Recently, a number of anime are set in Kyoto. The city is crowded by anime fans who want to visit the actual locations and this type of tourism is called “Pilgrimage”. There is also a big event held in Kyoto, “Kyoto International Anime Manga Fair”. The city has become more and more “Moe”. In order to promote the new Kyoto anime culture and also the subway system, Kyoto Municipal Subway has started the operation of anime decorated trains. The anime used for decoration are all set in Kyoto.
Start your pilgrimage with "Kyo-Mafu Go"!
“Kyo-Mafu Go” is run by Kyoto Municipal Subway. Let us start by explaining what “Kyo-Mafu” is all about.
“Kyo-Mafu” is an abbreviated name for “Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair”. This is the biggest anime/manga event in western Japan. It is only held twice in the past (2013), however, this huge event already feels like a staple for fans. This “Kyo-Mafu” anime train project is collaboration between the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair committee and the city of Kyoto (Tourist Bureau). This project is to promote “Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair” by wrapping up the trains of Karasuma line with anime pictures.
Now let’s talk about the decoration. You’ll find life size characters outside the trains! Inside, windows, walls, and straps are all filled with anime characters. You would feel like you stepped into the world of anime. “Kyo-Mafu Go"already operated for two months in the Summer 2013. This time, different four anime series was used and set in Kyoto.
"Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha"
Now we’ll introduce you the anime series used for the decoration.
Firstly, “Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha”. This is a TV series based on a comic by Morohe Yoshida on Young Ace which is a Japanese magazine. The main character is “Inari Fushimi”, a junior high school student with a transformation power. This is a roller coaster love story set in Fushimi Inari Temple in Kyoto. This series is popular among the young males from teenagers to 30’s. The production of the anime was originally announced at “Kyo-Mafu”. In the series, Fushimi Inari Taisha in Fushimi, Kyoto is used as its location.
"The Eccentric Family"
The next anime is “The Eccentric Family”.
The anime is based on the novel with the same title by the popular author Tomihiko Morimi. This is a fantastic novel with raccoons, tengus(a type of legendary creature found in Japan) and humans set in Kyoto. Soichiro Shimogamo, the father as well as the head of the Raccoon World was hunt down and cooked in a hot pot. This is a story uncovering the secrets of father’s death and also about family love. People from around the world can relate to the story. The anime is faithful to the original. Very detailed, fast-paced and full of action. The quality of anime is so high, and it received the award for excellence in the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival animation division. The anime is set in the World Heritage sight of Shimogamo-Jinja Temple, Tadasu no Mori in the city of Kyoto.
"Kyosogiga"
The next one is “Kyosogiga”.
The anime is set in Kyoto. This is the world where humans, monsters and robots coexist. In this city no human dies and nothing breaks. Koto, a 14-year-old girl stepped into the city to look for her missing family. The knockabout story with monks, demons and scientist lead to rebirth of the family and love. The places that appear in this series are out of town sights such as “Kozan-Temple”, “Genko-an”, “Kurama-dera”. For the first time in the TV anime history, they created episode 5.5 in between 5 and 6. They aired the pilgrimage by the voice actors.
"Sequel Hakuoki Film 2: Shikon Sokyu"
The fourth one is “Sequel Hakuoki Film 2: Shikon Sokyu”.
The series is quite different from the others; It’s based on a love video game for girls. The games were released for various consoles and thanks to its popularity, they also created TV series, OVAs and musicals. This time they created a theatrical version with whole new contents and it was released nation wide on March 8, 2014. This is a story set in Bakumatsu era, tells you the fate of “Shinsengumi”, a group who believed in their cause with “Oni”, “Rasetsu” and a girl who decided to live with them. There are many hard-core female fans for this series. The Mibu area, which is famous for Shinsengumi history is very popular among the pilgrims.
Inside the train is more gorgeous than the outside!!
The city of Kyoto has strict regulations for the scenery and the “Kyo-Mafu Go” is no exception. In Kyoto, it is not permitted to use a lot of colors for buildings and panels. So they decided to keep the outside simple and decorate the inside full of anime pictures. Everything, doors, straps, seats and connected pieces are decorated with passion and love. Please come see with your own eyes!
Only two out of six trains are decorated. For Takeda bound, the first two trains and for Conference Center bound, the last two ones are decorated. You can consult the time schedule of “Kyo-Mafu Go” on the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau website. Check the schedule before and don’t miss the decorated trains! The trains will be operated until the end of May, 2014. This is a long-run event, so please plan ahead before leaving your home!
So, enjoy your “Moe” experience in Kyoto!
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