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Anime tourism in Japan has really taken off in recent years with many people visiting Japan, in particular Tokyo, to experience all the otaku activities that it has to offer. People may visit Tokyo to take part in anime events or buy anime merchandise but one activity which has gained a lot of popularity recently is visiting real life locations that appeared in anime! This is called ‘聖地巡礼’ (Seichijunrei) in Japanese, which literally means a pilgrimage to a sacred place. Due to this many people have started calling this act of visiting real life anime locations an ‘anime pilgrimage’!

It can be hard to know where all these real life anime locations are located in Tokyo and how to get to them, so that’s why we decided to make this list of the BEST 13 real life anime locations in Tokyo and how to get to them all. If you’re an anime and manga lover who is currently in/ planning on visiting Tokyo then you HAVE to visit these locations!

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1. Suga Shrine Stairs, ‘Your Name’

About The Real Life Anime Location

The stairs from ‘Your Name’ or ‘Kimi No Na Wa’ have to be one of the most famous real life anime locations in Tokyo and I’m sure you have probably heard of them! Due to this, we had to include it at the top of our list. I think the reason the steps became so famous is due to the heart warming scene that takes place on them in the anime!

The stairs appear in ‘Your Name’ when Taki-Kun and Mitsuha finally meet in real life at the end of the anime. It is truly a touching scene as the two finally meet and due to the anime then ending it leaves what happens next up to the watcher’s imagination! In real life, these steps lead to ‘Suga Shrine’ and are located in Yotsuya, a short walk away from Yotsuya Station!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station Take the Marunouchi Line to Yotsuya-Sanchome Station. The stairs are located an 8 minute walk away from the station.

Shinjuku St.⇢Marunouchi Line⇢Yotsuya-Sanchome St.⇢Walk 8 min→ Suga-Shrine Stairs

More Locations From the Anime

For more real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Your Name’ (Kimi No Na Wa), then check out the video below!

2. Asahi Inari Shrine, ‘Weathering With You’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Although the shrine in ‘Weathering With You’ or ‘Tenki No Ko’ and the shrine in real life look a little different from one another, the creators of Weathering With You based the concept of the rooftop shrine on this real life shrine that exists in Ginza! After being featured in the anime, the shrine has gained a lot of popularity due to it’s uniqueness!

The shrine is located on top of an office building in Ginza and if you didn’t know about it, you really wouldn’t know it’s there! It’s so interesting to see how religion and the traditional culture of Japan is being fit into the busy metropolitan life of Tokyo! The is one of my personal favorite real life anime locations in Tokyo and I’d highly recommend you visit it!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Maranouchi Line to Ginza Station and walk around 6 minutes to the shrine!

Shinjuku St.⇢Marunouchi Line⇢Ginza St.⇢Walk 6 min→ Asahi-Inari Shrine

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Weathering With You’ (Tenki No Ko), then check out the article below!

⇥ Weathering With You Real Life Locations in Tokyo (Tenki No Ko) ⇤

3. Kichijoji Area, ‘Tokyo Ghoul’

About The Real Life Anime Location

As you can see from the photos above, Kichijoji was featured towards the beginning of the anime when Ken and Hideyoshi meet Nishio and fight. The above shot featured in the anime looks almost identical to the real life place! The only difference is that there are tons more people in real life. These scenes are also set outside the front of the station, so once you’ve exited the station you should be able to recognize the locations!

When I re-watched the scene after I had visited Kichijoji in real life, i realized the anime did an amazing job of catching the small town’s vibe and energy…it is easily recognizable as Kichijoji!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station, take the Chuo Line to Kichijoji Station.

Shinjuku St.⇢Chuo Line→Kichijoji St.

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Tokyo Ghoul’, then check out the article below!

⇥ 5 ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ Real Life Locations in Tokyo ⇤

4. Asakusa Area, ‘Demon Slayer’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Asakusa appears in ‘Demon Slayer’ or ‘Kimetsu No Yaiba’ towards the start of the story. When Tanjiro first goes to fight Muzan he finds him in Asakusa, a town now known for it’s historic feel and famous temple ‘Senso-ji’. If you didn’t know already Demon Slayer is set in the Taisho-era (1912-1926), at this time Asakusa was one of the main places to go in Tokyo to hang out with friends and family/go shopping.

Although now the town looks quite different, you can still see the similarities between the two and it’s amazing to see that the same bustling energy is still alive today. If you’re a Demon Slayer fan, I would highly recommend visiting Asakusa at night and seeing if you can recognize some places that appeared in the anime!

How to Get to The Location

Asakusa can be easily accessed via train from Shinjuku Station. From Shinjuku Station take the Chuo Line to Kanda Station. At Kanda station, exit the JR ticket gate and enter the ticket gate for the metro/underground lines. Here, take the Ginza Line to Asakusa Station.

Shinjuku St.⇢Chuo Line⇢Kanda St.⇢Ginza Line→ Asakusa St.

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the ‘Demon Slayer’ themed activities there are to do in Tokyo, then check out the article below!

⇥ Demon Slayer Themed Things To Do in Tokyo 2020 ⇤

5. Azabu-Hikawa Shrine, ‘Sailor Moon’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Azabu-Hikawa Shrine, or Hikawa Shrine as it’s called in the anime, appeared throughout ‘Sailor Moon’ due to Rei Hino working and living their with her grandfather. This shrine exists in real life and is called ‘Azabu-Hikawa Shrine’. The writer of the Sailor Moon manga apparently lived in Azabu-Juban which is why so many locations from the area appear in Sailor Moon!

This shrine is super peaceful making it a great place to escape the busy city life of Tokyo for a short while.

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Oedo Line to Azabu-Juban Station and then walk around 14 mins to the shrine!

Shinjuku St.⇢Oedo Line⇢Azabu-Juban St.⇢Walk 14 min.→ Azabu-hikawa shrine

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Sailor Moon’, then check out the article below!

⇥ 5 Places in Tokyo Sailor Moon Fans Must visit ⇤

6. Radio Kaikan, ‘Steins; Gate’

About The Real Life Anime Location

If you remember in the first season of Steins;Gate, the time machine crashes in to the top of a tall building…this building is actually ‘Radio Kaikan’ and it exists in real life! The building is actually a shopping center that is full of otaku shops and anime merchandise! It is a super fun place to go, especially if you are an anime fan and it is fun to see a different side of Tokyo!

Radio Kaikan has become an iconic location for all Steins;Gate fans to visit, however did you know there are actually tons of real life locations in Akihabara that appeared in Steins;Gate?! Make sure to check out the article below for more info!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Chuo-Sobu Line to Akihabara Station. The building is located around a 1 minute walk away from the station exit.

Shinjuku St.⇢Chuo-Sobu Line⇢Akihabara St.⇢Walk 1 min→ Radio Kaikan

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Steins;Gate’, then check out the article below!

⇥ Top 7 Steins;Gate Real Life Locations in Tokyo ⇤

7. Sunshine Doori, ‘Durarara!!’

About The Real Life Anime Location

If you’re a lover of ‘Durarara!!’ and you’re visiting Tokyo soon/ are currently in Tokyo, Sunshine Street in Ikebukuro is the first place you should go! There are SO many real life locations that appeared in the anime on this street and also so many scenes that were set here that you will truly feel like you’re in the anime!

The anime has done a great job of making the locations look as close to the real life place as possible which means it is super easy to recognize some of these places! I would highly recommend walking around this street to see how many places you recognize because there really are tons!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station, take the JR Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro Station.

Shinjuku St.⇢Yamanote Line⇢Ikebukuro St.→ Sunshine Doori

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Durarara’, then check out the article below!

⇥ ‘Durarara!!’ Real Life Locations in Tokyo ⇤

8. Yokohama China Town, ‘Bungou Stray Dogs’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Chinatown features in episode 9 of Bungou Stray Dogs, when Atsushi takes Kyouka out on a date! This is super cute and it’s really nice to experience the place in real life and maybe even try to recreate the scene from anime when taking your pictures!

Chinatown is a great anime real life location as it is somewhere I would recommend visiting anyway, so after you have taken pictures at the entrance, you can explore the town and all the shops! All of the restaurants and food stalls are super tasty and sell food that can’t be bought in other areas of Japan making it great for souvenirs and memorabilia!

How to Get to The Location

Although Yokohama isn’t technically located in Tokyo, it is super close and easy to get to! From Shinjuku Sanchome Station, take the Fukutoshin Line to Motomachi-Chūkagai Station. This takes around 40 mins.

Shinjuku Sanchome St.⇢Fukutoshin Line→ Motomachi-Chūkagai

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Yokohama that have appeared in ‘Bungou Stray Dogs’, then check out the article below!

⇥ Bungou Stray Dogs Real Life Locations in Japan ⇤

9. Parlour Shiseido, ‘Sword Art Online’

About The Real Life Anime Location

If you’re looking to grab some food at a real life anime location, then this is the place for you! This restaurant is where Kirito met Seijiro Kikouka. The restaurant itself is very nice but a bit more on the pricey side so be prepared for that. The decor in the anime is almost identical to the real life location. This is a super fun location to visit for all Sword Art Online fans!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Marunouchi Line to Ginza Station then walk around 8 mins to the cafe.

Shinjuku St.⇢Marunouchi Line⇢Ginza St.⇢Walk 8 min→ Shiseido Parlour

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Sword Art Online’, then check out the article below!

⇥ 5 ‘Sword Art Online’ Real Life Locations in Tokyo! ⇤

10. Saitama’s Apartment, ‘One Punch Man’

About The Real Life Anime Location

This is the location that One Punch Man’s main character Saitama lives in in the anime! This apartment actually exists in real life in a town called Setagaya in Tokyo! It’s so cool to visit this apartment as the building itself and also the street that it’s located on looks exactly like the anime!

Great place to go to take pictures or even recreate some scenes in cosplay!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Keio Line to Meidaimae Station. from here, walk about 5 mins to the apartment!

Shinjuku St.⇢Keio Line⇢Meidaimae⇢Walk 5 min→ Saitama’s Apartment

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘One Punch Man’, then check out the article below!

⇥ ‘One Punch Man’ Real Life Locations in Tokyo ⇤

11. Kanda Shrine, ‘Love Live!’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Kanda shrine is a particularly beautiful shrine but that’s not the reason that it’s related to Love Live!. This shrine features multiple times in the anime, even if you’re just a few episodes in i’m sure you’ll have seen this iconic red shrine in the background of some of the shots. 

Once the anime had aired many flocked to the shrine as it was a real life Love Live! location, many also took cosplay shots there! Instead of the shrine being dismissing this, they decided to embrace it by offering special Love Live! Omamori and Ema.

How to Get to The Location

This shrine is located a short walk away from Akihabara Station. To get to Akihabara Station take the Chuo-Sobu Line from Shinjuku Station.

Shinjuku St.⇢Chuo-Sobu Line⇢Akihabara St.⇢Walk 9 min→ Kanda Shrine

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Love Live!’, then check out the article below!

⇥ 5 Places you must visit in Tokyo if you’re a Love Live fan 2019 ⇤

12. Hibiya Park, ‘Death Note’

About The Real Life Anime Location

Hibiya Park features in Death Note when Naomi and Light go for a walk together before (Spoiler Alert), he writes her name in the Death Note! The anime is set in winter and also uses many dark colors and so the park does not seem an appealing place to visit, however it is actually very beautiful in real life, particularly in spring! 

The park is said to be Japan’s oldest ‘western style park’ making it a great place to visit even if you aren’t a Death Note fan! The park is located in eastern Tokyo, close to the imperial palace.

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Marunouchi Line to Kasumigaseki Station. From their walk 3 mins to Hibiya park!

Shinjuku St.⇢Marunouchi Line⇢Kasumigaseki St.⇢Walk 3 min→ Hibiya Park

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Death Note’, then check out the article below!

⇥ Death Note in Tokyo: Real Life Locations You Can Visit! ⇤

13. Yushima Tenmangu Shrine, ‘Noragami’

About The Real Life Anime Location

This location was featured in ‘Noragami’ when Yato paid a visit to the head of the shrine. The location looks very similar in the anime to real life and I would highly recommend visiting here, even for those who don’t know much about Noragami. The shrine itself is very peaceful and beautiful. You can write a wish on one of these small wooden plaques and hang it up which is super fun to do. Many of the plaques even feature characters from the anime which visitors have drawn!

How to Get to The Location

From Shinjuku Station take the Oedo Like to Ueno-Okachimachi Station the walk around 12 mins to the shrine!

Shinjuku St.⇢Oedo Line⇢Ueno-Okachimachi St.⇢Walk 12 min→ Yushima Tenmangu Shrine

More Locations From the Anime

For a FULL LIST of all the real life locations in Tokyo that have appeared in ‘Noragami’, then check out the article below!

⇥ ‘Noragami’ Real Life Locations in Tokyo ⇤

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