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Hirohiko Araki Spots in Japan
Hirohiko Araki is a Japanese manga artist born on June 7, 1960, best known for his long-running series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, which began serialization in 1987. The series is famous for its distinctive art style and posing, innovative panel layout, and battle action that incorporates intricate strategic thinking. It has become a massive global hit, with total circulation exceeding 120 million copies.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a large-scale series in which the protagonist and setting change with each part, featuring a wide variety of unique characters. One of its most influential contributions is the concept of “Stands,” a form of supernatural ability that later inspired many battle manga. Another hallmark of the series is that many character and Stand names are derived from Western music titles.
Lawson Sendai Yanagimachi-dori Store
1-8-3 Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
This store is believed to be the model for “Owson (OWSON),” the convenience store that appears in Part 4 of Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Diamond is Unbreakable, set in the fictional town of Morioh. Among fans, it is widely regarded as a sacred site.
In the story, the store is depicted many times as a meeting spot for characters and as the stage for important events. During the “JoJo Exhibition” held in Sendai in 2012, its signboard was officially changed to “OWSON” for a limited time in collaboration, which became a major topic of conversation.
Although Araki has never explicitly stated that this specific store was the model, it remains a symbolic location where visitors can feel the atmosphere of the series’ setting in the real world. Even today, many fans from Japan and abroad continue to visit.
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Mukadeya
An actual long-established footwear shop believed to be the model for “Mukade-ya Shoes,” the shoe store that appears in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4.
In the story, it serves as the stage for an important turning point: Yoshikage Kira visits to buy shoes for Shizuka Joestar, where Josuke ends up taking a button from Kira’s suit—a pivotal moment in the plot.
It is said that Araki based the store on his own memories. Inside the real shop, a notebook is provided for fans to write messages and draw illustrations, showing how warmly the store welcomes visitors. As a rare example of a location depicted in the series that still operates today, it has become a must-visit sacred site where fans can feel the direct connection between the world of JoJo and reality.
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Koyō Grand Hotel
A hotel believed to be the model for the “Morioh Grand Hotel,” where Jotaro Kujo stays for an extended period in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4.
In the story, the hotel becomes an important early-stage location, where Josuke and his friends visit and engage in an intense Stand battle against the Nijimura brothers, Keicho and Okuyasu.
Because its luxurious lobby and interior closely resemble those depicted in the manga, fans have identified it as the likely model. As one of Sendai’s most prestigious hotels, its dignified atmosphere lends a sense of realism to the fictional town of Morioh. It is a place that reflects how deeply the scenery of Sendai—where Araki himself was born and raised—has influenced the world of JoJo.
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Translation by ChatGPT.