The first theatrical anime film for "Chainsaw Man," 'Chainsaw Man Reze Arc,' has been a massive hit everywhere, raking in over 10 billion yen at the Japanese box office. Last year, it was also announced that a new anime, 'Chainsaw Man Assassin Arc,' is in the works.
However, a public phone booth in Tokyo's Jinbōchō, which served as a real-life inspiration for a scene in "Chainsaw Man," has become a bizarre spectacle. Fans have been lining up to take photos, and the booth is absolutely overflowing with flowers. Ever since the movie's release, devotees have been flocking for "holy site pilgrimages," leading many unfamiliar with the series to wonder, "There are so many flowers, it looks like someone died here. What's going on?" This has sparked quite a buzz on social media.
With the massive success of 'Chainsaw Man Reze Arc,' fans quickly realized that "many spots around Jinbōchō look exactly like scenes from the movie." This has turned numerous locations into pilgrimage sites, drawing fans from overseas as well.
Specifically, the iconic scene where protagonist Denji meets Reze in a public phone booth and hands her a flower has cemented that particular phone booth as a fan-favorite "holy site," with information spreading rapidly across social media.
Even though it's been nearly four months since the film's release, Japanese media recently visited the site. While there wasn't a long queue, young people were still taking photos. Inside the phone booth, dozens of gerbera daisies were arranged, some still wrapped, others placed in plastic bottles—clearly left by fans trying to recreate the movie scene.
However, many on Japanese social media were utterly confused: "So many flowers, it looks like someone passed away here. What happened?" "Saw about five people taking pictures of the phone booth, super weird." "Oh, it's a 'Chainsaw Man' holy site? That scared me!"
Additionally, a small reminder note has been taped to the corner of the phone booth, written in Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese:
"If you bring flowers or anything else, please do not leave them behind; remember to take them with you. She also cherished the flowers she received and took them home. If this place is important to you, please make a call from this public phone so that this place does not disappear."
In response, NTT East Japan, which manages the phone booth, stated that they did not put up the note. Regarding phone usage, they added, "Compared to before the movie's release, we haven't observed any significant increase in usage due to the film."
NTT East Japan also issued an official statement: "We are grateful that this work has generated interest in public telephones. However, public telephones are still public facilities actively used by people. We hope that visitors will be considerate of those around them and other users. We would also be extremely grateful if you could avoid leaving flowers or personal items at the site and show a little more thoughtfulness and cooperation."
In fact, the area is primarily a school district, and the alleyway featured in the original work is around Jinbōchō Onnazaka. Recently, too many people have been leaving flowers and water bottles on the stairways and walkways.
Local residents were forced to put up a notice in early January, asking people not to indiscriminately leave flowers and water bottles, stating that these items would be treated as trash and removed. They also urged fans to enjoy the movie without disrupting the daily lives of local residents.
While "holy site pilgrimages" hold special meaning for fans, causing inconvenience to locals is definitely a no-go. So, if you're planning to visit, remember you can bring items for photos, but please don't leave them behind and create unnecessary trouble.