Since the launch of the Hokuto no Ken – Fist of the North Star anime on April 10, 2026, the city of Saku (佐久市) in Nagano Prefecture has seen a significant surge of interest as a pilgrimage destination for fans of the franchise. Just 75 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen via Sakudaira Station, Buronson‘s hometown has gradually transformed into a true sanctuary dedicated to the franchise, and the return of the anime is accelerating the phenomenon.
What you can find in Saku
The city has invested heavily in its heritage since the 35th anniversary of the series. At Sakudaira Station (北陸新幹線), visitors are greeted right on the platform by the bust of Jagi, created by SpiceSeed (the same studio releasing the wood sculpture of Raoh at 1,100,000 ¥ this week), manufactured and donated to the city by Yoshida Kōgyō for the 40th anniversary of the series. Positioned between the Asama and Tateshina exits, it remains visible from the corridor and watches over travelers.
In the city streets, two series of manhole covers featuring Hokuto no Ken designs are scattered in the shape of the Big Dipper constellation. The first series (35th anniversary, 2019) includes seven covers around the station: Kenshiro, Raoh, Yuria, Toki, Jagi, Souther, and Rei, accessible via a 15-minute walking circuit from Sakudaira. The second series (40th anniversary, 2023) extends throughout the city with new designs: Raoh & Kokuō, Lin & Bat, and a new version of Jagi, among others. To find them all, plan on a full day by bicycle.
The Saku Manga-sha (さくまんが舎) is the centerpiece of the initiative, a building constructed entirely with Buronson’s own funds, inaugurated during a ceremony on March 3, 2024. It houses both the Buronson 100 Jikan Manga Juku (武論尊100時間漫画塾), a free training program in manga scriptwriting and drawing taught by professional instructors from publishing houses, and a permanent exhibition hall dedicated to the original manuscripts and works of Buronson and his alter ego Fumimura Shō. By the end of 2024, out of 95 students trained since the opening, 22 had already made their professional debuts, a rate considered to exceed the initial goals. The building, designed by the firm Nakayama Hideki Architecture Design, features a staircase adorned with a stained glass window depicting Jagi and a skylight ceiling shaped like the Big Dipper. Accessible on foot from the station in 12 minutes (address: 5506 Iwamurota, Saku-shi / open Wed-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon-Tue).
To round out the visit, the Plaza Saku, directly connected to the station, offers regional products in its shop as well as a selection of Hokuto no Ken merchandise. The most dedicated fans can also pick up at the station any stamp rally booklets (a Japanese activity consisting of collecting unique stamps by visiting each point of interest in the city) organized by the city to celebrate the franchise’s anniversaries. Check the official Saku City website for current editions related to the 2026 anime.
An immediate anime effect
Since April 2026, Toyo Keizai, one of Japan’s leading business media outlets, has published a comprehensive report on Saku as a destination for fifty-something Hokuto no Ken fans looking to settle near the city associated with the manga of their youth.
Buronson contributed 400 million yen to the municipality on two occasions, funding among other things the Saku Manga-sha and the Manga Juku out of his own pocket. Saku returns the favor by building a cohesive tourist identity around his work: statues, manhole covers, exhibitions, training programs, all of which expand with each franchise anniversary.
For European fans, Saku can be reached from Tokyo in 75 minutes via the Hokuriku/Asama Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, making it a perfectly feasible day trip as part of a visit to Japan. Since the extension of the Hokuriku Line to Tsuruga in 2024, Sakudaira Station is also directly connected from the Kanazawa and Fukui region, further expanding the pool of potential visitors.
To learn more about Buronson’s philosophy and the creative secrets behind Hokuto no Ken, check out our full feature on his book Dessiner le mal et le mensonge.
