Anime tourism business model: how seichi junrei turns viewers into visitors
Anime locations have become a real tourism draw, but the business model depends on local coordination, timing, and managing visitor flows.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Anime tourism, known in Japan as seichi junrei, is the practice of visiting real-world locations featured in anime and manga. A Japan Tourism Agency survey found that 11.8 percent of tourists to Japan in 2024 mentioned 'visiting movies and anime-related sites' as a purpose of future trips. The economic model depends on spending at local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, transport operators, and shops, rather than on direct payments to anime studios or production committees.
What anime tourism is
Anime tourism means fans traveling to towns, landmarks, train stations, shops, and other locations that appear in or inspired their favorite anime and manga. The Japanese term seichi junrei translates roughly as 'pilgrimage to sacred places.' Examples include the Slam Dunk locations along the Enoshima Electric Railway, the Haikyu!! settings in Sendai, and the One Piece Kumamoto Revival Project.
The locations are often ordinary places that gain fame through their depiction in media. Local governments, tourism boards, and businesses then promote them with maps, monuments, collaboration goods, and themed events.
The scale of anime tourism demand
Demand is substantial and growing. The Japan Tourism Agency found that 11.8 percent of tourists to Japan in 2024 cited visiting movies and anime-related sites as a purpose of future trips. Japan National Tourism Organization officials expected a record 35 million foreign arrivals in 2024, and quarterly surveys found 8.7 percent of foreign visitors visited anime or film locations in January to March 2024.
The Anime Tourism Association, established in 2016 through cooperation among content holders, travel industries, and local governments, publishes an annual 'Anime Spot 88' list based on a poll of Japanese and international fans. In its latest poll, 49 percent of votes came from overseas.
How money flows through anime tourism
Unlike merchandise or streaming, anime tourism does not usually generate direct revenue for the anime studio or production committee. Money flows to local businesses: hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, railways, taxis, souvenir shops, and event venues. Some locations also sell collaboration goods licensed from the rights holder.
Local governments may invest in monuments, signs, and events to attract fans. The One Piece Kumamoto Revival Project, launched after the 2016 earthquakes, installed ten bronze Straw Hat Crew statues across Kumamoto Prefecture and became a centerpiece of regional reconstruction tourism. Sendai appointed Haikyu!! characters as tourism special envoys and installed character monuments and themed manhole covers.
Measured economic effects
A Waseda University working paper studied the long-term economic effects of anime broadcasts on municipalities featured as 'anime holy lands.' From 2000 to 2020, 636 anime works featured real-world locations, creating 3,219 holy lands across 533 municipalities. The study found that anime broadcasts increased average income per taxpayer by 0.5 percent and night-time luminosity after roughly 13 years.
The primary driver was population growth. Featured municipalities saw a 5.9 percent population increase after anime broadcasts, driven by in-migrants. The effect was larger in rural areas than in urban ones, suggesting anime tourism can contribute to regional revitalization in smaller towns.
Selected anime tourism indicators from government and academic sources.| Effect | Magnitude | Timing | Source |
|---|
| Anime holy lands identified | 3,219 locations | 2000-2020 | Waseda study |
| Anime works with holy lands | 636 works | 2000-2020 | Waseda study |
| Population increase in featured municipalities | 5.9% | After broadcast | Waseda study |
| Income per taxpayer increase | 0.5% | 5 years after broadcast | Waseda study |
| Tourists citing anime/film locations | 11.8% | 2024 | Japan Tourism Agency survey |
| Overseas votes in Anime Spot 88 poll | 49% | Latest poll | Anime Tourism Association |
Challenges and limits
Anime tourism is not an automatic windfall. The Waseda paper found no statistically significant sustained increase in tourist numbers across all featured municipalities; effects vary widely by title and location. Some towns struggle with overtourism, seasonal spikes, and the cost of maintaining monuments and events after initial fan interest fades.
The Association of Japanese Animations notes that promoting anime tourism at scale is difficult because each region has different marketing needs. The Anime Tourism Association has received government contracts to survey overseas fans and provide data to local governments, but converting interest into dispersed, year-round travel remains a challenge.
Who captures the value?: Anime tourism spending mostly stays with local service businesses, not with the anime studios or rights holders. Rights holders may earn licensing fees for collaboration goods or events, but the core tourism revenue model is local. This separation matters when evaluating claims about anime's economic impact.
Frequently asked questions
What is seichi junrei?
Seichi junrei is the Japanese term for visiting real-world locations featured in anime, manga, or games. It is often called anime pilgrimage in English.
How does anime tourism make money?
Anime tourism generates spending at local hotels, restaurants, transport operators, shops, and events. Rights holders may also earn licensing fees for collaboration goods. Studios generally do not receive direct payments from tourists.
How many tourists visit anime locations in Japan?
A Japan Tourism Agency survey found 11.8 percent of tourists to Japan in 2024 mentioned visiting movies and anime-related sites as a purpose of future trips. Quarterly data from early 2024 showed 8.7 percent of foreign visitors visited anime or film locations.
Does anime tourism help local economies?
A Waseda University study found that municipalities featured in anime saw a 5.9 percent population increase and a 0.5 percent increase in average income per taxpayer. Effects vary by location and are stronger in rural areas.