Cosplayer Kiki (Yawei Nadia Sun) channels one of her favourite anime characters at The Ross Village Bakery. Picture: Tessa Beattie and Caitlin Evans Source: Supplied
EVERY year thousands of Japanese tourist make the pilgrimage to an obscure bakery in a small rural town in the middle of Tasmania, captivated by its likeness to the setting of one of Japan's most popular anime movies.
Anime movie Kiki's Delivery Service is a Japanese classic. Source: News Limited
Fans are spellbound by the uncanny resemblance of The Ross Village Bakery to locations in the 1989 movie Kiki's Delivery Service, a production of the premier Japanese anime creator Studio Ghibli and its founder Hayao Miyazaki — known as the western versions of Disney and Walt Disney.
"It's like discovering Hobart is the setting for Snow White or Cinderella," said University of Tasmania lecturer Dr Craig Norris, who has done a thesis paper on the phenomenon.
Dr Norris said is was fascinating because the story had been going for about 15 years.
"The startling thing is how its so persistent, so immersive and so successful."
Ross bakery co-owner Carl Crosby said he welcomed at least 50 Japanese tourists every day, usually more and often by the busload.
Some — known as cosplayers — even wear costumes to emulate their anime idols.
"Seeing the looks of joy on their faces when they walk in, some squeal and jump up and down," Mr Crosby said.
"Some of them will come in their little costumes, with their bow in their hair and their little red shoes, and they want to stand in front of the oven and take a multitude of pictures.
"They usually have something to eat and a coffee, usually a vanilla slice or a scallop pie."
Ross bakery owner Carl Crosby says he welcomes about 50 Japanese tourists every day. Source: News Limited
No one is sure where the folklore started but it has endured and is gaining momentum.
On a Studio Ghibli blog post, one of the animaters talks about receiving daily emails from fans about the Ross bakery. But none of the animaters have ever been to Tasmania.
"There are stories of tourists who fly in to Launceston or Hobart and then get a taxi to Ross not having any idea how far out of the way it is."
Visitors to Ross bakery are overwhelmingly young woman who identify with Kiki and her story of a witch travelling from an urban space to a small community to come of age.
"You read in the guest log stories like a Japanese girl who has come to Australia, she just broke up with her boyfriend, her job hasn't worked out but then she's in the bakery and it all kind of makes sense now. She's found a sanctuary and relief, much like the story of Kiki herself, overcoming challenges and adversity," Dr Norris said.
"I think the atmosphere of Ross resonates really strongly with the atmosphere of the movie this idea that it's a nice regional country space, with coffee and treats and you feel welcomed."
Cosplayer Kiki (Yawei Nadia Sun) in the bakery's attic. Picture: Tessa Beattie and Caitlin Evans Source: Supplied
An upstairs loft area in the bakery has been decorated to look like Kiki's room from the movie after constant requests from tourists.
Dr Norris said the connection was not one created or enforced by the bakery owners, rather "it's a grassroots, bottom-up phenomena developed by the fans".
The cartoon Kiki in her bakery. Source: News Limited
He said as well as travelling half way across the world, fans went to extraordinary measures to visit.
"There are stories of tourists who fly in to Launceston or Hobart and then get a taxi to Ross not having any idea how far out of the way it is."
Dr Norris said since writing his research paper on Ross Bakery and Kiki's Delivery Service he had been inundated with interest.
"Since writing that article I've been invited to Japan to present on it," he said.
"There's a lot interest in this real oddity of having a cherished Japanese movie with a connection to Tasmania, an unlikely location."
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