5 Popular Anime Inspired by World Cities
List of famous anime series that are inspired by real-life places around the world
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Anime is pop culture contents made from Japan, and many anime series are inspired by real-life places in Japan. Visiting the anime locations is one of the most popular ways to travel in Japan these days, which is known as Anime Tourism or Anime Pilgrimage.
Of course, some popular anime series are inspired by not only Japan but also various cities around the world. Their settings are real-life cities or towns outside Japan.
Today, I’d like to introduce 5 popular anime that are inspired by the real-life cities all over the world. Check the list of world’s anime locations for anime fans to add these anime places to their bucket list on their travel abroad.
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1. Spirited Away
Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), released in 2001, is one of the most famous Studio Ghibli movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan with over 30 billion yen.
Spirited Away centers on a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who wanders into a weird and strange world with her parents and finds her parents are transformed into pigs due to the witchy curse. She decides to work hard in the bathhouse to help them.
There are some stories about the places that the movie is inspired by. Many fans look on Jiufen in Taiwan as a model of the world of Spirited Away. The buildings of the bathhouse in the anime movie are inspired by some Japanese buildings such as Dogo Onsen in Ehime, Nikko Toshogu Shrine in Tochigi and Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Tokyo according to the art director of Spirited Away.
☞続き ジブリの社員旅行で行った四国の道後温泉は油屋の外装を描く際に参考になったとのこと。その他にも日光東照宮や江戸東京たてもの園にある建築物なども参考にしたそうで、油屋は様々な建築様式やデザインが混在した不思議な建物として描かれていますー???? #湯屋のモデルはどこ #油屋 pic.twitter.com/Gzvsgelc5t
— アンク＠金曜ロードショー公式 (@kinro_ntv) January 20, 2017
2. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki’s Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) is a classic Studio Ghibli film released in 1989, which is adapted from the novel written by Eiko Kadono in 1985. It is known as the first Hayao Miyazaki’s directed full-length movie.
Kiki’s Delivery Service follows a 13 years old girl Kiki, who is an unmatured witch. The story starts when she leaves home for her independence with her pet black cat Jiji.
The towns that Kiki visits on her trip in the movie are inspired by some real-life towns in the world. It is officially informed that the setting of the anime is highly related to an old town Gamla stan in Stockholm, Sweden and Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden.
美術を担当した大野広司さんいわく「北ヨーロッパあたりのどこかの町といった感じで特定の場所ではないんですが、町かどの風景などは、ストックホルムのガムラスタンという町の裏通りをそのままつかったりしてます」とのこと。素敵な街並みですね！ pic.twitter.com/6L6RQ4FQSw
— アンク＠金曜ロードショー公式 (@kinro_ntv) January 22, 2016
3. Castle in the Sky
Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ), one of the most popular Studio Ghibli movies, has been loved by fans all over the world since it was first directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1986 after Studio Ghibli was founded.
The story proceeds when the two main characters meet each other: a young boy named Pazu and a young girl named Sheeta. Her adventure with Pazu starts to run away from the air pirates and government agency.
The director Hayao Miyazaki made Castle in the Sky, based on Wales. There are many locations all over Wales that you can see in the anime film including Powis Castle, Caernarfon Castle, Conwy Castle and so on. Beng Mealea, a temple in the forest in Cambodia, is also a popular tourist site among the fans of Castle in the Sky since the landscape there look like some scenes in the movie.
4. Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) is an action and dark-fantasy anime series, broadcasted from 2013. It is adapted from the original manga written by Hajime Isayama, and there are four seasons in the anime series. The final season is to be aired from December, 2020.
The symbol of the dark-fantasy anime is titans that make humanity stand on the edge of extinction. The main characters Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman with the other Survey Corps members battle against the titans investigating why the titans exist in the world.
The modeled place is not officially announced, but major fans guess Attack on Titan is inspired by Nördlingen, a town in Germany. Nördlingen is filled with houses with orange-colored rooftop, and the entire town forms a circle like the towns surrounded by the walls in the anime.
5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険) is a long-loved fantasy anime series. There are eight parts in the whole series from Phantom Blood to JoJolion. Four seasons of the anime series have been adapted from the original manga, which covers five parts of the manga.
The fourth season of the anime series (Part 5 of the manga) titled Golden Wind (Vento Aureo) is focused on here. Golden Wind is set in Naples, Italy in 2001, which centers on Giorno Giovanna (the son of DIO). Giorno decides to join a mafia group to become its boss in order to stop drug deals.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind is totally based on Naples in Italy. You can see lots of locations in the city that look like those in Neapolis, which the characters live in the anime. Neapolis just means Naples in Latin.
Did you enjoy the anime list with the real-life places around the world? In addition, there are a large number of anime that are inspired by real-life locations in Japan. It is also recommended to check this anime list with Japan.
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Written by
Hi! I’m a writer and editor at Japan Web Magazine. Since 2017, I’ve written over 500 articles covering a wide range of Japan-related topics—must-visit travel spots, local food culture, helpful travel tips, seasonal events, anime, manga, and more. I travel all over Japan, from the snowy landscapes of Hokkaido to the tropical beaches of Okinawa. My hobbies, such as hunting for the best ramen shops and keeping up with the latest anime every season, help me share the magic of Japan with people from all over the world. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a Japan fan planning your dream trip, I want to help you experience the best of what this country has to offer. After traveling to many countries around the world, I still love Japan the most, and I continue to share information while making the most of my perspective as someone who was born and raised here. 📲 Connect with me ▷You can find more of my writing and follow my latest thoughts on Japan over on Medium. A bit more about me: 🗾 Traveler at heart ▷Most unforgettable trip: Chichijima Island, a remote island that takes over 23 hours to reach by ferry from Tokyo! ▷Favorite neighborhood in Tokyo: Kagurazaka 🍜 Foodie life ▷Obsessed with sushi and ramen ▷Proud foodie moment: Scored a seat at the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro 🎌 Passionate otaku ▷Favorite anime: March Comes in Like a Lion and Attack on Titan ▷Manga I live by: One Piece and Slam Dunk
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