita, Oita
    Getting there
    Highway bus from Fukuoka Airport, about 1 h 20
    Time there
    1 night, 2 days
    Without a car
    Car-free friendly: a 100 yen circulator, one bus line, share cycles
    Watch for
    One thin bus timetable decides the day
    See the itinerary
  • Detective Conan — Tottori
    Getting there
    40 min by car from the airport, or 3 h 10 Osaka to Kurayoshi
    Time there
    Half a day for Conan Town; 1 night 2 days recommended
    Without a car
    The core Conan Town route, on foot and by local train
    Watch for
    Only 2 of 5 airport buses reach the museum; it closes after 11 Jan 2027
    See the itinerary
  • Initial D — Gunma
    Getting there
    About 50 min Tokyo to Takasaki by shinkansen
    Time there
    1 night, 2 days
    Without a car
    Ikaho, Lake Haruna and Usui Pass
    Watch for
    A car for the mountain roads and the quieter corners
    See the itinerary
  • ONE PIECE — Kumamoto
    Getting there
    About 30 min Hakata to Kumamoto by shinkansen
    Time there
    2 nights, 3 days for all ten statues
    Without a car
    The two city statues and Aso, by tram and train
    Watch for
    The other statues need a car, or a week rearranged around thin timetables
    See the itinerary
  • Yuru Camp — Yamanashi & Shizuoka
    Getting there
    About 1 h 30 Shinjuku to Kofu
    Time there
    2 nights, 3 days
    Without a car
    Reachable, but Lake Motosu has three bus round trips a day
    Watch for
    A car is what joins several lakes in one day and carries gear
    See the itinerary
  • Girls und Panzer — Oarai, Ibaraki
    Getting there
    About 1 h 30 from Ueno via Mito
    Time there
    1 night, 2 days
    Without a car
    The town, on foot and by rental bicycle; about 2 km across
    Watch for
    A car helps for Aqua World and the beach
    See the itinerary