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Dengeki Bunko Holds 25th Anniversary Exhibit with Anime Tourism Association
posted on by Kim Morrissy
Light novel publisher Dengeki Bunko is collaborating with the Anime Tourism Association for a 25th anniversary exhibit inside the Kadokawa Fujimi Building. The exhibit promotes Dengeki Bunko titles as well as the Anime Tourism Association's list of 88 pilgrimage spots for 2019.
Among the anime titles being highlighted at the exhibit are Girly Air Force and Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (from the Seishun Buta Yarō series). Girly Air Force is set in Komatsu city in the Ishikawa prefecture. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is set in Fujisawa city in the Kanagawa prefecture, and is one of the titles featured on the Anime Tourism Association's list of 88 pilgrimage spots for 2019.
Curiously enough, the exhibit also showcases Kirito and Eugeo's swords from the Sword Art Online: Alicization series, along with Sinon's Hecate II gun from Sword Art Online II. Although Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale is set entirely in Tokyo and is one of the 88 pilgrimage spots, neither The Underworld from Alicization nor Gun Gale Online have real-world equivalents.
Dengeki Bunko's exhibit also features 25 stands of girls from popular Dengeki Bunko series, all of them in party dresses. These stands were previously showcased at the Dengeki Bunko Fall Festival in 2018. The store at the exhibit is giving out postcards featuring art of the 25 girls for each 1,000 yen purchase.
Over 100 authors and illustrators associated with Dengeki Bunko left messages on shikishi to commemorate the occasion.
Dengeki Bunko's exhibit will last from February 22 to March 31. However, the 2nd floor of the Kadokawa Fujimi Building will be a permanent exhibit space for the Anime Tourism Association, called "The First Fudasho (temple which issues amulets and is regularly visited by pilgrims)". Both Dengeki Bunko and the Anime Tourism Association are operated under the Kadokawa Corporation.
The First Fudasho had its opening ceremony on February 21. Mobile Suit Gundam creator and head of the Anime Tourism Association Yoshiyuki Tomino personally attended the ceremony to declare the official opening.
The 88 anime pilgrimage concept is modeled on Shikoku's 88 Temple Pilgrimage, Japan's most famous Buddhist pilgrimage route. The Anime Tourism Association was founded in 2016 as a partnership between Kadokawa and various tourism and travel companies. Their aim is to attract tourists, from Japan as well as foreign countries, and bolster regional revitalization projects throughout Japan.
The Anime Tourism Association also has an exhibit and information booth at Narita airport. The full list of the 2019 results can be accessed here (link in Japanese).
Source: Dengeki Bunko 25th anniversary website, Anime Tourism Association Press Release (February 21)
