Attention anime fans! "Love Live! ” What is the pilgrimage to the sacred places? ?

Are you familiar with the term ``pilgrimage to sacred places''? Fans visit actual locations that appear in movies, dramas, anime, novels, manga, etc., or locations that are modeled after. Recently, the number of people making pilgrimages to sacred places has been increasing year by year, and the spread of the topic has led to rapid growth in related content, and the revitalization of towns has shown economic effects, making it a kind of social phenomenon that affects various fields. . This time, we will introduce the popular work “Love Live! Let me introduce you to the School Idol Project.

Brave! is a media mix work that started in 2010. Even after eight years have passed since its launch, its popularity remains undiminished and it still has a strong fan following. The story is about girls who attend the fictional school ``National Otonokizaka Academy'' and struggle to overcome various obstacles in order to become ``school idols.'' It was made into an anime in 2013, and it became a full-fledged large-scale craze. Ta. Love Live is a work that has grown to be widely known even to the general public who do not watch anime, with advertisements being posted on JR Yamanote Line trains and the voice actors of the characters becoming actual idols and performing at NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen. ! It is.
Such a love live! Why does it have such an appeal that people make pilgrimages to holy places? It's the anime version of Love Live! This is because the scenery is depicted without changing the actual scenery. For example, the main characters are practicing dance at Kanda Myojin in Akihabara, the popular character Kotori Minami's part-time job is at the long-established maid cafe "CURE MAID CAFE", and the schools that appear other than Otonokizaka Academy are Akihabara UDX. There are so many gimmicks to please fans, such as a ``UTX school'' modeled after a building.

Love Live! It is interesting that you can see the sacred places that appear in the story while also sightseeing around the area. Furthermore, all of the spots are located close to Akihabara, Kanda, Ochanomizu, and Jimbocho in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, so you can enjoy a lot in one day. Because it is close to Tokyo Station, tourists from other areas often include pilgrimages to sacred sites as part of their sightseeing schedule. Let's list some of the famous sacred spots.

・Kanda Myojin Shrine
A famous shrine that has existed in Akihabara for a long time, and is familiar to fans. In the past, Love Live! A collaboration festival was held and many people gathered. It's rare for a shrine with a traditional culture to incorporate new culture, and as an anime fan, it's a place that really impresses me. ``Myojin Otokozaka'' at the entrance has become a hot topic in the past as it has a steep staircase that seems to be able to relieve the lack of exercise for otakus. By the way, Kanda Myojin is about a 7-minute walk from Akihabara Station, and you can walk through Akihabara Electric Town, a famous deep spot, on your way there. There are many stores in Electric Town that carry a wide selection of everything from PC parts to interesting goods, so you can enjoy some GEEK shopping.

・Shohei Bridge
It is located near Akihabara's famous Manseibashi Bridge, and is often visited by the main characters in the story. The park at Shohei Bridge is so famous among fans that it is also a popular photo spot.

・Ochanomizu Saint Clair
A cafe terrace in the plaza at the Hijiribashi exit of JR Ochanomizu Station. Anime version of Love Live! As he frequently appeared in the second season of the series, the number of fans visiting the show increased rapidly.

·others
Near the station is the ``AKIHABARA Gamers Main Store,'' which has a wide selection of anime goods, and is a great place for anime fans to buy rare anime goods. Of course, Love Live! Many related products are still available.

If you don't want to take the train every time you go on a pilgrimage to the sacred places around Akihabara, please check out the plan in the link below. This love live! Of course, a bicycle tour of sacred places with your favorite guide is recommended for lovers, but even if you are not a die-hard fan of the works, you can enjoy it as a Tokyo sightseeing tour centered around Akihabara.
Akihabara, Kanda, Jimbocho, and Ochanomizu are very close (the author often gets around by bicycle), so it's quite convenient and recommended.

As I explained earlier, a pilgrimage to a sacred place involves visiting actual locations or settings that are modeled after, so there are always people who live there or who work nearby. Love Live in the past! Enthusiastic fans (commonly known as Love Livers) flocked to the store ``Takemura'', which is the model for the main character Honoka Kosaka's parents' home, and caused trouble by annoying the store staff with their disrespectful behavior. There is. Please be sure to observe good manners and enjoy your pilgrimage to the sacred sites so that your actions do not diminish the appeal or reputation of the work.

Enjoying a pilgrimage to a sacred place is not just about taking photos, but also recreating the scenes depicted in the work, and learning about the roots and depth of the work by visiting the stage. If you search the internet, you will find many bloggers introducing sacred places with maps and images. . Pilgrimages to sacred places can be enjoyed by different people for various purposes, so why not go to the sacred places of your favorite works?