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Hajime Isayama Spots in Japan
Hajime Isayama is a Japanese manga artist, born on August 29, 1986, in Hita City, Ōita Prefecture. After graduating from the manga department of Kyushu Designer Gakuin College, he entered the manga industry in 2008 when his one-shot orz won an award in the Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Contest, marking his debut that same year.
His best-known work is Attack on Titan. A one-shot version of the series won an honorable mention in the 2006 Magazine Grand Prix, and the full serialization began in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in 2009. The series gained worldwide popularity and was adapted into both anime and live-action films. He won the Kodansha Manga Award in the Shonen category in 2011, and after the series concluded in 2021, he received the 3rd Noma Publishing Culture Award.
Isayama loved drawing from a young age, and his childhood fascination with dinosaurs influenced the concept of the Titans in Attack on Titan. While in vocational school, he conceived the plot of “humanity on the brink of extinction due to man-eating giants,” which later became the foundation of the series. Although the early chapters received criticism, he continued drawing with confidence without catering to readers, ultimately leading the work to great success.
Ōyama Dam
Located in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, the hometown of Hajime Isayama, this dam is said to be one of the inspirations for the enormous walls that appear in Attack on Titan, making it a place that can be called the origin of the story’s vast and imposing worldview.
At the foot of the dam stands a bronze statue that recreates the opening scene of the story, where Eren, Mikasa, and Armin first confront the Titans and dream of the world beyond the walls.
This statue was built through crowdfunding as part of the “Attack on Titan in HITA” project, and Isayama himself attended the unveiling ceremony. As a symbolic place representing the beginning of the series, it is one of the most significant sacred sites for fans—born from Isayama’s deep affection for his hometown and the passion of supporters.
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JR Hita Station
The main gateway to Hita City in Oita Prefecture, Hajime Isayama’s hometown. In the plaza in front of the station stands a bronze statue of Captain Levi, one of the most overwhelmingly popular characters in the series.
As the squad captain of the Survey Corps and the strongest soldier of humanity, his imposing figure serves as a symbolic presence welcoming the many fans who visit Hita.
This statue was also created through crowdfunding. At the unveiling ceremony, Isayama commented, “We brought Levi, the most popular character, back home to Hita City.” Levi was chosen as the symbol of this project, which positions the hometown as “the place where humanity’s counterattack begins.”
From the moment visitors step off the train, they can immerse themselves in the world of Attack on Titan, making this an essential spot for fans.
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Attack on Titan in HITA Museum
A museum established in Hita City, the hometown of Hajime Isayama, that truly encapsulates everything about Attack on Titan.
Inside, visitors can trace the trajectory of Isayama’s creative journey through numerous exhibits, including precious original drawings and storyboards from the series’ eleven-and-a-half-year serialization, unpublished sketches, and even works he created during his childhood.
One of the most stirring exhibits—even for those who are not fans—is the recreated workspace featuring the actual desk Isayama used. The museum was created with Isayama’s full cooperation, embodying both his gratitude toward his hometown and appreciation for his fans.
It is a central pilgrimage site where visitors can deeply understand the background of how the work was born and the thoughts of its creator.
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Translation by ChatGPT.