This study focuses on media-induced tourism related to “2.5-Dimensionalization.” This refers to the materialization of fictitious virtual worlds in media such as comics, anime (cartoons), and digital games through tourism. In Japan, media-induced tourism related to “2.5-Dimensionalization” of digital games became popular among young women in the 2000s; however, it has yet to be studied in depth. This presentation will provide an explanation of this type of tourism with focus on Touken Ranbu (Sword Performance), the historically themed video game about swords acting as swordsmen in human form. To explore the behaviors and feelings involved in connecting with the fictitious world of this game through tourism, an online survey by using google forms was conducted in April-June 2021 and gained 1046 respondents. The results of the survey suggest that inspired by this game many fans attended sword exhibitions to see actual swords as the swordsmen, fictitious characters with no real-life originals in the game. These female fans were strongly attached to virtual characters and approach to them through physical and materialized experiences. Visiting the sites of sword exhibitions is part of such physical experience that gives female fans of the game the sense of connecting with the virtual characters as real.
Mots clés : Media-induced tourism|2.5-Dimensionalization|Digital games|Touken Ranbu
A105117MY