Japan is going to be choosing 88 different spots to be “animation spots” such as train stations, school campuses, and rural shrines. This is being done in an attempt to increase tourism, using the popularity of the “manga” characters that are depicted in various places.
There are actually tens of thousands spots where these manga depictions exist, but the 88 chosen spots will serve as the official list for fans. The Japan Anime Tourism Association is behind the task, and says the route should be ready by December. Some of the locations will include where some of the art took place, and others will be to museums, and even the homes of manga artists.
One of the officials behind the group is Tsugihiko Kadokawa, chairman of Kadokawa Corp. publisher and film studio. He explained how much the popularity of animation has grown.
“Japanese pop culture has grown to rival American Hollywood. Animation can change the times.”
The government’s Japan Tourism Agency has been paying a lot of attention to not only the numbers of tourists coming in, but why they are choosing to and the emotional aspect behind their choice. They have found that entertainment content has a lot to do with many tourists intentions, which is why they are figuring out new ways to incorporate the two.
