by If you are a fan of anime and games, you may have been to “Sacred Place Pilgrimage.”
Pilgrimage to the sacred place is to go to the land of the model that was the stage of the story in animation and games. In recent years, local governments often led pilgrimages to sacred places as part of town revitalization, and they are attracting attention in various fields due to their high economic effect.
A famous example of success is the anime “Girls und, Panzer.” In Oarai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, where the stage was set, fans of the film visited for sightseeing such as the “Oarai Angler Festival.” The economic effect for 2013-14 was about 700 million yen. In addition, 380,000 people a year in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, where the anime “Love Live! Sunshine !!” It is said that the number of tourists has increased.
And “Amagami” to introduce this time. It’s a sweet youth story woven by heroines who are too unique and a gentleman’s hero who is as unique as it is, but the city where they live “Kibito” is modeled on Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture. 13 years after the game was released and 12 years after the anime broadcast, there are many tourist resources such as the charm of the story that is still loved, the Choshi Port Tower famous for its beaches and night views, and abundant seafood. It creates a sacred place pilgrimage effect.
A pilgrimage to the sacred place that “Amagami” brought to Choshi City. This time, we interviewed the Amagami fan club, an Amagami fan who was interviewed on Chiba TV’s news program “news Ciba” on January 25, and who is promoting the town of Choshi through Amagami.
Daisuke Hashimoto (in the future referred to as “Hashimoto”): Amagami has been loved for many years but did many people come to the sacred place pilgrimage from when the work was announced?
Kagayaki Nitto Amagami Fan Club (after this referred to as Kagayaki Nitto): It seems that it has been around since the anime was broadcast 12 years ago. There was a time when it went down, but in recent years, due to the live distribution of the game and the implementation of the event called the founding festival, Amagami and Amagami SS have been in the limelight again, and the number of pilgrims has increased.
Hashimoto: There was a custom of pilgrimage to sacred places from that time. How do you feel about the change in the vibrancy of Choshi City due to the pilgrimage to the sacred place?
Teru Nitto: Rather than being full of energy throughout Choshi City, I feel that the installation of exchange notes and maps has helped attract more customers to shops and tourist facilities. By continuing the activities, I would like to further enhance the effect in the future.
Hashimoto: It’s an exchange note that is said to be placed at the Choshi Station Tourist Information Center and Azuma Zushi (a sushi restaurant that became the model of the hero’s best friend’s parents’ house). I would like to see it once to know the fans’ enthusiasm. Please tell us about the charm of “Amagami,” which has been loved for many years and was introduced on TV again this time.
Teru Nitto: The most attractive thing is the interaction between the unique heroines and the main character. Drawing a picture of your choice or buying goods is one of the real pleasures.
Hashimoto: All the characters in Amagami are unique. Then, please tell us the famous places of Kagayaki Higashi (Choshi) that you want to suppress even if you are not an Amagami fan or a fan.
Kagayaki Higashi: Inubosaki, Choshi Port Tower, Choshi Observatory, Choshi Marina, Kimigahama, Inubosaki Onsen, Dolphin Watching, etc. Choshi has many attractions as a tourist destination.
Hashimoto: It’s a town full of charm that fans can enjoy, such as hot springs and Port Tower, even if they aren’t fans. Lastly, please tell us your outlook on making it a sacred place for Amagami in the future.
Teru Nitto: I hope that fans and local people will deepen their ties through Amagami and enjoy each other’s excitement. In the long run, I would like to hold events and sell original goods.
If I have the opportunity, I will visit Choshi City, have a meal at the family restaurant where one of the heroines is said to have worked, and see the night view of the Port Tower in the climax scene.
Unfortunately, there are some cases where pilgrimage to the sacred place becomes a problem due to fan etiquette violations. When performing a pilgrimage, I hope you will love the work, respect the community, and interact with the local people humbly with good manners.
