This presentation will focus on the Japanese manga Bungo Stray Dogs and speculate on the possibilities of pilgrimages to sacred places based on this work. This work is an action manga in which the great writers of modern Japan are transformed into characters and fight each other using their unique supernatural abilities. In addition to dozens of Japanese literary masters and intellectuals, including Osamu Dazai, Atsushi Nakajima, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Akiko Yosano, and Kenji Miyazawa, it is a grandiose action manga involving foreign literary greats such as Montgomery, Hawthorne, Dostoyevsky, and Poe. The main setting is contemporary Yokohama, and the biographical facts and works of the writers are accepted and reconstructed in the shaping of the characters and their different abilities.

What can be sanctified in this work as content when the findings of literary studies and the history of literature and culture are irradiated on it?　What kind of pilgrimage maps can be drawn from these sacred sites? 　We will develop a model of a pilgrimage map based on at least the following three perspectives.

(1) Maps based on individual writers (ex. Aomori and Tokyo based on Osamu Dazai, Morioka based on Kenji Miyazawa, Kyoto, Tokyo, Paris based on Akiko Yosano, etc.)

(2) Maps centered on individual episodes (ex.Yokohama City, the setting of the film)

(3) Maps based on the network of writers (ex.Poe and Edogawa Rampo, etc.)

Through such analysis, we will build a theory centered on the original work of literature and biographies of literary figures in the process of revitalizing the original work as content for pilgrimages to sacred places. In other words, it is a theoretical construction from the perspective of how the findings of literary research can be (and ideally should be) incorporated into regional development, cultural preservation, and tourism studies based on content tourism. By doing so, we would like to raise a question for dialogue between the two different research fields of tourism studies and literature in order to collaboratively preserve cultural resources and create culture.

This presentation explores the fascinating intersection of Chinese detective fiction and transnational tourism, examining how novels written in Chinese can catalyze cross-border travel and contribute to tourism development. By analyzing popular Chinese detective series and their impact on international readership, I investigate the phenomenon of literary tourism evolving into a broader form of contents tourism.

The study delves into the global appeal of Chinese detective novels and their translation into multiple languages, revealing how these works create compelling literary landscapes and fictional geographies that inspire real-world exploration. I examine the development of tourism products and experiences based on detective novel settings and plots, demonstrating how narrative spaces become tangible destinations for international travelers.

Additionally, this research considers the literary techniques and narrative strategies employed in Chinese detective novels that resonate with diverse cultural audiences. By exploring themes such as justice, morality, and the interplay between tradition and modernity, I uncover how these works engage readers across borders, fostering a shared imaginative space that transcends linguistic and cultural divides.

This presentation examines the transmedia storytelling and transnational dissemination of Korean webtoons, focusing on their growing role in fostering content tourism and cultural exchange. As a globally popular form of digital comics, webtoons have not only captivated audiences worldwide but also inspired tourism by creating immersive fictional worlds that fans seek to experience in real life.

The study explores how the unique narrative and visual qualities of Korean webtoons make them particularly suited for adaptation into various media formats, including television dramas, films, and games. These transmedia expansions amplify the global reach of webtoons while establishing recognizable settings, characters, and themes that spark international interest in Korean culture and destinations. For instance, locations featured in webtoon-based adaptations often become tourism hotspots, drawing fans eager to connect with the stories they love.

Additionally, the research delves into the transnational spread of webtoons through global platforms and partnerships, highlighting how this medium transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. By examining case studies where webtoons have directly influenced tourism—such as themed tours, exhibitions, and fan-driven pilgrimages—I reveal how these digital narratives transform into tangible travel experiences. This phenomenon reflects the broader potential of webtoons to act as cultural ambassadors, promoting Korea as a desirable destination while enabling fans to engage with its culture on a deeper level.

The objective of this closed group session is to address two key "border-crossing" phenomena that characterize 21st-century literature in the context of the advancing information age and media diversification: “transmediality” (adaptation across media) and “transnationalism” (consumption and adaptation across national borders). The session aims to construct an analytical framework to explore how these phenomena give rise to new forms of tourism.

Specifically, the session will first review the existing frameworks of literary tourism research and their limitations. Following this, four scholars—two men and two women from both Korea and Japan, ensuring a balance in both nationality and gender—will examine the characteristics of recent literary works in terms of transmediality (e.g., adaptations into manga, anime, video games, TV dramas) and transnationality, through several concrete case studies.

The case studies to be discussed include: the new literary pilgrimage phenomenon inspired by the Japanese manga and anime Bungo Stray Dogs; the transnational development and tourism surrounding Chinese detective novels; the transmedia and transnational expansion of the Three Kingdoms as classical literature and its related tourism; and the transmedia and transnational spread of Korean webtoons.

The session will then analyze how such border-crossing phenomena are triggering interactive tourism experiences and clarify the characteristics of these interactions.

It will argue that traditional approaches to literary tourism studies are insufficient to fully capture these phenomena and that the framework of contents tourism, which has recently gained attention in tourism studies, offers a more effective analytical tool.

Through this session, we aim to demonstrate the potential for literature studies to transcend disciplinary boundaries and explore new applied research fields.

This presentation first outlines and introduces the fundamental theories of Contents Tourism, which have been increasingly discussed internationally since the 2010s. Subsequently, attention is directed to the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi) to examine how the work has been adapted and received across various media formats within the East Asian region. Particular focus is placed on case studies in Japan, spanning from the Edo period to the present day. Specific media examined include novels, games, manga, puppet theater, and kabuki.

Additionally, the analysis considers how these adapted works have contributed to the formation of new Contents Tourism destinations, such as Kobe City, which has utilized Romance of the Three Kingdoms in local revitalization efforts due to its association with Mitsuteru Yokoyama, the manga adaptation’s author, and Iida City, which features a puppet museum dedicated to Kihachiro Kawamoto, who created puppets for NHK’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms puppet theater series.

Building on this exploration, a hypothetical content creation model is proposed to explain the mechanism by which literary adaptations generate Contents Tourism. This discussion aims to highlight the contributions of Contents Tourism theories to literary studies while also identifying potential challenges inherent in their application.