Regional revitalization, contents tourism, and the representation of place in anime: the Seichi-junrei of Love Live! Sunshine!! in Japan

ABSTRACT In Japan, real-world locations that appear in manga and anime have gained popularity as tourist destinations since the 1990s. Fans refer to those locations as “Seichi” (i.e. “a holy place”). Since 2010, research on this new type of tourism (Seichi-junrei, also known as contents tourism) has increased. The relationships that emerge between the fans, content creators/producers, and local stakeholders through contents tourism are varied. This study examines the work Love Live! Sunshine!! and how Seichi-junrei was developed by the creators/producers since the project’s inception. Through an examination of the work and interviews, I assessed the relationships that developed between the involved parties (fans, creators/producers, and regional stakeholders), as well as the extent to which Seichi-junrei gained acceptance in the region. The development of Seichi-junrei related to Love Live! Sunshine!! marks a departure from prior examples of this phenomenon, since it has been essentially creator/producer-driven rather than fan-driven or the result of a collaboration between the creators/producers and regional stakeholders.