Anime and manga fans are flocking to towns across Japan, bringing new opportunities to communities grappling with depopulation and economic decline.
Characters from the hit anime Love Live! Sunshine!! on the exterior of Numazu Station in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture, where the series has helped attract tourists and new residents. (Image: CNA)
Characters from the hit anime Love Live! Sunshine!! on the exterior of Numazu Station in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture, where the series has helped attract tourists and new residents. (Image: CNA)
NUMAZU, Japan: When Maki Nishiono first visited the coastal city of Numazu, she was chasing a fictional anime world. Today, she calls the place home.
A fan of the hit anime Love Live! Sunshine!!, the 27-year-old was drawn to Numazu in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture by the real-life locations featured in the series.
Nishiono was so captivated by the city that she eventually left Osaka to work at Awashima Hotel, one of the settings in the anime.
“Every scene was exactly the same as in the anime. It was real. I was fascinated,” she recalled of her first visit.
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Maki Nishiono (right) shows CNA correspondent Michiyo Ishida (left) a room filled with merchandise featuring characters from the Love Live! Sunshine!! anime. (Image: CNA)
A room at Awashima Hotel is decorated with Love Live! Sunshine!! memorabilia, including plush toys, character posters, costumes and other collectibles. (Image: CNA)
She is among seven fans of the series, known as “Livers”, who have relocated to work at the luxury hotel.
Maki Nishiono (right) shows CNA correspondent Michiyo Ishida (left) a room filled with merchandise featuring characters from the Love Live! Sunshine!! anime. (Image: CNA)
A room at Awashima Hotel is decorated with Love Live! Sunshine!! memorabilia, including plush toys, character posters, costumes and other collectibles. (Image: CNA)
Her experience reflects a growing trend across Japan, where fans are turning their love of anime and manga into real-world journeys.
For some destinations grappling with ageing populations, declining industries and the departure of young people, pop culture tourism offers opportunities beyond tourist spending.
WHEN AN ANIME INSPIRE FANS TO MOVE
Numazu has become a pilgrimage destination for fans of Love Live! Sunshine!!, which first aired in 2016.
The anime follows nine schoolgirls who form an idol group to save their school from closing amid falling enrolment.
Today the characters are everywhere – appearing on buses, banners, and even manhole covers.
Characters from the hit anime Love Live! Sunshine!! can be spotted across Numazu, adorning banners, manhole covers and even ferry windows. (Image: CNA)
Businesses featured in the series have also embraced their newfound fame.
The 130-year-old Yasudaya Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, is depicted in the anime as the home of the group’s leader, Chika Takami.
The ryokan’s general manager, Kazunori Yasuda, remembers a sudden change in clientele.
“When the anime began showing on TV, we had a spike in young male guests,” he said.
The 130-year-old Yasudaya Ryokan in Numazu, Japan, appears in the anime Love Live! Sunshine!! as the home of the idol group's leader, Chika Takami. (Image: CNA)
The inn had previously attracted admirers of renowned Japanese novelist Osamu Dazai, who once stayed there.
On nearby Awashima Island, businesses have recreated scenes from the show.
Awashima Hotel – portrayed in the anime as the family hotel of one of the main characters Mari Ohara – also features a special suite modelled after her room.
Awashima Hotel in Numazu, Japan, is featured in the anime as the family-owned hotel of one of its main characters, Mari Ohara. (Image: CNA)
A special suite at Awashima Hotel in Numazu is modelled after the room of Mari Ohara, one of the main characters in the anime Love Live! Sunshine!!. (Image: CNA)
For the hotel’s management, however, the anime’s influence extends beyond attracting guests.
“It’s an island. So it’s difficult to find people to work with us,” said the hotel’s representative director Hiromi Miyashiro.
Yuki Terasawa, the hotel’s strategy manager, is another Liver who relocated to work at the property.
“I graduated from a university in Tokyo. I had no hesitation to work here. I’m quite happy to have this job,” said the 24-year-old.
Love Live! Sunshine!! fans Maki Nishiono (left) and Yuki Terasawa (right) relocated to Numazu to work at Awashima Hotel. (Image: CNA)
That ability to attract workers is particularly significant for Numazu.
According to mayor Shuichi Yorishige, the city’s population has fallen from a peak of 210,000 to 180,000.
“Young people especially – after graduating (from) high school, they leave for the metropolis for university and jobs,” he said.
Love Live! Sunshine!! proved to be an unexpected pull.
After repeatedly visiting Numazu, hundreds of fans have moved to the city, the mayor said.