by Gabe Zaldivar
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Fri September 16, 2016
Pop culture has a way of making the mundane magical, the boring beautiful and the ordinary absolutely animated. That's the sentiment as Japanese officials move to tout 88 locations throughout the country made popular by anime and manga.
The Associated Press reports the budding new Japan Anime Tourism Association will compile a list of what it believes to be the most vivid locations for fans of the genre.
This list will take into account fan voting and will spread over a wide swath of the nation and the anime/manga universe, which will include destinations based on references made in various works as well as the homes of artists.
As noted in the report, Kadokawa Corp. publisher and film studio is just one of the noted entities behind the tourism campaign. It's chairman, Tsugihiko Kadokawa, was one of a few officials at Friday's press conference.
The AP quotes Kadokawa: "Japanese pop culture has grown to rival American Hollywood. Animation can change the times."
Even you, an American anime enthusiast, can make your voice heard in the form of an online vote taking place at Japan Anime Tourism Association's website.
The website will even sweeten the deal by offering a special screensaver to those who choose to vote on possible locations.
The end results sound like something quite amazing, a destination bucket list for anime super fans to scour.
The AP's Yuri Kageyama states that officials already have a fine example of the kind of place that they hope to lend a spotlight.
Saitama shrine Washinomiya Jinja isn't one of the more famed shrines around the country but features in an eventual show called "Lucky Star."
Lifted by past nods in comics and on screen, this shrine would hopefully welcome a reinvigorated effort to show how resplendent this nation remains in the realm of pop culture.
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It's akin to domestic travelers visiting that hotel featured in "Ghostbusters" or the mall parking lot featured in "Back to the Future."
It's not always the most famous landmarks that get heavy play throughout the pages of manga or on the screen of anime shows and movies.
Many times it's a street corner that, used heavily, suddenly becomes iconic. It's these locations that will instantly become destinations when you take just a moment to consider them anew.
Japan is brilliantly choosing to unveil its hidden treasures.
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