Emerging relatively recently as an observable trend and relevant area of research, cultural tourism has rapidly reached the highest rank of popularity amongst contemporary special interest tourism (Petroman 2013). Broadly defined, cultural tourism refers to the movement of people to cultural attractions for the purpose of assimilating information and cultural experiences (Petroman 2013). When considered in relation to anime, sites of cultural tourism are largely constructed for the purpose of extending the life and value of the franchise, taking on wildly varied forms that range from theme parks to museums, but with a common commercial theme of consumerism (Denison 2010). In what seems to be a rare exception to this trend, Initial D has inspired what I believe to be a far more authentic form of cultural tourism, with the show’s geographical accuracy motivating physical pilgrimages that are neither controlled by those with…