Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes) area, which serves as the setting for the TV drama “Hotspot” currently airing on Nippon TV, is bustling with fans making pilgrimages to visit filming locations. Local governments are also playing a part in the excitement by creating special webpages to introduce filming sites.
“Hotspot” is a “local alien-human comedy” set in a town near Mount Fuji. It follows a single mother who works at a hotel and solves small, everyday mysteries with the help of an “alien.”
Real places and shops in Fujiyoshida City and Fujikawaguchiko Town at the foot of Mount Fuji often appear in the drama. As the show’s popularity grows, these filming locations have truly become “hotspots” for visiting fans.
A news anchor reports: “Despite being a weekday, there’s a long line at the café used by the main character.” Sometimes the wait to enter can be more than two hours.
One fan waiting in line at the café said, “I came from Chiba. The café appears in every episode, so we’ve been talking about visiting. It’s finally our turn, so I’m looking forward to enjoying it.”
Local governments are taking advantage of this excitement. After the drama began airing, Fujiyoshida City added a special page to their tourism website. The page provides detailed information about filming locations and restaurants used in the show, along with which episodes they appeared in.
A staff member from Fujiyoshida City’s Mount Fuji Department says, “We’ve heard that website traffic has increased. With this huge response, we feel that Fujiyoshida City has become a real ‘hotspot.’ We hope visitors will not only come to see the locations but also visit local shopping areas and spend money. We want them to enjoy the city’s food and atmosphere.”
As the story builds toward its climax, the area around Mount Fuji is likely to become even more popular. “Hotspot” airs every Sunday at 10:30 PM.
Links and Resources
- The special page on Fujiyoshida City’s tourism website:
「ホットスポット」富士吉田市内ロケ地のご紹介！｜富士吉田 旅の特集｜【公式】富士吉田市観光ガイド
- Photo Spots introduced by Drama Officials:
