Nijigen no Mori selected for government subsidy to boost anime-based tourism

Nijigen no Mori, an anime park located on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, has been selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ ‘FY2026 Japan Expo’ subsidy program. The project, titled ‘Creation of a Cultural Tourism Model Utilizing Anime and Game IP for Inbound Tourism,’ aims to strengthen efforts to promote Japanese culture to a global audience.

The park integrates popular anime, manga, and game intellectual properties—such as Dragon Quest, Godzilla, Naruto, and Crayon Shin-chan—with the natural environment and local culture of Awaji Island. In the 2025 fiscal year, the park recorded an inbound visitor ratio of approximately 10%, with guests arriving from 101 different countries and regions.

With this new subsidy, Nijigen no Mori plans to enhance its international promotional activities, including collaborations with influencers and the development of new travel products, to drive regional revitalization and increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan.