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If this isn’t your first trip to Japan, you’ve probably already covered the essentials: Tokyo’s neon streets, Kyoto’s temples, Osaka’s street food. Coming back a second or third time usually means looking for something a little more personal, a reason to go somewhere that isn’t already on everyone’s list.
That’s where anime pilgrimage comes in. Across Japan, there are towns where the actual streets, train stations, and shrines appear almost exactly as they do on screen, and others where local governments have gone as far as appointing anime characters as official tourism ambassadors. This isn’t just fan service. In several of these towns, the connection to the anime is something the local government and shopkeepers take seriously, and it shows in how well the sites are maintained and signposted.
In this guide, we’re focusing on five towns tied to anime that are widely recognized outside Japan, not just among longtime fans. For each one, you’ll find how to get there from Tokyo, how to get around once you arrive, and the kind of details that tend to catch foreign visitors off guard.
Haikyu!!’s Sendai, Attack on Titan’s Hita, Your Name’s Hida, Slam Dunk’s Kamakura, and Evangelion’s Hakone — each of these works as a standalone day trip or half-day stop, so consider this a shortlist for your next Japan itinerary.
Why These 5 Locations
These five spots were chosen based on international name recognition, not just domestic popularity. Japan has plenty of beloved anime pilgrimage towns that are huge with local fans — Chichibu for Anohana, Oarai for Girls & Panzer, to name two — and we’ll cover those in a separate guide. For this list, we prioritized places tied to titles that international readers, including those who aren’t deep into anime fandom, are likely to have already heard of.
| Area | Anime | Why It Made the List |
|---|---|---|
| Sendai, Miyagi | Haikyu!! | Globally popular series; characters currently serve as official Sendai tourism ambassadors |
| Hita, Oita | Attack on Titan | Worldwide recognition; hometown of the creator, with statues and a dedicated museum |
| Hida, Gifu | Your Name | A globally successful film with clearly identifiable real-world locations |
| Kamakura, Kanagawa | Slam Dunk | Especially popular across East Asia; the railway crossing is a well-known photo spot |
| Hakone, Kanagawa | Evangelion | Clear setting connection, actively used by the town itself in local placemaking |
One general note before we dive in: monuments, panels, and exhibit displays at these sites sometimes change or rotate over time. It’s worth checking the relevant official site before you visit to confirm what’s currently on display.
Let’s go through each one in more detail.
1. Sendai — Walking Through the World of Haikyu!!
Haikyu!!’s two main characters, Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama, hold the official title of Sendai Tourism Ambassador. They were reappointed in August 2025, and the current term runs through August 18, 2027 — a real, government-announced role, not a fan campaign. In 2026, two more characters, Takanobu Aone and Kenji Futakuchi, joined them as ambassadors as well.
Karasuno High School itself is fictional, but the matches and training scenes throughout the series draw heavily on real Sendai scenery. The manga has sold more than 75 million copies worldwide, and the 2024 movie release grossed over ¥20 billion internationally — you can read more on the official Haikyu!! website.
Getting There
Take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Sendai Station — about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, no transfers. The fastest service is the “Hayabusa,” but slower services like the “Yamabiko” still make Sendai an easy day trip from Tokyo. Coming from western Japan, you can fly from Osaka (Itami or Kansai International) to Sendai Airport in about 1 hour 15 minutes, then take the JR Sendai Airport Access Line into Sendai Station in about 25 minutes.
Getting Around Locally
From Sendai Station, take the Tozai subway line to Tomizawa Station, then walk about 5 minutes to Tomizawa Park, where the ambassador memorial monument is located. Sendai’s subway and bus network is well developed, and an IC card (Suica, PASMO, etc.) will get you almost anywhere in the city.
What Visitors Should Know
Sendai is used to tourists, so English signage is fairly good. That said, the various Haikyu!!-related sites are spread across different parts of the city, so it’s worth mapping out a rough route in advance if you want to see everything in one day.
Spots Worth Visiting
- Kamei Arena Sendai
- Tomizawa Park (Tourism Ambassador Memorial Monument)
- Sendai City Museum
- Related monuments near Akiu / Sato Center
- The shopping area around Sendai Station
Worth Seeing Nearby
Sendai works well even for travel companions who couldn’t care less about Haikyu!!. Sendai City Museum covers the city’s history and its ties to the Date clan, and Zuihoden, the mausoleum of feudal lord Date Masamune, is worth a visit for its architecture alone. If you have extra time, Matsushima — one of Japan’s “Three Views” — makes an easy day trip by train. And don’t skip the local food: grilled beef tongue (gyutan) and zunda mochi are both Sendai specialties worth trying.
Check this out for solo travel in Sendai!
2. Hita — The Creator’s Hometown, Reimagined as Attack on Titan Territory
Hita, in Oita Prefecture, is the hometown of Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama. It’s not the setting of the story itself, but the town has embraced the connection wholeheartedly, branding itself locally as “Shingeki no Hita” (Attack on Titan’s Hita).
Near JR Hita Station, you’ll find a statue of Captain Levi, while the area around Oyama Dam has statues depicting Eren, Mikasa, and Armin as children. There’s also a dedicated “Attack on Titan in HITA” museum and an annex space, enough to fill a half-day for fans of the series.
Hita’s city government also publishes estimated economic impact figures from the connection: roughly ¥2.05 billion in fiscal 2021, ¥1.85 billion in 2022, ¥1.6 billion in 2023, and ¥1.79 billion in 2024. It’s a rare case where you can actually see, in numbers, how much an anime connection can mean for a small city.
Getting There
From Tokyo, plan on flying into Fukuoka Airport (about 2 hours from Haneda) and continuing by train or bus. From Hakata Station, the JR Kyudai Line limited express “Yufu” or a highway bus will get you to Hita Station in roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. From western Japan, you can fly from Osaka (Itami or Kansai International) into Oita Airport in about 1 hour, then take a highway bus to Hita in about 1 hour 30 minutes. By Shinkansen, it’s about 2 hours 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Hakata, then the same route as from Tokyo.
Getting Around Locally
Public transport within Hita is limited, so renting a car is the most efficient option. If you’re relying on buses only, check the schedules ahead of time — services aren’t as frequent as in bigger cities.
What Visitors Should Know
Hita sees far fewer international visitors than Sendai or Kamakura, so English signage and multilingual support are limited. Some smaller shops are cash-only, so it’s worth carrying enough cash for the day.
Spots Worth Visiting
- Captain Levi statue near
- JR Hita Station Statues around Oyama Dam
- Attack on Titan in HITA Museum
- The town of Oyama, Hita
Worth Seeing Nearby
Hita has plenty to offer beyond the anime connection. Mameda-machi, a well-preserved Edo-era merchant district, and Jion Falls, a short drive from the town center, are both worth a look on their own. If you want to go further, the popular hot spring towns of Yufuin and Beppu are both roughly an hour from Hita, making it easy to fold this stop into a broader Oita onsen trip — a good option if you’re traveling with someone who isn’t here for the anime.
3. Hida — Tracing the Scenery of Your Name
The film Your Name is set in the fictional town of Itomori, but many of the film’s key backdrops — the station, the library — are directly modeled on real locations in Hida, Gifu Prefecture. In a 2024 survey of 3,000 entertainment fans on the best real-world anime and film filming locations, the Hida–Your Name pairing came out on top.
It’s worth thinking of Hida as “the town that inspired the scenery” rather than a literal recreation of the film’s setting — that’s also how the city itself tends to frame the connection. You can find a self-guided route covering these locations on the official Hida tourism site.
Getting There
Take the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagoya (about 1 hour 40 minutes), then the limited express “Hida” from Nagoya to Takayama (about 2 hours 15 minutes), followed by a local JR Takayama Line train to Hida-Furukawa Station (about 15 minutes). An alternative route runs via Toyama on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, then south on the Takayama Line. From western Japan, take the Tokaido Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya (about 50 minutes), then continue on the same “Hida” route. Direct highway buses to Takayama also run from Osaka and Kyoto. With several transfers involved, it’s worth checking timetables in advance.
Getting Around Locally
From Hida-Furukawa Station, the footbridge over the tracks, Hida City Library, Keta Wakamiya Shrine, and the white-walled storehouse district are all within walking distance. The town is compact enough to see the main sights in half a day on foot.
What Visitors Should Know
Hida City Library is a working public library, not a museum exhibit. If you want to photograph inside, you’ll need to check in with staff and get a permit first. This is easy to miss, so it helps to know in advance.
Spots Worth Visiting
- Hida-Furukawa Station and its footbridge
- Hida City Library
- Keta Wakamiya Shrine
- The white-walled storehouse district
- Miyagawa-cho Ochiai bus stop
Worth Seeing Nearby
Takayama, about 15 minutes away by train, is a well-known destination in its own right, with an old town and morning markets that many travelers combine with a Hida-Furukawa visit. From there, it’s not a big stretch to reach Shirakawa-go, the UNESCO-listed thatched-roof village, or Gero Onsen, giving you a solid day-trip route that works even for someone who’s never seen the film.
4. Kamakura — Slam Dunk and the Railway Crossing
The railway crossing at Kamakurakoukou-mae Station, on the Enoshima Electric Railway in Kamakura, is internationally recognized as the model for the crossing in Slam Dunk’s opening sequence. Kanagawa Prefecture’s official tourism site confirms the connection, along with noting that Akibadai Gymnasium inspired the film’s match venue.
That said, popularity has come with real problems. Crowds — including large numbers of international visitors — gathering to photograph the crossing have led to issues with street congestion and trespassing onto private property, serious enough that the city has piloted an AI camera system to manage it. It’s a good reminder that anime pilgrimage has become a genuinely global form of tourism, and that visitors carry some responsibility for how it affects the people who actually live there.
Getting There from Tokyo
The JR Yokosuka Line runs directly from Tokyo Station to Kamakura Station in about 1 hour. From Shinjuku, the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line takes roughly the same amount of time. From Kamakura Station, switch to the Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden) and ride about 25 minutes to Kamakurakoukou-mae Station.
Getting Around Locally
The crossing is just outside the Enoden station exit. The surrounding area is easy to cover on foot, and it’s worth continuing on to Shichirigahama Beach or the Shonan coastline while you’re there.
What Foreign Visitors Should Know
This is a working railway crossing, not a photo set. Always stand well clear when a train is coming, and avoid stepping onto private property or shop premises to get a better angle. Late afternoon is the most popular and crowded time to visit, so going earlier in the day is worth considering.
Spots Worth Visiting
- Kamakurakoukou-mae Railway Crossing No. 1
- Shichirigahama Beach
- Shonan Coast
- Akibadai Cultural Gymnasium
Worth Seeing Nearby
Kamakura is a major sightseeing destination on its own, anime aside. Kotoku-in, home to the Great Buddha, and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the city’s landmark shrine, are both within walking distance of Kamakura Station. Staying on the Enoden line a bit longer gets you to Enoshima Island, so it’s easy to split up with a travel companion for a while and regroup later in the day.
5. Hakone — Evangelion’s Third New Tokyo City
Evangelion’s fictional Third New Tokyo City is set in the Hakone area, and the town of Hakone has leaned into the connection for years, using it in tourism brochures, wrapped trains, and stamp rallies. The Sengokuhara district in particular continues to build local tourism around the series. One of the most memorable examples is a public restroom in Kintoki Park, designed to resemble a NERV facility and officially named the “Sengokuhara Forward Base.”
Hakone is already one of the most popular day-trip destinations from Tokyo thanks to its hot springs and mountain scenery, so you don’t need to be an Evangelion fan to enjoy a visit here — the anime connection is simply an extra layer on top of a trip most travelers would want to make anyway.
Getting There
The Odakyu Romancecar runs directly from Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station in about 1 hour 30 minutes, with no transfers. Alternatively, take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara (about 35 minutes), then the Hakone Tozan Railway to Hakone-Yumoto (about 15 minutes). From western Japan, take the Shinkansen to Odawara (about 3 hours), then continue on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
Getting Around Locally
Getting around Hakone involves a mix of mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing boat, and local bus. First-time visitors should look into the Hakone Free Pass, which covers most of these and saves you from buying individual tickets at every transfer.
What Visitors Should Know
With so many transport switches involved, it helps to have a rough route planned before you set off. The Odakyu Romancecar is a reserved-seat train, so booking ahead is a good idea, especially on weekends or during peak travel seasons.
Spots Worth Visiting
- Hakone-Yumoto Station area (Eva-ya shop)
- Kinnoki Park (“Sengokuhara Forward Base”)
- Owakudani
- Lake Ashi and Togendai
- Gora area
Worth Seeing Nearby
Hakone’s hot springs and scenery are reason enough to visit on their own. On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from Lake Ashi, and it’s easy to extend the trip to Gotemba Premium Outlets or Odawara Castle. Even a companion with zero interest in Evangelion should come away happy with just the onsen and the views.
More Anime Towns Worth Knowing About
Beyond these five, Japan has no shortage of anime pilgrimage towns with devoted local followings. Chichibu in Saitama (Anohana), Oarai in Ibaraki (Girls & Panzer), Uji in Kyoto (Sound! Euphonium), Saga (Zombie Land Saga), and Numazu in Shizuoka (Love Live! Sunshine!!) are all closely tied to their respective series. We’ll be covering these in more depth in a future guide.
Conclusion
Anime pilgrimage isn’t really a niche activity anymore, and it isn’t just for die-hard fans, either. Some of these towns, like Sendai, have folded the connection into their broader city tourism. Others, like Hita, quietly celebrate a personal link to a creator. And a place like Hakone works just as well as a hot spring getaway as it does an anime pilgrimage.
What ties all five together is that there’s an atmosphere in each of these towns you can only really pick up on by going. If you’ve already seen the major sights and are looking for a destination that feels more like your own discovery, any one of these five is worth building into your next Japan itinerary. And if you’re traveling with someone who isn’t into anime, don’t worry — every one of these spots holds up as a destination on its own, hot springs, coastline, and townscape included.
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