The First Stop on a Sacred Anime Pilgrimage

At first glance, this illuminated manhole cover near Tokorozawa Sakura Town (Saitama Prefecture) looks like just another piece in the area's collection of anime-themed street art. Some of which I have introduced earlier tonight. A closer look reveals, though, that this manhole cover is something much more significant.

The cover features Junrei-chan, the mascot of the Anime Tourism Association, alongside the words"1番札所" or "Pilgrimage Site No. 1". Tokorozawa Sakura Town is officially designated as the No. 1 information spot for the association's "88 Anime Sacred Places" project, a nationwide initiative that encourages fans to visit locations connected with anime culture throughout Japan.

Interestingly, there is also a No. 0 Pilgrimage Site at Narita Airport and a No. 88 Pilgrimage Site at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. These serve as information hubs and gateways to the project rather than anime sacred sites in their own right. Tokorozawa Sakura Town, meanwhile, functions as the symbolic starting point for visitors beginning their anime pilgrimage.

While many visitors come to Tokorozawa Sakura Town for exhibitions, shopping, or anime events, the site's designation as "Pilgrimage Site No. 1" reflects its role in Japan's ongoing Anime Sacred Places project. The initiative continues to attract participation from anime fans around the world, making this manhole cover more than a local curiosity. It marks the actual and symbolic starting point of a nationwide sacred anime pilgrimage.