“Vampire Dies in an Instant” Complete Sacred Site Pilgrimage Guide: Thorough Explanation of Shin-Yokohama, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture as the Stage
Introduction: The Deep Bond Between “Vampire Dies in an Instant” and Shin-Yokohama
“Vampire Dies in an Instant” (commonly known as: Suki-Shi) is a popular gag manga by Itaru Bonnoki serialized in Akita Shoten’s “Weekly Shonen Champion.” Since its serialization began in June 2015, this work continues to captivate many fans as a slapstick comedy centered around Draluc, the weakest vampire in history who dies and turns to dust over trivial matters, and Ronald, a hardworking vampire hunter with a troubled disposition.
One of the greatest features of this work is that it is set in Shin-Yokohama, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. While it appears in the story as “a certain prefecture Y city S town,” many real buildings and landscapes around Shin-Yokohama Station are depicted, attracting attention as a sacred site for pilgrimages.
With the anime adaptation, the production committee staff conducted full-scale location scouting, carefully researching the daytime and nighttime landscapes of Shin-Yokohama. This article provides a thorough explanation of the charm of Shin-Yokohama, which holds deep significance for the author, and essential sacred site information for “Vampire Dies in an Instant” fans.
The Relationship Between Author Itaru Bonnoki and Shin-Yokohama
Why Shin-Yokohama Became the Stage
In interviews, Itaru Bonnoki has spoken of his deep affection for Shin-Yokohama. His comment “I always walk around the Shin-Yokohama area when coming up with ideas, and I have really deep feelings about this town……. Though I’m sorry for roughing it up so much in the work” reveals the special relationship between the author and Shin-Yokohama.
During the serialization period spanning more than six years, the author meticulously walked around Shin-Yokohama, incorporating the landscapes and buildings he encountered daily into his work. A large Japanese pancake shop believed to be in the Toriyama-cho area, the giant railway yard facility in Kita-Shin-Yokohama, and the Tsurumi River, which appears many times, are familiar sights for local residents that color the work’s world.
The Characteristics of Shin-Yokohama and Its Influence on the Work
Shin-Yokohama is a relatively new town that developed with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964. This town, which serves as a major transportation hub where three railway lines—JR Central, JR East, and Yokohama Municipal Subway—converge, while possessing a unique atmosphere, was chosen as the stage for “Vampire Dies in an Instant” for good reason.
The unique landscape where modern buildings around the Shinkansen station and residential areas and shopping streets further away coexist perfectly matches the worldview of the work where vampires and humans coexist. Additionally, the location slightly removed from central Yokohama gives realism to the setting of “a certain prefecture Y city S town.”
Location Scouting Report by Anime Production Staff
Purpose and Contents of Location Scouting
The production committee for the anime “Vampire Dies in an Instant” conducted full-scale location scouting to faithfully recreate Shin-Yokohama, the stage of the work. According to the location scouting report published on the official website, staff conducted field research at a gathering time of 15:00 to investigate Shin-Yokohama during both day and night.
In this research, not only major buildings around Shin-Yokohama Station but also fine details appearing in the work were carefully photographed and recorded. What was particularly impressive was the view from high-rise buildings, from which one can see the entire Shin-Yokohama area stretching to Yokohama, with staff commenting “If we could hold a wrap-up party, we’d definitely want to do it here.”
The Different Faces of Shin-Yokohama Day and Night
In the location scouting, the differences in the town’s appearance depending on the time of day were also emphasized. During the day, Shin-Yokohama is a bustling town crowded with Shinkansen passengers and businesspeople, but at night it is enveloped in a quiet atmosphere. This day-night contrast is utilized in the depiction of daily scenes and nighttime scenes where vampires are active in the work.
The view from the high-rise buildings with open first floors is so high that one’s knees tremble when looking down from above, providing important information that adds impact to the anime’s background art. This attention to detail supports the quality of the anime work.
Introduction to Major Sacred Sites in Shin-Yokohama
Shin-Yokohama Station (In-Story: JK Shin-Yokohama Station)
Shin-Yokohama Station, which becomes the center of the story, appears as “JK Shin-Yokohama Station” in the work. This station, established with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, is an important transportation hub where three railway lines converge: JR Central, JR East, and Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line.
The scenery around the station is frequently depicted in the work, and the overpass directly connected to the station has quietly become popular as a photo spot where Shin-Yokohama-like scenery can be seen. Commercial facilities around the station such as Shin-Yokohama Prince Pepe and Shin-Yokohama Cubic Plaza are also depicted as part of the work’s world.
Ura-Shin-Yokohama Station (Fictional Sacred Site)
As an original work setting, “Ura-Shin-Yokohama Station” (Reverse Shin-Yokohama Station) is a mysterious space that lures those sleeping on trains into a barrier. In the episode “Next Stop: Final Destination Ura-Shin-Yokohama,” Ronald and others, who were returning to Shin-Yokohama by train after a barbecue dinner, happened to fall asleep, only to wake up at this mysterious station.
Though not an actual place, the depiction based on the structure of Shin-Yokohama Station possesses a realism that makes local residents think “it might actually exist.” This delicate balance between the fictional and the real is one of the charms of the work.
Shin-Yokohama Prince Hotel Surroundings
The Shin-Yokohama Prince Hotel and its surrounding area, symbolic landmarks of Shin-Yokohama, are also important spots appearing in the work. This building, highlighted in the location scouting report, boasts an impressive view from its top floor, overlooking not just the Shin-Yokohama area but also the Yokohama direction.
In the work, the modern buildings in this area are used as backgrounds expressing the urban side of Shin-Yokohama. In particular, the beauty of the night view is effectively depicted as the stage where vampires conduct their activities.
Tsurumi River Surroundings
The Tsurumi River, appearing many times in the work, is an important location symbolizing the nature of Shin-Yokohama. Within walking distance of Shin-Yokohama Station, yet the spacious riverbed provides a quiet space away from urban hustle and bustle.
The promenade and riverbed along the Tsurumi River are frequently used as backgrounds for scenes of characters’ daily movement and conversations. The river’s landscape, which changes with the seasons, becomes an element that makes the work feel the passage of seasons.
Toriyama-cho Area Shopping Streets
The Toriyama-cho area, home to shops believed to be models for large Japanese pancake shops appearing in the work, is also a popular sacred site pilgrimage spot. This area, slightly removed from Shin-Yokohama Station, is a place where glimpses of local residents’ daily lives can be seen, giving the work realism.
By having unremarkable scenery from shopping streets and small shops used by local people appear in the work, it makes readers and viewers realize that the world of “Vampire Dies in an Instant” is continuous with our daily lives.
Kita-Shin-Yokohama Railway Yard Facility
The massive railway yard facility in Kita-Shin-Yokohama actually functions as a shinkansen vehicle base. The scale of this facility is depicted impressively in the work, making it an interesting spot for train enthusiasts as well.
The industrial landscape surrounding this facility adds a unique atmosphere to the work’s world. Particularly, the sight of vehicles illuminated by nighttime lighting is depicted as both fantastical and oddly realistic.
Facilities and Organizations Appearing in the Work and Shin-Yokohama
Shin-Yokohama Vampire Hunter’s Association
The “Shin-Yokohama Vampire Hunter’s Association,” an important stage for the work, is a guild organization existing in Shin-Yokohama. It operates with a bar “Shin-Yokohama Highball” near Ronald’s office as its base, with the bar’s master Gousetsu also serving as the guild master.
This setting symbolizes the multiple facets of Shin-Yokohama. While operating openly as an ordinary bar, it functions behind the scenes as a place for information exchange and request reception among vampire hunters—a dual structure that overlaps with Shin-Yokohama’s dual nature as both “the Shinkansen town” and “a local living sphere.”
Ronald, Draluc, and members of the vampire countermeasures department frequently visit this place, bringing various commotion or being brought into it. As a gathering place for guild members, it serves as an important community space in the work’s world.
Kanagawa Prefecture Police Vampire Countermeasures Division
The work also features the Kanagawa Prefecture Police’s Vampire Countermeasures Division, with Hinai’s brother serving as the Vampire Countermeasures General Superintendent, conducting activities. In an episode where he visits Shin-Yokohama with his butler Sebastian for inspection, he encounters perverted vampires and has a terrible time.
Through this setting, it becomes clear that Shin-Yokohama is positioned as an important base in vampire-related issues. By using the real administrative division of Kanagawa Prefecture, the realism of the work’s world is further enhanced.
How to Enjoy Sacred Site Pilgrimages and Access Information
How to Access Shin-Yokohama
Shin-Yokohama Station is a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen, accessible in approximately 18 minutes from Tokyo Station, 90 minutes from Nagoya Station, and 120 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station. While Shinkansen is the most convenient, access is also possible via conventional trains and subway.
When using JR Yokohama Line, it’s approximately 11 minutes from Yokohama Station and about 8 minutes from Higashi-Kanagawa Station. Using Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line, it’s about 14 minutes from Yokohama Station and approximately 20 minutes from Azamino Station. With good access from the urban center, it’s ideal for day-trip sacred site pilgrimages.
Recommended Pilgrimage Route
For efficiently visiting sacred sites, a route beginning at Shin-Yokohama Station and walking around the surrounding area is recommended. First experience the work’s atmosphere through the station surroundings’ commercial facilities and overpass, then head toward the Tsurumi River area—this route is popular.
If time permits, extending to the Toriyama-cho shopping streets or the Kita-Shin-Yokohama yard facility area allows for a deeper experience of the work’s world. By retracing roads the author likely walked, understanding of the work deepens further.
Precautions for Sacred Site Pilgrimages
When conducting sacred site pilgrimages, it is important to respect local residents’ lives. Particularly in residential areas and shopping streets, refrain from speaking loudly or trespassing on private land. When photographing, consideration is necessary if shops or residences appear in the background.
Also, absolutely do not enter restricted areas such as railway yard facilities. Keep observations and photography to views from public roads. Fan members’ restrained behavior ensures the continued good relationship between the work and the region.
Anime Version “Vampire Dies in an Instant” and Depictions of Shin-Yokohama
Increased Attention to Sacred Sites Through Anime Adaptation
With the broadcast of the anime version of “Vampire Dies in an Instant,” attention to Shin-Yokohama as a sacred site increased significantly. When landscapes depicted in manga are expressed through animation with movement and color, many more fans become interested in Shin-Yokohama.
The results of careful location scouting by the production committee are clearly reflected in the anime’s background art. The texture of actual buildings and changes in light depending on the time of day—the finely reproduced Shin-Yokohama landscape receives high evaluation from anime fans as well.
Teaser Visuals and Shin-Yokohama
Teaser visuals released at the anime adaptation announcement effectively used Shin-Yokohama’s landscapes. Visuals taking advantage of the distinctive element of the Shinkansen station strongly impressed viewers that the work’s stage is Shin-Yokohama.
Through such promotional deployment, the image “Vampire Dies in an Instant = Shin-Yokohama” became widely established, and interest in the work also increased in Shin-Yokohama itself. The synergy between region and work has led to acquisition of new fan layers.
Official Anthology “Let’s Meet in Shin-Yokohama”
Charm of Anthology Comics
The official anthology “Let’s Meet in Shin-Yokohama” published by Akita Shoten is a popular series packed with tribute manga and rare illustrations by a luxurious lineup of writers who love “Vampire Dies in an Instant.” With two volumes published, the chaotic life in Shin-Yokohama is depicted from angles different from the main series.
Hunters, vampires, and vampire countermeasure department members all play active roles in this anthology, with Shin-Yokohama further depicted from multiple perspectives. Shin-Yokohama as depicted through various artists’ viewpoints reveals new charms not seen in the main series.
Meaning Embedded in the Title
The title “Let’s Meet in Shin-Yokohama” carries wishes to connect fans with the work and the sacred site of Shin-Yokohama. The title itself speaks to the importance of Shin-Yokohama as a place, also serving as a sort of password for sacred site pilgrimages.
By reading the anthology before visiting the sacred site, one can more deeply experience the work’s world. The diverse interpretations by multiple artists resonate with Shin-Yokohama’s multifaceted nature.
The Local Area of Shin-Yokohama and Its Relationship with the Work
Coverage by Local Media
“Shin-Yokohama Newspaper” (Shin-Yoko Shimbun), local media for Shin-Yokohama, gave prominent coverage to the anime adaptation decision for “Vampire Dies in an Instant.” With headlines such as “The Stage is Shin-Yokohama” and “No Small Connection to the Local Area,” it became a topic of conversation among local residents.
The fact that author Bonnoki Itaru walks around the Shin-Yokohama area coming up with ideas and has genuinely deep feelings about this town were communicated through local media, raising residents’ familiarity with the work. The author’s comment “Though I’m sorry for roughing it up so much in the work” is also received favorably by locals.
Contribution to Regional Promotion
The increased awareness of Shin-Yokohama as an anime sacred site contributes to regional promotion. Fans visiting for sacred site pilgrimages patronize local restaurants and shops, generating economic benefits.
Because Shin-Yokohama’s location is slightly removed from central Yokohama, previously visitors other than Shinkansen passengers were limited. However, gaining attention as a sacred site for “Vampire Dies in an Instant” opens new possibilities as a tourism resource. More local residents are rediscovering Shin-Yokohama’s charm through the work.
The Characters’ Daily Lives in Shin-Yokohama
Draluc and Ronald’s Office
The hunter office where the protagonist duo Draluc and Ronald operate as their base is set to exist somewhere in Shin-Yokohama. While the work never reveals a specific address, it is frequently depicted as a mixed-use building near Shin-Yokohama Station, becoming a target for fans’ “sacred site searches.”
Attempts to identify actual buildings based on depictions of the office’s views and surrounding landscapes are made, and such fan activity itself has become one of the pleasures of sacred site pilgrimages. The author may intentionally avoid identification, but that too is a charm of the work.
Daily Episodes in Shin-Yokohama
Numerous episodes depicting characters spending daily life in Shin-Yokohama appear in the work. Shopping around the station area, dining at restaurants, walks along the Tsurumi River—familiar daily scenery for local residents is depicted freshly through the non-everyday existence of vampires and hunters.
The accumulation of such daily depictions supports the realism of the work’s world. Readers and anime viewers experience the sensation of vampires existing in a world continuous with their own daily lives.
The History of Shin-Yokohama and “Vampire Dies in an Instant”
The Shinkansen Opening and Urban Development
Shin-Yokohama’s history began with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964. Until then, farmland spread across the area, but rapid development followed the establishment of the Shinkansen station. Today it serves as the central point of Minato-ku, Yokohama City, for business and events.
This “new town” characteristic may be one reason this location was chosen as the stage for “Vampire Dies in an Instant.” Unlike central Yokohama with its long history, Shin-Yokohama’s unique atmosphere makes it perfect as the stage for a gag work that sets itself apart from traditional vampire stories.
Contemporary Shin-Yokohama and the Work’s World
Contemporary Shin-Yokohama is a complex town where urban functions centered on the Shinkansen station coexist with surrounding residential areas. Large-scale facilities such as Nissan Stadium (Yokohama International Comprehensive Competition Stadium) and Yokohama Arena are also located here, drawing crowds during events.
Meanwhile, moving slightly away from the station reveals quiet residential neighborhoods and shopping streets where local residents conduct their daily lives. This multifacetedness resonates with the diversity inherent in “Vampire Dies in an Instant,” functioning as its stage.
Fan Community and Shin-Yokohama
Sacred Site Pilgrimage Events and Exchange
Among fans of “Vampire Dies in an Instant,” sacred site pilgrimages in Shin-Yokohama have become popular events. On SNS, photographs and experiences shared by fans using hashtags like “#吸死聖地巡礼” (Suki-Shi Sacred Site Pilgrimage) and “#新横浜” (Shin-Yokohama) are actively shared.
Fans sometimes meet by chance in Shin-Yokohama and bonds form. The sight of fans who met through the work realizing “Let’s Meet in Shin-Yokohama” at an actual sacred site demonstrates the ideal relationship between work, fans, and sacred site.
Information Sharing Online
Information about sacred site pilgrimages is actively shared on fan sites, SNS, and video distribution sites. Detailed pilgrimage maps, comparison images with the work, recommended routes, and various content created by fans serve as references for those planning to visit Shin-Yokohama.
Through such information sharing, barriers to sacred site pilgrimages lower, bringing more fans to Shin-Yokohama. Fan community activities create a virtuous cycle that further increases the work’s popularity.
Conclusion: The Future of “Vampire Dies in an Instant” and Shin-Yokohama
The relationship between “Vampire Dies in an Instant” and Shin-Yokohama, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, transcends the simple frame of “the work’s stage,” bound by a deep connection. The work’s world, created as author Itaru Bonnoki walked around Shin-Yokohama, became known to far more people through anime adaptation.
Through careful location scouting by the production committee, favorable coverage by local media, and passionate sacred site pilgrimage activities by fans, Shin-Yokohama has established itself as a confirmed sacred site for “Vampire Dies in an Instant.”
As serialization continues and the possibility of new anime series being produced remains, the relationship between Shin-Yokohama and the work will deepen further. It is expected that local residents, fans, and work creators will together nurture this special relationship as one unified entity.
When visiting Shin-Yokohama, please enjoy your sacred site pilgrimage with love for the work and respect for the region. Surely there, the noisy daily activities of Draluc and Ronald continue in “a certain prefecture Y city S town.”
