Being known as 'the world's most beautiful village' is bound to attract a flood of tourists – both foreign and domestic.
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known → know → tourists
Bibury in Gloucestershire has witnessed a phenomenal rise in sightseers ever since it was awarded the epithet by Forbes magazine.
And it has become such an international sensation that it is, somewhat bizarrely, welcomed a stampede of visitors from one country in particular – Japan.
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it → witness → country
But it is the East Asian nation's love of 'manga' that has turned Bibury into a must-see location for the well-travelled Japanese, brought up on a diet of their own special brand of animation on television.
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that → turn → television
The Cotswold village features in Kin-iro Mosaic, a popular anime series whose devoted fans travel thousands of miles to visit locations from their favourite programmes.
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fans → feature → programmes
Indeed, a Japanese animation company has even adopted the village's name, calling itself Bibury Animation Studios, according to research by local resident Steve Morton.
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company → adopt → Morton
'They nicked our name - Bibury Animation Studios - and are based in Japan.
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They → nick → Japan
We had no idea.
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We → have → idea
It just shows the global reach of Bibury's fairytale image,' Mr Morton told the Daily Mail.
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Morton → show → Mail
Bibury features in Japanese comic Kin-iro Mosaic, a popular anime series whose devoted fans travel thousands of miles to visit locations from their favourite programmes
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fans → feature → programmes
A Japanese travel blogger visited Bibury on June 15, 2019, determined to track down locations featured in the series
The studio produces Japanese animated television series and films, while Kin-iro Mosaic, which translates as Golden Mosaic, follows British and Japanese schoolgirls and features settings in Japan, Bibury and the neighbouring Cotswolds village of Castle Combe.
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which → visit → Combe
Created by Yui Hara, the original manga comic strip follows schoolgirls navigating friendship and cultural differences.
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strip → create → friendship
It ran from 2010 to 2020 in Manga Time Kirara Max, a prominent Japanese magazine, completing 11 volumes and 148 chapters.
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It → run → volumes
The television adaptation, directed by Japanese film-maker Motoki Tanaka, first aired in 2013.
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adaptation → direct → 2013
An animated film followed in August 2021.
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film → follow → August
It is part of the world inhabited by characters they know and love.
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they → inhabit → characters
A Japanese travel blogger demonstrated just how powerful that connection can be when he visited Bibury on June 15, 2019, determined to track down locations featured in the series.
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he → demonstrate → series
His itinerary took him to Arlington Row, the celebrated collection of historic weavers' cottages whose honey-coloured stonework has made them among the Cotswolds' most recognisable landmarks.
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them → take → landmarks
In Kin-iro Mosaic, the picturesque surroundings feature in scenes involving Alice Cartelet and her friends Shinobu Oomiya and Karen.
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surroundings → feature → Cartelet
The blogger also identified a small bridge associated with the characters, an ice-cream shop near the bus stop, a bench and a traditional red telephone box appearing in the series' closing sequence.
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blogger → identify → sequence
Despite the miserable, rainy weather, he bought a double ice cream from the shop and declared it delicious.
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it → buy → shop
Coachloads of tourists visit Bibury every year.
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Coachloads → visit → Bibury
This otherwise sleepy English village has become an international sensation in recent years
Tourists take pictures of the scenic views in Bibury.
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Tourists → become → Bibury
This is unfolding in a village of just 600 people which has become a magnet for tourists from across the globe
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which → unfold → globe
The picturesque buildings and surroundings in Bibury feature heavily in the anime series
Kin-iro Mosaic, which translates as Golden Mosaic, follows British and Japanese schoolgirls
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which → feature → schoolgirls
It is part of the world inhabited by characters they know and love
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they → inhabit → characters
Created by Yui Hara, the original manga comic strip follows schoolgirls navigating friendship and cultural differences.
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strip → create → friendship
It ran from 2010 to 2020
There was one amusing disappointment: Alice's fictional family home is not actually in Bibury.
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home → run → Bibury
The blogger joked that the spot where Alice's house might have stood in Bibury was occupied by a public toilet.
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house → joke → toilet
Such detail illustrates the lengths to which dedicated anime enthusiasts will go to experience the settings of their favourite stories.
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enthusiasts → illustrate → stories
In Japan, the practice is known as seichi junrei, or pilgrimage to a sacred place.
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practice → know → place
Fans travel to real-world locations depicted in animated series, recreate scenes and photograph familiar landmarks.
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Fans → travel → landmarks
It is somewhere their favourite fictional characters have appeared on screen.
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characters → appear → screen
The connection offers a fascinating insight into the international forces drawing visitors to Bibury, where the village's traditional English charm has found an unexpected audience among Japanese animation fans.
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charm → offer → fans
But the influx comes at a cost for those who call the village home.
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who → come → village
Recent reports have highlighted residents' growing frustration with overtourism.
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reports → highlight → overtourism
Despite having a population of around 600, Bibury can reportedly attract as many as 20,000 visitors on busy weekends.
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Bibury → have → weekends
The pressure on its narrow roads, historic buildings and private properties has prompted mounting concern.
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pressure → prompt → concern
Residents have complained about blocked driveways, trespassing and tourists photographing homes at close quarters.
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tourists → complain → quarters
Some visitors have reportedly peered through windows or climbed walls and fences to secure the perfect picture of Arlington Row.
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visitors → peer → Row
For those living in the famous cottages, the constant stream of strangers can mean sacrificing the privacy most people take for granted.
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people → live → privacy
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
