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A COMIC book publisher in Japan is publicizing sites featured in hundreds of anime and manga publications to push tourism among Hong Kong travelers.
Kadokawa Corp announced a vote at the Hong Kong Book Fair to determine 88 top “pilgrimage” spots in Japan to attract more inbound travelers.
The publishing company said that Japan is one of the most favored destinations for Hong Kong travelers, and this initiative aims to drive numbers up. “Some 2,000 fans from around the world have already cast their votes online in the last couple of days,” the publisher said.
The results of the Anime Tourism 88-Stop Pilgrimage project will be announced in Newtype magazine by the end of the year. Sites to be featured are real-life places that have provided the backdrops for love affairs and space warfare in the fictional escapades of anime characters.
The settings of Japanese anime series are often closely based on real locations. Places like shrines and train stations featured in these cartoons are often hunted down by fans on visits called seichijunrei, which translates as “holy land pilgrimage.”
This sometimes leads to local businesses and governments promoting their connections in well-known places, decorating train stations with characters, or selling souvenirs at shrines.
Anime tourism in Japan is not a new phenomenon. The Japan National Tourism Organization have put together a map for fans to seek out some of their favorite locations featured in anime publications.
Anime tours are common in Tokyo, with fans being taken around the city to visit popular sites featured in their favorite series, relive best anime moments, and score limited edition collectibles.
The post Japanese publisher rides on appeal of anime and manga to lure in Hong Kong tourists appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.
Source: travelwireasia.com