Chichibu City becomes holy site for “Anohi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai” anime fans
The city of Chichibu in Saitama has been attracting anime fans from throughout Japan since an animation series set there was broadcast on TV earlier this year.
©ANOHANA PROJECT
Young anime fans have flocked to the city since the airing from April to June of the animation “Anohi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない)” (We still don’t know the name of a flower we saw that day).
The animation, “Ano Hana” (That flower) for short, tells the story of a group of youngsters who reunite as friends several years after one dies in an accident during primary school.
©ANOHANA PROJECT
The tourism facility Hot Spot Chichibu-kan said it has been enjoying a 10-fold increase in visitors, thanks to Ano Hana fans.
Chichibu, known for its Buddhist temples for pilgrimage, previously attracted mainly middle-aged and elderly visitors.
Jorin Temple
But since Ano Hana, the make-up of those visitors has changed along with their reasons for making the pilgrimage to Chichibu.
Chichibu Shrine
Jorin Temple, one of the pilgrimage temples, appears as a scene in Ano Hana. It now has a shop selling wooden plaques and Japanese fans illustrated with characters from Ano Hana.
聖地巡礼マップ
In July, the Chichibu city government began distributing maps of spots where scenes in Ano Hana take place.
View Chichibu City in a larger map
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