What Is Anime Pilgrimage (Seichi Junrei)?
Anime pilgrimage, known in Japanese as “seichi junrei,” means visiting real-world places that served as the setting or inspiration for an anime, drama, movie, or game. Because these places hold special meaning for fans of a series, they’re referred to as “sacred sites,” and the trips fans take to visit them are called “pilgrimages.” You may also hear this activity described as “location hunting” or “stage exploration.”
In the Pilgrimage Travel series on 旅log, we share our own travel records from visiting the real-world settings behind some of Japan’s most iconic anime.
The Joy of Anime Pilgrimage
Many anime scenes are drawn based on real landscapes, buildings, and streets. That’s what makes visiting them so special — you can look at the scenery and think, “this is where that scene happened,” reliving moments from the story as you take it all in. There’s a unique thrill in standing in a place you once only saw through a screen.
Part of the fun is recreating shots from the same angle and position as the anime, or comparing how the scenery changes with the season or time of day. Watching the series again after your trip often reveals new details in familiar scenes, deepening your appreciation of the story.
Some series even collaborate directly with the region that inspired them, with entire towns rallying behind the show. Wrapped buses near train stations, themed collaboration cafés, and other local touches unique to that particular area are all part of the charm.
A Kind of Trip Only Pilgrimage Can Offer
While the main goal of a pilgrimage is to visit the settings from a favorite series, it also becomes a way to get to know the area on a deeper level. As you walk around searching for filming locations, you’ll naturally stumble upon historic streets that don’t appear in typical guidebooks, local shopping streets frequented by residents, and old-fashioned diners you’d never find on an ordinary trip.
If the story is set in a mountain hot spring town, for example, you’ll get a glimpse into the history behind that town’s development. If it’s set on an island, you’ll experience island life, its notable sights, and food unique to that place. A pilgrimage trip naturally becomes a journey into the region’s history, culture, and food as well.
To help you enjoy your trip even further, 旅log also offers series on Historical Travel, Food, and our own 旅log Travel Diaries. Reading these alongside your pilgrimage research can make planning your trip even easier.
Manners and Precautions
The one rule you must always follow on a pilgrimage is: never inconvenience local residents. Most pilgrimage sites are located in neighborhoods where people live their everyday lives, or near businesses that are open for regular customers. Please keep the following in mind:
- Don’t enter private property. Stay out of areas such as school grounds or private residences that are off-limits to anyone but authorized individuals.
- Respect people’s privacy. Avoid capturing residents, passersby, house windows, nameplates, or license plates in your photos.
- Don’t block the way. Avoid blocking sidewalks, roads, or shop entrances while taking photos, and yield the way when people or vehicles need to pass.
- Keep noise down. In residential neighborhoods, avoid loud conversations or lingering for long periods.
- Take your trash with you. Always take your garbage home with you, and follow traffic rules.
- Don’t disrupt businesses. Check whether photography is allowed, and be mindful not to interfere with a shop’s normal operations.
At coastal or island pilgrimage sites, safety is also something to keep in mind. Some spots are only accessible during low tide, and ferry schedules to islands can be affected by weather. Be sure to check tide tables and boat schedules before you head out.
A single person’s careless behavior can damage the overall image of anime pilgrimage and even lead to restricted access for everyone else. By following good manners, we can all help make sure pilgrimage travel continues to be welcomed for years to come.
