Whatever time period ananimeseries takes place in, its setting always conveys the contemporary consciousness. Japan has a rich history, whichserves as inspiration for many anime settings, whether directly or indirectly. Many iconic locales feature in anime directly, and even fictitious cities have some basis in reality.
Cities serve as a central hub, a resting place, and a place to call home. Much as in real life, a place that the characters visit often can change, grow and become a character in itself. Here are some of the most memorable cities featured in anime over the years.
8Central City
Dragon Ball
The characters of Dragon Ball go back and forthbetween planetsall the time, and the protagonist, Goku, isn’t even from Earth. Seemingly every five minutes, the world is at risk of destruction, but that’s not the only constant, as another is Central City.
Though its appearances grew ever more sparse as Dragon Ball became more character-driven, the city was always there in the background as something Goku had to protect. Bulma’s parents live there, after all. You also can’t help but wonder how many innocent people died every time some Saiyan brought their extraterrestrial conflict to Central City, though the show never dwells on it for long.
7Yoshiwara
Demon Slayer
Yoshiwara served as the Entertainment District in Demon Slayer, being the setting for one of the anime’smost iconic arcs. It showed that, despite the burdens he carried, Tanjiro was still a young boy in many ways. The character is left bemused by the seedy nature of the Yoshiwara district.
The place actually existed in real life as a red-light district in Tokyo. Though not an officially demarcated territory today, Yoshiwara still exists. We’re sure there aren’t quite as many demons there as in the anime, though.
6Town Of Beginnings
Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online focuses on thevirtual realityplot every single one of us has thought up at some point: if you die in the game, you die in real life. After thousands of enthusiastic gamers buy into a virtual reality RPG, they quickly discover they’re trapped until they reach the end.
The Town of Beginnings was the backdrop to this early conflict and a classic RPG setting. It has a medieval fantasy aesthetic, beautiful architecture, and low-level monsters lurking in the forests just beyond its walls.
5Z-City
One Punch Man
Many works of fiction imagine a future where districts are represented by levels or numbers. The limited nature of the setting lends itself well to creating a quasi-dystopia.One Punch Mantakes place in such a world. Though theHero Associationis located in the affluent A-City, the humble Saitama lives in the more affordable Z-City.
Z-City is also home to a ghost town; its haunting, empty nature is not the work of any monster or supervillain, but the series' overpowered protagonist. Saitama has cleared out the area while fighting monsters, leaving it in a state of disrepair.
4Ikebukuro
Durarara
Durarara is an anime that’s simultaneously about nothing and everything. Its cast is best described as a jungle, a large assortment of characters with not just their own motivations, but entirely distinct stories that happen to overlap occasionally. There are cryptic gangs, supernatural beasts, and butlers who can lift cars one-armed.
The heart of this mind-bending plot is the city of Ikebukuro. This city is a character all on its own. Dark, gritty, and moody, this place is where it all happens. Ikebukuro is also a very real city in Tokyo, Japan.
3Akihabara
Steins Gate
If you know anime, you know Akihabara. Located in Tokyo, the town is considered to be otaku heaven. It’s featured heavily in various anime, video games and even films. The area’s status as an anime hub has led it to capture the imagination of many kawaii culture fans.
The series that best used this setting isSteins Gate. One of the greatest moments in the show is when Kyouma realizes that Akihabara has changed and the anime influence is completely gone. This moment of revelation is tied to a beautiful shot of pedestal fans turning in an open store, which, in another lifetime, would have stocked video games and anime figures.
2Hinamizawa
Higurashi: When They Cry
It is a place you wouldn’t expect to behiding dark secrets, a quiet Japanese village where everyone knows each other. Set to a soundtrack of chirping cicadas, Hinamizawa quickly establishes itself as one of the most unique settings in anime.
Although the rural community seems welcoming at first, Hinamizawa quickly proves to have a lot going on under its innocent facade. With mind-bending time loops and some frightening events, the entire village seems to be in on, Hinamizawa soon stops being welcoming and becomes terrifying instead.
1Misaki City
Shakugan No Shana
Whether you loved your hometown or hated it, Misaki City is sure to get a response out of you. This fictional city in Shakugan no Shana is discussed openly by the characters as a maelstrom of conflict, and a place that has to go if there is to be peace.
But it’s so painful. Though Misaki City is no different from any other Japanese metropolis, it matters so much to the characters. Their families, their friends, their schools and their sports teams are all there. When all conflicts are resolved, the only difference for the protagonists between the idealized Xanadu and the real world is that Xanadu has Misaki City, but Earth does not.
