聖地巡礼

• Reading: せいちじゅんれい
• Romaji: seichi junrei
• Kanji breakdown: 聖 (holy/sacred) + 地 (place) + 巡 (go around) + 礼 (worship) → pilgrimage to sacred places
• Pronunciation: /se.i.tɕi.dʑɯn.ɾe.i/

Meaning

Visiting real-world locations that appeared in anime, manga, or other media — an otaku pilgrimage.

聖地巡礼 borrows the religious term for pilgrimage and repurposes it for visiting real locations depicted in anime and manga. Fans travel to these spots to take photos matching scenes from their favorite works, often boosting local tourism significantly. Towns like Numazu (Love Live! Sunshine!!), Chichibu (Anohana), and Tokorozawa (Your Name) have embraced this phenomenon with official collaborations.

Examples

1. 来週、推しアニメの聖地巡礼で秩父に行ってくる。 Next week I'm going to Chichibu on a pilgrimage for my favorite anime.
2. 聖地巡礼したらアニメと全く同じ景色で感動した。 When I went on the pilgrimage, the scenery was exactly like the anime and it was so moving.
3. この街、聖地巡礼の観光客で町おこし成功したらしいよ。 Apparently this town successfully revitalized itself thanks to tourists on anime pilgrimages.

Usage Guide

Context: anime fans, travel, social media, tourism

Tone: enthusiastic, devoted

Do Say

• 夏休みに聖地巡礼の旅行計画してる (I'm planning a pilgrimage trip during summer vacation)
• 聖地巡礼マップ作ったから共有するね (I made a pilgrimage map so I'll share it)

Don't Say

• 宗教的な巡礼の話をしてる人に「聖地巡礼」をアニメの意味で使わない (Don't use 'seichi junrei' in the anime sense when someone is discussing actual religious pilgrimage)

Common Mistakes

• Not realizing that 聖地巡礼 can also refer to music, drama, or film locations — not just anime
• Visiting locations without respecting local residents and their privacy

Origin & History

Originally a Buddhist/Shinto term meaning pilgrimage to sacred sites. Otaku culture co-opted the term in the 2000s to describe visiting locations from anime and manga. The practice exploded after the success of films like Your Name (2016).

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s otaku culture, mainstream since 2016

Generation: All ages anime fans

Social background: Otaku culture, now mainstream tourism

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Many local governments actively promote 聖地巡礼 tourism with official collaborations.