After all, the majority of anime takes inspiration from real-world events. Seichi (literally, “holy land pilgrimage”) photographic realism refers to the act of traveling to locations in anime that exist in reality. Ancient religious practices served as the origin of the phrase. Otakus use it to compare anime locations to holy places in an ironic way. However, it’s becoming a widely accepted cultural trend.
This list of the most popular anime pilgrimage locations was just released by the Anime Tourism Association (ATA). The notion was inspired by the Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage, the most well-known Buddhist pilgrimage path photographic realism. The Association was established as a result of collaboration between several different tour operators.
Their goal is to bring in tourists from Japan and abroad while also revitalizing sagging tourist destinations that are on the point of extinction.
What Has Previously Been Considered A Niche Interest Is Now A Rapidly Expanding Global Market?
Casual and obsessive anime fans may enjoy the thrill of visiting real-world locations photographic realism from popular anime episodes.
Would You Please Join Me As I Explore The World Of Seiche?
A Local Community’s Reaction To Seichi Junrei’s Influence:
Many towns and cities benefit from an influx of tourists since it boosts the local economy. The ability to market oneself extends to places like temples, villages, and even railroad companies.
Create campaigns and sell items to make money. Apps for augmented reality are even being offered by some locations that can only be accessed by fans visiting the real-life setting of an anime. With the use of an app developed by Nanto in Toyama Prefecture, fans can take selfies.
I was standing next to anime figures at holy sites. Seichi has religious overtones for sure, fans. They demonstrate their piety by erecting ema or prayer plaques made of wood. At temples that have murals depicting anime characters.
The shrine has become so popular that it is now a regular sponsor of events for the franchise. Some admirers go so far as to sketch their prayers on the ema’s blank side and leave them there!
It’s not uncommon for anime production companies to work with local communities before starting an anime series production. Anime makers are fighting for promotional arrangements with cities around the country. Even so, becoming a pilgrimage site is not an easy feat.
The revival brought about by an anime project is a goal shared by many local governments. Nevertheless, creators and their followers choose just a select few locales.
There is no guarantee that a series will portray the subject matter in the way the creators had envisioned. Some anime creators continue to put their aesthetic desires ahead of those of regional representatives while creating shows.
Butaï Tanbou: Maximum Difficulty:
Seichi, despite its present popular status, continues to have a dedicated following of adherents. They are on the lookout for specific, everyday locations, such as streets or restaurants. Train stations faithfully re-created in anime.
To complete Butaitanbou, you must hunt down every conceivable scene in an anime. Butai Tanbou fans are the trailblazers who figure out where these spots are before the rest of us do. Suburb and city names, which are generally missing or altered in anime, will be the first discovered in this process.
These folks will have to rely solely on background surroundings to deduce things like landmarks and road signs. They track their targets with the use of online resources like Google Street View. Some incredibly talented individuals are adept at locating specific locations and making side-by-by-side comparisons between their findings. Butai table is, in fact, an art form that necessitates a keen sense of composition.
It uses picture editing software to crop images precisely to match their on-screen look. Most of the time, these early adopters publish their findings on their blogs for the benefit of the general public.
From An Idle Interest To A Mass Addiction:
It’s nothing new for people to visit places mentioned in their favorite works of art, whether they’re books, movies, or stage performances. Takeshi Okamoto works as an assistant professor at Nara Prefectural University. Anime pilgrimages may have been conceived, according to this theory. Anime has embraced backgrounds based on photographs taken in real life.
The slice-of-life genre was beginning to take shape at this time, and viewers gravitated toward it. They got excited about the prospect of retracing the steps of their favorite fictional characters. Seichi, on the other hand, only started to gain traction as a passing craze in online groups. With the advent of the internet, travelers could conveniently share their journeys with friends and family.
They spread the word to others about where they might find these places. When LUCKY STAR supporters photographic realism started flocking to Saitama Prefecture’s Kuki City, the media took notice. Its popularity paved the way for an influx of anime tourists.
These out-of-town tourists were well-served by the city’s government and commercial districts.
The captivating body-swap dream that swept the world was brought to the public’s attention by anime pilgrimages. Gifu prefecture’s Hida region attracted crowds of tourists and fans. As a result, fans have flocked to the streets in droves to identify and recreate critical scenes from the movie.
The popularity of anime pilgrimages had now reached the general public, and as a result, the answer to this need, the Anime Tourism Association was established.
Become An Anime Pilgrim Photographic Realism By Following These Simple Steps:
Visiting locations from your favorite anime has a unique effect. When fact and fiction collide, you have a seiche. Fans of a show might deepen their connection to it by visiting the locations where the characters spend time in real life. However, locating such places might be a challenge.
The internet is the most effective and comprehensive source of information for the majority of research projects. A quick search on the internet will turn up valuable and reliable information. In anime, there isn’t a lot of information regarding going to real-world locations. Fortunately, we’ve got a few suggestions for you.
An excellent starting point would be to read about numerous pilgrimage places on Mike Hattsu’s blog. It also includes maps, screenshots, and pictures side-by-by-side comparisons. A well-known seichi junrei fan named Michael Vito. Butai tambour pioneers frequently report on new findings, which are commonly included in the magazine.
How A Fictional Festival Comes To Life In The Real World?
The Bonbori Festival in Kanazawa City is a fascinating example of how seiche has affected regional customs. The entire event is a work of anime fiction based on a photographic realism fictitious historical rite. A seven-year-old concept conceived by artists has now materialized as a real-life event.
When the event first debuted, it was in the form of a P.A. Nanto’s Works is a design studio founded by Nanto. It tells the story of the granddaughter of the ryokan’s owner and her companions’ personal experiences.
The Bonbon Festival is a fictitious festival depicted in the section of the hot spring of the show. Nobuhiro Kikuchi, the producer of P.A. Works, claims that Kanazawa City officials requested the song. The studio organized an anime and a festival to help the area recover from the devastation caused by the excessive rains.
To broaden its appeal, the present event, however, is moving away from its anime roots. At first, they only invited cosplayers and voice performers. However, they’ve encouraged local craftspeople and noticed a surge in business as a result.
The sheer number of individuals that came from all over the world to attend the festival was overwhelming. Kanazawa, Japan’s forgotten hinterland, is brimming with history and culture. For some, anime tourism may be a means of survival and fulfillment.
