The maps will be distributed through selected shops and locations in the ward and selected events abroad, in an effort to drive awareness of Toshima Ward’s place in anime and manga history.
One Tokyo ward in Toshima is welcoming anime and manga fans by publishing two maps, one that guides otaku through Otome Road and related shopping destinations around Ikebukuro available in multiple languages, while another map available only in English, details key locations tied to manga legends Osamu Tezuka, Fujio Akatsuka and Shotaro Ishinomori, who once lived in the ward.
With the run up to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the surrounding wards around the metropolis are starting to make an effort to draw in more international tourism.