A true cultural phenomenon in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Ai Yazawa’s manga built a universe where fashion is a second language and heartbreak is always waiting just past the train tracks. Nana, Paradise Kiss and Neighborhood Story captured Tokyo in a way that made every café, side street and cigarette feel cinematic. Yazawa’s characters drift between joy and despair, dressed in Vivienne tartan and strawberry-pink frills, moving through the city with the kind of style that makes even loneliness look iconic.
The stories remain unfinished on the page, but Tokyo itself still holds fragments of Yazawa’s world. Some of these places are semi-official ‘pilgrimage’ spots, others just feel uncannily like her panels come to life. For anyone still chasing that Yazawa mood – whether you’re a devoted fan of Nana or simply drawn to her sharp take on youth and fashion – these six locations will pull you right into the frame.
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AloJapan.com