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Visiting Anime Locations with Care

Anime settings are also places where people live and pray. Here's how I visit them kindly.

ToracoPhoto: Suga Shrine Stairway (setting of Your Name.)
  • Shrines & temples
  • Quiet neighbourhoods
  • Photo etiquette

Tokyo is full of shrines, stairways and shopping streets that became the backdrop for memorable anime scenes. Standing in front of a view you first saw on screen is one of the real joys of a pilgrimage 🐯

Many of these places, though, are still places of worship, or streets where people live and run their businesses. I picked this theme so that fans can keep visiting them happily for years to come. I'll walk you through four situations, shrines and temples, residential streets, photos and shops, with a few considerate habits for each, alongside real locations where they apply.

At shrines and temples, visit as a guest first

Before they are anime locations, shrines and temples are places where local people come to pray. It's common to give a small bow at the torii or temple gate and to walk along the side of the approach rather than straight down the middle. If you pay your respects first and then turn to photos and the details from the show, the visit stays relaxed for everyone.

Ema plaques carry the wishes, and sometimes the names, of the people who wrote them. When you photograph an ema rack, I find it helps to frame it as a whole scene rather than zooming in on individual plaques ✨

On stairways and residential streets, keep it low-key

Many famous stairways and small shrines sit in the middle of residential areas. People pass through on their way to work, school or the shops, so it helps not to stop in the middle of a stairway and to keep your voice down.

Try to avoid compositions that take in someone's front door or windows, and step aside for the next person once you have your shot. On narrow stairs, leaving tripods and selfie sticks folded makes it easier for everyone to get by.

When taking photos, mind people and signs

It's tempting to recreate the exact shot from the show, isn't it? If worshippers or the people who work at the shrine or temple would end up in the frame, it's considerate to ask first or wait until they have moved on 📷

Inside buildings, and in some parts of the grounds, there may be signs asking you not to take photos. Where you see one, it's common courtesy to follow it.

  • Yushima Tenmangu Shrine

    Anime & Manga · Ueno

    A shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, that appears again and again in Noragami. Its approach and main hall are drawn faithfully, so you can look for the shots from the show as you walk.

    Free entry

  • Igusa Hachimangu Shrine

    Anime & Manga · Other areas in Tokyo

    An ancient shrine in a large wooded precinct, widely identified as the model for Kitashirahebi Shrine in the Monogatari Series. Its stone lanterns and torii line up with shots from the anime.

    Free entry

  • Senso-ji Temple

    Anime & Manga · Asakusa

    Tokyo's oldest temple and the heart of Asakusa. Its grounds and approach appear in Sarazanmai and World Dai Star, and since it's a busy place, it pays to choose where you stop for photos.

    Free entry

In shopping streets and shops, put customers and staff first

The shopping streets you see in anime are where local people do their everyday shopping. It helps not to stop right in front of a shopfront or in the middle of the walkway, and to take your photos quickly when the flow of people eases.

If you'd like to photograph inside a shop or its goods, it's common to ask the staff first.

  • Yakushi Ai Road Shopping Street

    Anime & Manga · Nakano

    A retro shopping street of roughly 130 shops along the approach to Araiyakushi temple. Fan location scouting identifies it as the model for the shopping-street scenes in episode 6 of ReLIFE.

    Free entry

  • Ameyoko Shopping Street

    Anime & Manga · Ueno

    A market street of over 400 shops between Ueno and Okachimachi stations, drawn again and again as the town the Colors protect in Mitsuboshi Colors. It's a busy street, so pick your spot before you stop.

    Free entry

Good to know

  • It's common to give a small bow at the torii or temple gate and to walk along the side of the approach.
  • Ema carry people's wishes and names. It helps to photograph the rack as a whole rather than close up on single plaques.
  • In residential streets, keep your voice down and avoid framing people's front doors or windows.
  • If someone would end up in your photo, it's considerate to ask first or wait until they have moved on.
  • Where a sign asks you not to take photos, please follow it.
  • Carrying a small bag for your rubbish makes it easy to take it with you.

A little care goes a long way toward keeping these places welcoming to fans in the years ahead. Pick one location from this guide, add it to your trip, and start planning your next pilgrimage 🧳

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