［August 2017］
22 – Anime and Local Revitalisation – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

SMASH! (Sydney Manga Anime Show) will be held at Rosehill Gardens on 19-20 August; CLAIR will participate and promote Japanese local areas, with a focus on areas famous for their contributions to Japanese manga and anime.

As you may know, manga is the Japanese word for ‘cartoons’ and anime is the Japanese loanword derived from ‘animation’ in English. Both are very popular among youth in Japan and abroad—this, of course, includes many Aussies and New Zealanders.

Most manga and anime have fictitious characters and stories, but the backdrops are often based on actual buildings and landscapes of a particular town to ground it in some reality and keep the storyline consistent. Many fans are eager to locate and visit locations depicted in their favourite manga and anime as for them they are seichi (a sacred place). These pilgrims want to hunt down the actual spots and take pictures at precisely the same angles as in the manga and anime scenes—sometimes even inserting themselves into the shots, dressed in cosplay of their favourite characters. They are extremely passionate and will go anywhere regardless of distance or poor accessibility.

Some Japanese local governments provide information on their manga- and anime-related activities to attract fans and promote local revitalisation. The benefits of having manga and anime basing their stories in actual towns and villages are tangible, which is why many local governments in Japan are keen to promote such regions both domestically and abroad.

Visit our booth at SMASH! to learn more about different seichi for manga and anime scattered throughout Japan. We look forward to seeing you there!

Katsunori Kamibo

Director