“Anime Pilgrimage” is a startling new spiritual phenomenon that is taking place throughout Japan. Visiting anime or comic book (manga) related places is called “pilgrimage to the holy land” (seichi junrei) among contemporary anime fans. In “Rethinking What’s Sacred About ‘Ano Hana’ Anime Pilgrimage”, Professor MacWiliams will look at how this new form of pilgrimage is developing in a traditional sacred area, Chichibu in Saitama prefecture. 

Cosponsored by The Ohio State University Libraries, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and by a U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant to The Ohio State University East Asian Studies Center.