10 real-life anime places
Nine of these sit on a Tokyo base plus one shinkansen ride to Osaka. Yakushima is place 10 and a different trip.
| Anime | Place | City | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Name | Suga Shrine staircase | Tokyo, Shinjuku | Yotsuya |
| Death Note | University of Tokyo campus | Tokyo, Hongo | Hongo-sanchome |
| Akira | National Stadium, Kabukicho | Tokyo | Kokuritsu-Kyogijo / Shinjuku |
| Jujutsu Kaisen | Shibuya Hikarie and the crossing | Tokyo, Shibuya | Shibuya |
| Tokyo Revengers | Kamata Station streets | Tokyo | Kamata (JR Keihin-Tohoku) |
| Demon Slayer | Asakusa | Tokyo | Asakusa |
| Slam Dunk | Coastal railway crossing | Kamakura | Kamakurakōkō-Mae (Enoden) |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion | Hakone (Tokyo-3 prototype) | Hakone | Hakone-Yumoto |
| Detective Conan | Dotonbori, Tsutenkaku | Osaka | Namba |
| Princess Mononoke | Cedar forests (separate trip) | Yakushima | Flight or ferry from Kyushu |
Before you go, set a budget in the travel budget calculator, compare seasons in the best travel season guide, and add a Japan eSIM plus travel insurance — it makes booking flights and the Tokyo–Osaka shinkansen easier.
If you combine these places with a multi-city vacation, use Tokyo as your base. Snacks between stops: see the konbini budget guide and Japan & Korea food guide. For other pop-culture trips, try the K-drama filming locations guide.
Tokyo anime locations
1. Your Name — Suga Shrine staircase
Red railings where Taki and Mitsuha finally meet
Station: Yotsuya
The most recognizable location in modern Japanese film tourism — the red railings where the protagonists meet at last. Shinjuku, Suga Shrine.
Tip: arrive early or face a long photo queue. Stay in a Shinjuku hotel to walk over at sunrise.
2. Death Note — University of Tokyo
Campus where Light Yagami and L took entrance exams
Station: Hongo-sanchome
A cult spot for the intellectual showdown. Light Yagami and L took exams and gave enrollment speeches on the Todai Hongo campus. This is the Death Note place in Tokyo — Hakone, further down, is Evangelion.
Tip: Gothic architecture and the ginkgo alley look especially atmospheric in autumn. Pair with free walks from the free activities guide.
3. Akira — Neo-Tokyo and the Olympic Stadium
Cyberpunk that predicted Tokyo 2020
Station: Kokuritsu-Kyogijo / Shinjuku
The 1988 masterpiece famously predicted the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Fans visit the National Stadium area and head to neon Shinjuku — Kabukicho — for Neo-Tokyo vibes.
For night shots see the travel vlog guide. A ready-made capital plan: 3-day budget Tokyo route.
4. Jujutsu Kaisen — Shibuya
The Shibuya Incident arc and real geography
Station: Shibuya
The arc reproduces one of the world's busiest districts with frightening accuracy. Key spot: Shibuya Hikarie, where Satoru Gojo entered in the story.
Shibuya Crossing is a must for any solo traveler. Book a night Tokyo tour for neon-heavy routes.
5. Tokyo Revengers — Kamata Station
Street gangs and suburban Tokyo aesthetics
Station: Kamata (JR Keihin-Tohoku)
The spirit of street gangs and outer-Tokyo aesthetics comes through best in Kamata, where many scenes were set.
Kamata is a quiet stop off the main tourist trail — easy to slot into a week-long Tokyo plan.
6. Demon Slayer — Asakusa
Streets where Tanjiro first met Muzan
Station: Asakusa
Though set in the Taisho era, you can walk the same Asakusa streets in Tokyo. Hardcore fans can add Kamado Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture on a separate western Japan leg.
Asakusa pairs with Senso-ji and street food — see budget snacks in Asia.
Kamakura anime location: Slam Dunk
7. Slam Dunk — Enoshima coastal crossing
Railway crossing from the opening credits
Station: Kamakurakōkō-Mae (Enoshima Electric Railway)
The iconic crossing against the ocean from the opening draws crowds daily. Kamakura is about an hour from Tokyo, so it is a day trip rather than a Tokyo neighborhood.
Ride the local train and combine the crossing with Kamakura temples and lunch from the food guide.
Hakone anime location: Evangelion
8. Neon Genesis Evangelion — Hakone (Tokyo-3)
Hot-spring resort that inspired the fortress city
Station: Hakone-Yumoto / Odawara
Tokyo-3 was modeled on a popular onsen resort town. Hakone still has Eva references, shops, and souvenirs — about 1.5 hours from Tokyo by train.
Pair with a Hakone ryokan as a day trip from a week in Tokyo.
Osaka anime locations
9. Detective Conan — Dotonbori, Osaka
Neon signs and Kansai bridges
Station: Namba / Osaka-Namba
Conan often solves cases against real Kansai backdrops. Dotonbori neon and Tsutenkaku Tower appear regularly as “crime scenes” in the series. This is the Osaka stop on the list — one famous district, not a second full city of pins.
Ready-made Osaka plan: 3-day budget route. Reach it from Tokyo by shinkansen.
A 7-day order for these anime places
Do the Tokyo places first, take Kamakura and Hakone while the hotel is still in the city, then ride the shinkansen to Osaka once.
- Day 1 — Shinjuku. Suga Shrine staircase (Your Name) in the morning, before the photo queue. Kabukicho at night for the Akira neon.
- Day 2 — Shibuya and Kamata. Shibuya Hikarie and the crossing (Jujutsu Kaisen), then JR south to Kamata (Tokyo Revengers).
- Day 3 — Hongo and Asakusa. University of Tokyo campus (Death Note), then Asakusa (Demon Slayer) and Senso-ji.
- Day 4 — Kamakura. Enoden to Kamakurakōkō-Mae for the Slam Dunk crossing. About an hour from Tokyo. Temples fit the same day.
- Day 5 — Hakone. About 1.5 hours from Tokyo. Evangelion references around the onsen town.
- Days 6–7 — Osaka. Shinkansen from Tokyo. Dotonbori neon and Tsutenkaku (Detective Conan). A second night keeps you from riding back the same evening.
That week is what AlpacaBag is for: the same stops, ordered around temples and meals, without a spreadsheet. Open the route builder and add Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone, and Osaka. Saving tips: how to save money while traveling.
Yakushima is a separate trip
10. Princess Mononoke — Yakushima cedar forests
Ancient woods that inspired Ghibli's primal world
Station: Yakushima (flight / ferry from Kyushu)
Moss-covered ancient cedars directly inspired the primal world in the Ghibli masterpiece. The island south of Kyushu does not belong on the Tokyo–Osaka week above.
Plan 2–3 days and a domestic flight after the Tokyo and Osaka block, or skip it.
What seichi junrei means
In Japan this kind of trip is called seichi junrei (聖地巡礼) — a pilgrimage to the real places behind anime, manga, and games. The ten places above are the practical version: a station, a city, and a day that fits the rest of a Japan week.
Put these anime places on one Japan trip
Set the Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone, and Osaka days. AlpacaBag orders the stops with the rest of the sightseeing.
Ready-made routes
Routes for your destination
Day-by-day plans you can adapt to your dates right away.
FAQ
What is seichi junrei in Japan?
Seichi junrei (聖地巡礼) means “pilgrimage to sacred places” — visiting real locations from anime, manga, or games. Fans use it for a specific photo angle, from the Your Name staircase in Tokyo to the Slam Dunk railway crossing in Kamakura.
How many days do you need for these anime locations in Japan?
Seven days covers the Tokyo places, a Kamakura day, a Hakone day, and Osaka by shinkansen. Yakushima’s cedar forests need a flight and their own 2–3 days, so leave them off this week.
Can you visit all 10 anime places in one trip?
Nine of them fit a Tokyo-based week if you group by area: Tokyo over three days, Kamakura one day, Hakone one day, then the shinkansen to Osaka. Yakushima, south of Kyushu, is a separate trip.
Do you need a JR Pass for these anime places?
Inside Tokyo, Suica or PASMO covers the stations in the table. A 7-day JR Pass can pay off when the Osaka shinkansen is in the same week. Kamakura’s Enoden and much of the Hakone ride are private railways, so compare the pass with point-to-point tickets before you buy.