My Nostalgic Digimon Trip: Visiting Real Life Sites in Tokyo, Japan

Are you planning a trip to Japan in the near or far future? Are you a Digimon fan by chance? I’m actually publishing this post on March 6, the day I bought my tickets for my trip 4 years ago. I didn’t realize til now that the show made it’s official debut on March 7, 1999. Would have been a cool coincidence!

I was a Digimon fan since 2006 and it has been my favourite anime since then. That’s not to say other animes don’t have great characters or a better story, but Digimon was my formal introduction to anime, Japanese music and culture, and it has thought me so many lessons that has shaped me into the person I am today. There are even some online friends I met through Digimon back then that I am still friends with today. Thus, it holds a special place in my heart.

When I found out the locations in the show were real through this video, my mind was blown! I guess it makes sense since they visited other real locations, like Niagara Falls in my country.

A few years later, I paid off all my debts and had no real plans for the money I saved. Out of all the things on my childhood bucketlist, going to Japan was the most realistic one at that time (moving out and making a band were the other choices). So, I figured, why not?

I was terrified of planes and natural disasters and so on, but I knew I would live with regrets if I didn’t go. Once I made it a goal, the rest was easy 😉

Planning My Solo Trip

Once I decided I was going to go to Japan for real, I did make a post on Facebook asking if any friends could go this year or next, but no one was able to. Broke, work, had another trip planned, etc, etc….

So I figured, why not go alone? I already do a lot alone in my own city, taking the TTC around, shopping, errands, eating out alone etc. I also wouldn’t have to compromise at all or do things that I didn’t really care to do. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. And once I decided I was going alone, I didn’t even want anyone to join me 😛

I started my current job at that time in June, and they said after a year, I have earned a week of vacation time. With research, I knew Cherry Blossom season (March/April) would be crowded, but June and the rest of summer was humid, so I wanted to do May and my bosses were fine with that. All I needed was my mom’s permission.

I have never done a solo trip before, and it’s not like any of my immediate family has ever travelled outside of North America, so I understood my mom’s concern. She didn’t seem against the idea of me going, but she was against me going alone.

She soon realized how hard it was to find anyone to go with me. And after a couple weeks of informing her how safe Japan is (literally #1 in the world), and that I would give her my itinerary on where I’m staying each night, and how we can stay in touch all the time on Whatsapp as I’ll have a WiFi pocket, she surprisingly agreed!

I quickly jumped on my computer the same evening to book my tickets. It was just under $1600 for the straight round trip, without insurance. Of course there was a bit hesitancy. I’ve never spent more than $600 on anything in my life! My guitars? My laptops? My phones? Nope! I’m a cheap person lol However, I was committed to going, so I hit that checkout button….and I was filled with glee!

Now, I wouldn’t say I booked the trip fully around Digimon. Shibuya was closest to the airport, and Akihabara (anime/arcade land) and Harajuku (fashion district) were a given. I made sure to check out arcades and animal cafes as well, anthing that interested me.

As for Odaiba, it was on my mind due to Digimon. After doing research and finding out how much there was to do there, I catered more time to the district. I was looking forward to the big onsen, and I also planned an evening at Tokyo Joypolis, an indoor VR amusement park (While reviews mention long wait times, it was quite empty since I went on a rainy Wednesday evening).

The Digimon locations I got to see were mostly from Adventure/Tri and Xros Wars. I didn’t visit Shinjuku (red light district) which was the home of the Tamers kids, and I didn’t leave the city, so I didn’t see any Savers/Data Squad locations as it took place in Yokohama. Frontier, one of my favourite seasons, takes place almost entirely in the Digital World, sooo….

As for video games, I don’t recall any of the DS games I played having moments in the real world. I did play Cyber Sleuth the year before I went though. I was more aware of the real life locations since you use a map and visit them multiple times throughout the game, thus they were easier to spot when I went.

I know there’s places I missed, and there’s some places I did see but I can’t seem to find the photos taken on my digital camera. That goes to say, all the real life photos in this article were taken by me.

Shibuya

Hachinko (Shibuya Dog Statue)

When I arrived, I quickly got out of the airport, hoped on a train, and head to Shibuya which was a short ride away. A few steps away from the station is the famous Hachinko statue, a very common meeting place. In Digimon, when Patamon and TK had a fight and separated, Patamon heard that this statue was a great place to meet and waited there hoping to see TK again.

Tower Records

In Shibuya, I also saw Tower Records, which is a site used in Digimon Cyber Sleuth. I’ll get into other sites from the game below.

Shibuya Scramble Square/Crossing

Of course the Shibuya Scramble is a big scene in not just Digimon Tamers but is one of Japan’s must see sites. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have a photo, but I did capture a quick video of me in the center of the scramble. You can see the iconic Shibuya 109 building in the back at the beginning.

Akihabara

While in Akihabara, there wasn’t any specific Digimon locations I had in mind. Most scenes from the show were taken from the street. I was just here to play some arcade games, and perhaps find Digimon merch if available. When I passed by this area though, Cyber Sleuth came to mind. That Sega building (which sadly closed down in 2021) really sticks out like a sore thumb, but it’s crazy how much detail they added to the games!

Nakano

Nakano Broadway

Before heading to Odaiba for the rest of my trip, I was eager to pass by Nakano. Nakano has the Nakano Broadway which is the main/home setting for the Digimon Cyber Sleuth series, which I played just a year prior. I did consider making a pit stop at Hikarigaoka, where Tai and Kari lived in the very first movie before moving, but it wasn’t really a tourist area. At least here, I knew I could do some shopping.

I was a bit unlucky though. For one, I was changing hotels my first 3 nights, so I had to drag my stuff around town. I only came with a duffle bag, but ended up buying too much so I bought a suitcase. I knew Nakano had lockers at their station, but when I got there, turns out they were too small, so I had to drag my stuff around. I also got to the Broadway around 10:30am when it opened, but most shops didn’t open until 12pm.

I bought some bread (pan) for breakfast just outside of the Broadway, but there was no place to sit or eat inside. No benches or anything, no dining areas. I found a corner and sat on the floor to eat, but a few minutes later, an older Japanese guy popped up from a hidden elevator and gestured for me to get up. I wasn’t sure if he’d come back, but I didn’t want to take a chance and get in trouble.

Luckily, I remembered that the game featured an arcade on the top floor, so I sat there for a bit. Bought a drink from the vending machine across the games…..you know how cool and weird it is to be able to refer to a game when on a trip? To have confidence that what you saw will be there? lol Well, only thing I didn’t see was a wooden entrance for an agency 😛

After more shops opened, I did a bit of shopping at the anime merch shops, but I didn’t stay for long. Was considering waiting for the multi-flavoured ice cream cone featured in the game to open, but I wasn’t craving ice cream at the moment (nor wanted to deal with some indigestion so early in the day).

Odaiba

The remainder of my trip took place in Odaiba. This is where most of the Digidestined lived, and where the second half of Digimon Adventure takes place. Digimon Tri also takes place here as I found out later.

Daikanransha

First off, when you arrive, you can’t miss the very iconic ferris wheel named Daikanransha that can be seen from the window of Tai and Kari’s home, along with other scenes throughout the show. While I did consider going on it, I didn’t feel it would be worth the time alone. I was planning to see the city from the more iconic location, Fuji TV.

As I’m doing research on these locations, it looks like this site, along with the rest of Palette town, will be closing permanently in August 2022 🙁 I assume they would dismantle the Ferris wheel too…what a shame. Hopefully the pandemic slows down by the summer and some fans still get a chance to see it.

Fuji TV

The next vert noticeable structure was Fuji TV. Not only does it have an iconic shape that really stands out, but in the show, a lot of drama happened here. From Kari being discovered as the 8th Digidestined, to Wizardmon sacrificing himself on the roof, and Wargreymon ripping off the sphere to use as an attack.

Instead of going to Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree, places that were bound to have lines and filled with tourists, I decided to make Fuji TV my observation deck. It only costs $5 and it was super empty! No wait times or anything.

Getting to see Tokyo from this side of the ocean was beautiful, but even sitting down on the inside knowing all that happened here was just so nostalgic. Again, high attention to detail by the creators.

Daiba Park

From Fuji TV, I could also see another iconic location, Daiba Beach. I’m not sure how ‘iconic’ it is since many fans never watched Xros Wars, but if they did, this area pops up as a meeting place before (and after?) the big battle where ALL the previous Digidestined made a comeback.

I remember considering actually walking there, but it would be quite a walk (16+ minutes), and it was unclear if there was even a route or way to get there. Google maps stops short. Also wouldn’t want to get rained in on such a deserted place. Just seeing it from this angle was enough though!

Tokyo Big Sight

Another place I saw and recognize on my trip was Tokyo Big Sight. During the battle against Myotismon, this was where all the captured adults were brought too, and was later made unconscious. Joe and Sora were responsible for saving them. It is an exhibition hall, so I didn’t have a reason to go inside. I’m just blown away by Japan’s structures that a kid wouldn’t have thought this was a real place.

And just so you know, for a good 10 years of watching Digimon, I really had no idea it was based on real life Japan because of scenes like this one with a big ass saw sticking out of the ground. It wasn’t until I saw this video where my eyes were opened.

Ooedo Onsen Monogatari

Now, while Digimon Tri came out before I went and I watched the first movie (4 episodes) when it aired, I got impatient and decided to wait til it finished. I got too busy and kinda forgot about it, so I didn’t complete it until 2020 with the pandemic.

I chose to go to Ooedo Onsen simply cause it was the biggest and highest rated onsens in Tokyo. Also made sense to visit an onsen where I was staying the longest so I could truly relax. So imagine my surprise seeing that the Digidestined went there after. It was like reliving my trip. Everything was so accurate!

Sadly, when I was looking up additional details for this article, I saw that they were permanently closed. Their 20 year lease has come to an end, with no possibility of an extension as the land was set for demolition (Source).

When planning my visit here, I was most excited to try out their shuriken/ninja star booth. I’ve been a ninja-wannabe forever, so I really wanted to throw a real ninja star. I played the game about 3 times, and it was a big highlight of my trip! I didn’t pay for any other games, just spent some time in the arcade.

Thus, I had to pause Tri when I saw Mimi playing it. Out of ALL THE GAMES available in the onsen, this was the only one that was highlighted in the show, like damn! She even wore a pink Yukata like me. So many coincidences!

Rainbow Bridge

Last but not least, on my way back to my hotel on my final night, I used up the rest of my bus fare to take the train across Rainbow Bridge. This bridge has probably been in countless animes and video games because it’s that iconic.

Daiba Beach

The morning of my flight, I still had a few hours before I had to catch my bus to the airport. So I left my stuff in a locker by a hotel that had an airport bus, got some breakfast in the mall, and walked along the shoreline. I don’t think I went West enough to really be on the beach part, but I was pretty close.

Rainbow Bridge Observation Deck

Considering I didn’t watch Tri before my trip, I find it so ironic that I just happen to visit and photograph scenes from it. I mean, I take a lot of photos as it is, more so if something is pretty, but this last photo was just too ironic! Definitely a lot to see in Odaiba!

Conclusion

My trip was short, but I had a blast, Got to do things I couldn’t do at home, and got to visit the real life places of the show that has changed my life and continues to be an influence on me. I really wouldn’t be where I am now without it. ^_^ I look forward to seeing more of the country with friends in the future.

Have you visited locations in Digimon before? Any places not mentioned that you would love to see?
What does Digimon mean to you? Leave your reply in the comments.

To finish this article, here’s a video of me dancing in front of the iconic ferris wheel. I love Jpop dances but never had anyone to dance with. Figured I had to do at least one while there. Knowing the Daikanransha will go out of business this year is sad. While I didn’t go on it, I’m happy I have this memory next to it <3