What Is Seichi Junrei? Anime Pilgrimage in Japan: Economic Impact and Etiquette
Seichi junrei 聖地巡礼 · Pilgrimage
You spot the scenery of an anime in a photo and think, “I want to stand in that exact place.” Here is what seichi junrei means, the culture behind it, how to prepare for a trip, and the manners for enjoying it while respecting local life.
What Seichi Junrei Means
Seichi junrei (聖地巡礼, “sacred-site pilgrimage”) means actually visiting the settings of anime, films and dramas, or places tied to your oshi such as their hometown (the “holy land,” or seichi). In 2016, riding the success of the hit Your Name., it was nominated for Japan’s annual buzzword awards and became an everyday word.
You can shoot a photo in the same composition as a scene from the work (a “seichi cut”), order the same dish at a shop that appeared in the story, or set an acrylic stand or nui (plushie) on a bench in the setting and photograph it. The ways to enjoy it are endless.
Seichi junreiVisiting places tied to a work or an oshi
- Seichi cutPhotograph the same composition
- Same dishOrder what appeared in the story
- Goods photosPlace an acrylic stand or nui on a bench
- Local food and airSavor the whole trip
The photo is only part of the pilgrimage.
Telling It Apart From Similar Words
Seichi junrei is the act of visiting real places tied to a work or a person, while roke-chi meguri (filming-location touring) focuses on where a production was shot. A model location and an officially recognized site aren’t always the same, and claiming either needs evidence.
Examples
- “I went on a seichi junrei over the long weekend. It was the same view as the work.”
- “It was my dream to order the same menu item as my oshi at a café in the holy land.”
- “My hometown suddenly became a holy land, and the shopping street got more pilgrims.”
- “I planned a route that hits two holy lands on the way to an ensei.”
Where the Word Comes From and How the Culture Spread
“Pilgrimage” is originally a religious term, meaning to travel to places that are objects of faith. When fans call a work’s setting a “holy land,” it’s an expression of respect and humor, meaning the place matters that much. Its roots lie in butai tanbou (“exploring the settings”), the culture of anime fans visiting the real scenery drawn in the backgrounds. Once seichi cuts began to be shared on social media, the practice spread all at once.
The word is no longer only for anime. An oshi’s hometown, the filming locations of dramas and films, towns that appear in lyrics, the area around a concert venue: every experience of “seeing the same view as your oshi” has come to be called seichi junrei.
- Butai tanbouAnime fans seek the real scenery
- Seichi cuts sharedThe practice spreads all at once
- A buzzword and a groupNominated for buzzword awards; tourism association founded
- Cross-border content tourismOshi hometowns, dramas, lyrics, K-pop
A shared language of content tourism across borders.
K-pop fans’ trips to filming locations and shops tied to their idols belong to the same cultural sphere, and seichi junrei is becoming a common language of content tourism across borders.
Seichi Junrei in Numbers: A Real Economic Impact
Seichi junrei has outgrown the label “otaku hobby” and become a pillar of regional economies.
| Case | Effect |
|---|---|
| Girls und Panzer x Oarai Town | An economic effect of about ¥700 million (roughly $4.7 million), estimated by Nomura Research Institute (2013 to 2014) |
| Your Name. and two other works x Gifu Prefecture | About 1.03 million pilgrims and ¥23 billion (roughly $153 million) in spending within the prefecture, calculated by Juroku Research Institute |
| Laid-Back Camp x Yamanashi Prefecture | Total spending at related events of over ¥80 million (roughly $530,000), estimated by the University of Yamanashi and others |
Girls und Panzer x Oarai
- About ¥700 million in economic effect
- Estimated by Nomura Research Institute
Your Name. and more x Gifu
- About 1.03 million pilgrims
- ¥23 billion in spending in the prefecture
Laid-Back Camp x Yamanashi
- Over ¥80 million in spending
- Estimated by the University of Yamanashi and others
Seichi junrei is a pillar of regional economies, not only an otaku hobby.
In 2016 the Anime Tourism Association was founded, and moves such as selecting “Japan’s anime holy lands you’d like to visit” have made this a national content-tourism effort.
Putting a Pilgrimage Into Practice: Preparation and Enjoyment
- Look up the place and how to get there in advance. Holy lands are often in the suburbs or residential areas, so check how often public transit runs and when shops are open
- Enjoy the process of finding the seichi cut, too. Walking around in search of the same angle as the work is the real joy of a pilgrimage
- Be aware of busy periods. Pilgrims crowd in right after a broadcast or release and over long weekends. If you want a quiet visit, shift your timing
- 01Look it upPlace, transit, opening hours
- 02Check the rulesPrivate land, schools, photography
- 03Save the scenesImages on your device
- 04Find the cutWalk to the same angle
- 05Spend locallyMeals, souvenirs, lodging
Weak signal on site is common, so save images beforehand.
Checklist Before You Leave
Holy lands aren’t always set up as tourist destinations. Settings are often residential areas or small shops, so run through these checks on top of your usual trip preparation.
- You know whether the place you want to visit is an officially guided holy land or one fans discovered
- If it includes private property, a school or a residential area, you’ve looked up how far you may go and whether photography is allowed
- You’ve confirmed the opening days, hours and closing days of shops and facilities from the work (in the suburbs, buses can be infrequent)
- You’ve saved the images of the scenes you want to recreate as seichi cuts on your device (signal can be weak on site)
- You’ve looked up whether there are local collaboration events, stamp rallies or commemorative goods, and their dates
- You’ve put one plan in to spend money in the area on a meal, souvenirs or lodging
- If you’ll set up an acrylic stand or nui for a photo, you intend to choose a spot where it won’t get in anyone’s way
Common Misconceptions
- A holy land isn’t necessarily an officially certified place. Many were found by fans and spread from there, and some are private property or ordinary living space. That is why manners matter
- A pilgrimage isn’t just “going to take photos.” The real pleasure is savoring the local food and air along with it
Three Manners for Being a Welcome Pilgrim
A holy land is, before it is a tourist site, someone’s place of daily life.
- Consideration for living areas. Keep photography modest in residential areas. Stay off school routes and private property
- Spend money in the area. Don’t just take a photo and leave; give back through meals, souvenirs and lodging. That is what leads to the next collaboration with the work
- Awareness that you carry the work’s reputation. If pilgrims behave badly, the work itself gets disliked. The reverse is true too
- 01Carry the work's reputationBad behavior makes the work disliked
- 02Spend money in the areaLeads to the next collaboration
- 03Respect living areasSomeone's daily life comes first
A holy land is, before a tourist site, someone's place of daily life.
Notes From The Oshi Lab: Regions That Respect the Fans’ Context Win
What successful seichi junrei cases have in common is that the region respected the “fans’ context.” They didn’t stop at putting up display panels. They recreated menu items from the work, ran events for characters’ birthdays and built exchanges between fans and the shopping street. Measures that show “we get it” turn pilgrims into repeat visitors, and that is the dividing line between a passing tourism boom and a ten-year relationship with fans.
Another observation is that seichi junrei is repeat tourism. Ordinary tourist sites tend to be a one-visit-and-done affair, but pilgrims come back again and again for a new season’s broadcast, an anniversary or the changing scenery. The deeper the relationship between region and fans, the more tourism shifts from “visiting” to “dropping in regularly,” and businesses that can design a bridge between fan communities and the area have a big role to play.
Related Terms
FAQ
What does seichi junrei mean?
It means actually visiting the settings of anime or films, or places tied to your oshi such as their hometown (the "holy land"). Taking a photo from the same angle as the work, called "seichi cut," is also a standard pleasure.
How large is the economic impact of seichi junrei?
Reported examples include roughly ¥700 million (about $4.7 million, estimated by Nomura Research Institute) for Oarai Town with Girls und Panzer, and ¥23 billion (roughly $153 million, calculated by the Juroku Research Institute) in spending in Gifu Prefecture for three works including Your Name. It has become a pillar of regional development.
How do I find pilgrimage spots?
More and more are introduced on official sites and local tourism guides, and fans often publish records of their own pilgrimages. Also check whether the place is one that needs consideration about entry, such as private property or a school route.
Are there manners to be careful about on a pilgrimage?
Consideration for residents' daily lives comes first. Keep photography modest, don't enter private property, and spend money on meals and souvenirs to support the area, which leads to a good relationship between fans and the community.
