Imagination, Anime and Japanese Tourists Abroad

Abstract

This chapter explores the modern phenomenon of Japanese tourists visiting anime-related places abroad. While similarities to film-induced tourism exist, anime-linked locations require tourists to use their imagination and permit a special interplay among the sites, fantasy, and cultural values. To examine the phenomenon, samples of popular anime titles were selected and Japanese online word-of-mouth records were collected as a set of data. Key Japanese cultural concepts were used to explain the significance of the anime-linked locations. Site managers can embellish the experience by subtly suggesting parallels in the real world to the idealized creations of leading anime artists.

Citation

Yagi, C. and Pearce, P.L. (2016), "Imagination, Anime and Japanese Tourists Abroad", The World Meets Asian Tourists (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 267-286. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2042-144320160000007016