Ever wonder about the places all this stuff comes from? Even I do sometimes, and I've actually been there. Yes, that's right folks, today, we're gonna take a peripheral look at one of the largest supercities in the world, a city that has been a central location in anime since before there was anime. Welcome to Tokyo, the center of anime production, and a rich and vibrant hub of locations that constantly pop up in stories relating to anything from historical dramas, to soap opera, to the post apocalypse. Since it is such a big city, there's only so much I can cover in a small article, so I'll just be giving some highlights, and a small smattering of background, but I expect we'll be coming back for more as time goes on.
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The crew from Genshiken off to
find some dojinshi in Akihabara.
I did say you could find anything here. |
It's only natural that Tokyo would sit at the heart of the Japanese consciousness. Not only is it Japan's current capital city and the seat of their current emperor, it is also the country's largest city, it's highest concentration of businesses, and the seat of their government, not to mention, it's located in one of the more fertile areas of the region, being located mostly on the Kanto Plain. With so much riding on one city, it would be nearly impossible for it not to be considered important. Then there is also the wealth of goods that are sold here. From Shibuya's department stores to the discount electronics and manga goods in Akihabara, you can find just about anything here if you know where to look
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Rurouni Kenshin's Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko
buying groceries in Meiji Tokyo. |
The city itself has a long history, It was founded in the mid 1400's and fortified by the Edo clan, (Naturally, it was known as Edo then.) and was a small fishing village until the Shogun made the place the center of his government in 1603. It became more important after the Emperor moved there at the start of the Meiji period, eventually acquiring the title of 'capital city' but only after it had acquired all of the trappings of that title first. Because the city is so big, the landscapes that exist within its borders are quite varied, from mountains to coastline. Like New York, it is not just one city anymore, but several. As New York has its boroughs such as Queens and Brooklyn, Tokyo is also divided into several smaller areas. There are a total of 23 special wards in the city, along with 26 smaller designated cities, 1 special district that's more mountainous, 4 sub-prefectures and several small islands all within the boundaries of greater metropolitan Tokyo (that's not counting the smaller villages either. As such, this concrete jungle is a perfect location for many an anime and manga set in the past present or future, and characters have plenty of area to run around in and get in all kinds of trouble, and boy do they ever.
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Tokyo Tower as seen in a dream
sequence in Cardcaptor Sakura. |
From the moment you meet Kenshin as he runs into Kaoru on that street in Meiji era Tokyo in
Rurouni Kenshin, he pretty much has to beat off all those ex-samurai looking for revenge with a stick (um... reverse-blade sword), to get any peace and quiet, but you don't have to to look to the past for excitement in this city. Modern Tokyo is also a favorite place for characters to live, such as Conan from
Detective Conan who lives in the fictitious neighborhood town of Beika. Rather disturbingly for a family show, there seems to be quite a glut of murder mysteries there. Of course there are plenty of other characters that call Tokyo their home stomping grounds. Other old favorites like
Sailor Moon and
Cardcaptor Sakura also have their characters bases of operation within this city, as well as some newer ones, like
Genshiken. Through series like these, we get to see characters run around below the skyscrapers, taking advantage of the city's overall charm while living the lives of normal, or in some cases, not-so-normal Nihonjin.
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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building in Shinjuku,
at least, as it would be in the post-nuclear future of Ghost in the Shell. |
Of course, who could forget the many many many dystopian futures that have been created for this city. Just recently we explored the evils of an authoritarian United Nations in the world of
Darker than Black, but there's also the cold uncaring government of the cult classic
Akira. In
Ghost in the Shell the very city has been torn to shreds by nuclears world wars, while in
Neon Genesis Evangelion, it has been repeatedly smashed by alien monsters. (If it's not the most ravaged city on the planet in fiction then it is at least one of the most.)
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Though they call it the Yamate line to avoid trademark issues,
Conan and the kids he hangs out with ride on
Tokyo's Yamanote rail line all the time,
as they work to catch criminals in Detective Conan. |
There are a number of prominent landmarks in Tokyo that have become common sights themselves in anime and manga. Tokyo Tower comes to mind, along with some of the skyscrapers in Shibuya's skyline. Surprisingly the Metropolitan police headquarters shows up quite a lot (though less surprisingly in many detective related stories). There's the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building in Shinjuku as well, along with the Yamanote line, which is the major rail line that runs in a loop around the central part of the city and is one of the more important means of transportation, especially for younger folks who don't own cars. Conan has visited just about all of these areas at one time or another, over the course of the nearly 600 episodes he's been pounding the city's pavement looking for clues, but other anime series get their time in the sun too. For instance, Tokyo Tower was a major plot location in
Cardcaptor Sakura and the Metropolitan Police Headquarters can also be found as the home of the security personnel in
Darker than Black. Further, the twin towers of the Government offices building has been favorite symbol of a society in ruins in more futuristic settings, as illustrated by its appearance in the crumbling mess of the once great city in shows such as
Ghost in the Shell, and in CLAMP's
Tsubasa, the Reservoir Chronicles. As we can see, the city is a wealth of potential locations.
Now that we have taken a brief glance over the greater metropolitan Tokyo area, I hope this has been informative. Over time, I hope to further explore the city and its surroundings, and their relevance in anime in future articles. Until then, keep exploring, and thanks for reading.
Images taken from Cardcaptor Sakura, Detective Conan, Genshiken, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig, Rurouni Kenshin, and Sailor Moon.
