Visiting Japan in 2025 means you can do more than watch your favourite shows—you can walk straight into them. From neon-lit crossings to quiet riversides, this guide distils the year’s essential anime pilgrimage spots and shows you exactly how to experience them with respect and ease.
Why 2025 Is the Year of Anime Pilgrimages
Anniversaries for Sailor Moon (30 years) and Your Name (10 years) collide with fresh seasons of Oshi no Ko and Jujutsu Kaisen, prompting new pop-ups, special manhole covers and multilingual signboards. Rail passes have also expanded, making multi-city trips cheaper than ever. In short, 2025 offers the richest blend of nostalgia and novelty to date.
Tokyo: Screen Scenes on Your Doorstep
Even if you only have a few days in Tokyo, you can experience multiple titles at once by touring the filming locations clustered together. Check out these popular spots and jump into the anime world!!
Shibuya Crossing – Jujutsu Kaisen
The “Shibuya Incident” arc forever linked the world’s busiest scramble with sorcery. Fifteen photo angles are now marked on the pavement; follow them at dusk when the LED façades mimic the anime’s lighting.
Shimokitazawa’s Shelter & Village Vanguard – Bocchi the Rock!
The indie-rock setting of Bocchi the Rock! is based on Shimokitazawa. At its centre is Shelter, a small live house that still hosts rock concerts every night. Just outside, under the Odakyu railway tracks, tiny shops sell used vinyl records and band T-shirts, recreating the anime’s underground vibe. Free poster flyers for the real-world “Kessoku Band” EP are often stacked by the ticket window—easy souvenirs to slip into a backpack.
Suga Shrine Steps, Yotsuya – Your Name
Arrive 30 minutes before sunset for the same honey-gold palette “Your Name” was inspired. Weekday evenings remain the quietest; tripods are discouraged to keep the narrow lane clear.
Azabu Hikawa Shrine – Sailor Moon
Open 06:00–19:00. New Sailor-themed manhole covers now guide you from Exit 7 of Azabu-Juban Station straight to the torii gate. Inside, the courtyard and stone steps match Rei’s anime scenes almost frame-for-frame, and a small glass case displays fan-donated charms shaped like transformation brooches. Please keep voices low, skip selfie-sticks during rituals, and avoid cosplay while priests conduct purification rites.
Ebisu & Akasaka Backstreets – Oshi no Ko
Season 2 teasers have reignited interest in two key spots: the Ebisu Meidi-ya supermarket, where standing by the entrance lets you recreate Ai’s iconic umbrella walk, and Akasaka’s red-brick talent offices, whose narrow side streets inspired the production-company scenes; on autumn weekends (September–November 2025) nearby pop-up cafés serve themed desserts, so expect queues and book online if possible.
Kanagawa: Coastal Classics
Sea breeze and 1990s nostalgia lie an hour south of Shinjuku.
Kamakurakokomae Station Crossing – Slam Dunk
This small seaside stop on the Enoden Line sits between Kamakura and Fujisawa. The famous level-crossing is only 30 seconds from the station exit; face the ocean and you’ll see the exact angle used in the anime’s opening. Waves, the curved coast and passing green-and-cream trains create an almost identical backdrop. A multilingual signboard (installed April 2025) marks the safe photo zone—stand behind the yellow line because trains pass every 12 minutes without slowing down.
Enoshima Island – Bonus Settings
Panoramic viewpoints echo scenes from Tsurune and Tokyo Revengers. Pair the island walk with Kamakura temples for a balanced day trip.
Real Life Anime Places in Kansai
Crowd levels drop, but recognition remains high.
Uji & Obaku Stations, Kyoto – Sound! Euphonium
Uji Station’s modest building, complete with teal roof tiles and clock tower, mirrors the anime’s concert-practice meet-ups. Walk five minutes to the Uji Bridge, whose balustrades and river vistas form the series’ reflective sunset shots. Two stops south, Obaku Station features the same simple island platform and wooden shelter seen when characters commute; even the nearby bamboo grove matches Kyoto Animation’s background art. Tourist maps (free at Uji Tourist Office) link these spots in a 2 km loop—collect stamps for a commemorative postcard.
Nishinomiya, Hyōgo – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Nishinomiya Kita High School sits on a low hill ten minutes from Hankyu Kōen-Toshi Station. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a high-school sci-fi comedy about an eccentric girl whose unconscious powers warp reality, viewed through her classmate’s eyes. A brick slope guides you to a cream, three-storey building with blue frames—virtually the anime’s school exterior. A cherry-lined path by a narrow canal evokes the after-school meetup scenes; keep voices down as classes run on weekdays.
Sendai: Haikyu!! Takes Flight
In Sendai’s Tomizawa district, colourful volleyball manhole covers lead you on a 15-minute walk from Tomizawa Station to Kamei Arena, a glass-fronted sports hall that mirrors match shots from the series. Haikyu!! follows a determined, undersized spiker and his high-school team as they chase national volleyball glory. Inside the entrance, a bronze statue of two players mid-spike—unveiled May 2025—celebrates Hinata and Kageyama as Sendai’s “Sports Ambassadors.”
Plan Your 2025 Pilgrimage
Rail & Passes
The JR Greater Tokyo Pass (¥10,000/3 days, July 2025) now covers Enoden and parts of the Keihan line, trimming costs between Shibuya, Kamakura and Kyoto. Always confirm the latest validity zones at ticket counters.
Etiquette Essentials
- Ask before filming inside shops.
- Avoid blocking crossings—snap, step aside, repeat.
- Shrines request modest dress; group cosplay shoots need prior permission.
Seasonal Pop-Ups
- Oshi no Ko pop-up café, Akasaka (Sep–Nov 2025).
- Jujutsu Kaisen exhibition, Shibuya Hikarie (Dec 2025–Feb 2026). Advance online tickets sell out within days.
From Screen Dreams to Real-World Memories
Whether you chase sorcerers in Shibuya or brass-band echoes in Uji, Japan’s 2025 anime locations transform passive viewing into active discovery. Pack your curiosity, patience and respect; each stop will reward you with the uncanny thrill of stepping directly into your favourite frame.
