Otaku tourism and the anime pilgrimage phenomenon in Japan

AbstractThis article analyses one aspect of the emerging phenomenon of otaku tourism: travel by mainly male fans of otaku subculture to anime 'sacred sites' (the locations that feature in favourite anime). It starts by placing discussion of otaku culture in the discourse of postmodernity and elaborating on how otaku subculture is generating new forms of communication. Then, the origins and characteristics of anime pilgrimage are traced. The article concludes by explaining how otaku tourism and anime pilgrimage generate distinctive forms of communication both among fans and between fans and the communities that experience influxes of anime tourists.Keywords: otakutourismanime pilgrimagecommunication Notes1. Azuma Hiroki's seminal 2001 book Dōbutsuka suru posutomodan was translated into English in 2009. Citations from this book are taken from the 2009 English version. When Azuma's work is referred to in other Japanese language sources, the 2001 version is cited.2. Other definitions focus on forms of behaviour, clothing or communication styles. See, for example, Tagawa (Citation2009, pp. 73–80) and Yoshimoto (Citation2009).3. As Nakajima (Citation1991) argues, there are a number of significant differences between dōjinshi produced by men and women. In this article, otaku refers mainly to males and I am analysing their anime pilgrimage. Female anime pilgrimage is a topic for further research, although the related topic of travel by rekijo (female history fans) is the subject of the article by Sugawa-Shimada Akiko in this issue. For more information on fan-produced magazines by and for women, see Kaneda (Citation2007).4. Imai (Citation2009, Citation2010) and Sato (Citation2010) analyse anime pilgrimage from a religious perspective.5. Database Top Page: http://www.so-net.ne.jp/database/G-search/general/general_ohdan.html6. For an online example of a fan's pilgrimage, see http://www7.atpages.jp/sasa90/seichi-rakisuta.html [Accessed 5 June 2014].7. For an example of a fan's site that compares scenes from the anime with actual locations, see http://seesaawiki.jp/w/lsh_er/d/TV%A5%A2%A5%CB%A5%E1%A1%D8%CE%C3%B5%DC%A5%CF%A5%EB%A5%D2%A4%CE%CD%AB%DD%B5%A1%D9%C9%F1%C2%E6%C3%B5%CB%AC%A4%DE%A4%C8%A4%E1%A5%B5%A5%A4%A5%C8 [Accessed 5 June 2014].8. This can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWtbU7_KDFs&feature=related [Accessed 2 June 2014].9. For an example of a fan's site that compares scenes from the anime and actual locations, see