[Post 1700] Can Anime, K-Dramas And BTS Revive Shrinking Towns In Japan And South Korea? | CNA Correspondent

Summary

Across Japan and South Korea, fans are turning anime, manga, K-pop and K-dramas into real-world journeys. But these pilgrimages can have unexpected consequences – breathing life into struggling communities and aiding post-disaster recovery.

In Japan, hit series Love Live! Sunshine!! has drawn fans to Numazu for a decade – and inspired hundreds to move there. Along a railway line, towns are turning to anime to entice visitors beyond Tokyo. In earthquake-hit Kumamoto, One Piece statues are drawing fans across the region, while helping to tell its recovery story.

Meanwhile, K-drama fans are recreating what they see on screen, from wearing hanbok to trying temple stays. Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is betting on BTS to turn concert-goers into repeat visitors, while ageing Ami-dong hopes fandom can revive its emptying streets.

CNA’s Michiyo Ishida and Lim Yun Suk find out if pop culture pilgrimages can create lasting change - and take fans beyond the worlds that inspired them.