The series "Vivant" has boosted tourist flow from Japan to Azerbaijan - PHOTO - VIDEO
The popular Japanese series "Vivant" is driving tourist interest in Azerbaijan: fans of the show are coming to the country to see the places where the second season was filmed and to visit the sights shown on screen.
The Japanese newspaper The Japan Times reports that the number of so-called "set-jetters", tourists who visit the filming locations of well-known films and series, is growing in particular. According to one travel company, demand for package tours to Azerbaijan remains high.
Among the fans of the series who visited the country in late October was Mayumi Kishi, 47, a resident of Tokyo. During a visit to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Baku she went to the ruins of a bathhouse that the series presents as part of Jerusalem.
"That's it! This is exactly where the character came out," the tourist said of her impressions as she photographed the spot on her smartphone.
She said she had planned her trip to Azerbaijan before she learned that the series had been filmed in the country. On her companion's advice, however, she decided to visit one of the filming locations. Before the trip she rewatched the series to get a better sense of the locations it features.
Another place drawing Japanese tourists is the Baku bookstore Bukinist. In the series it appears as the headquarters of "Beppan", a fictional secret intelligence unit of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, around which the plot revolves.
According to the store's manager, Japanese visitors have begun coming almost every day. They look over the bookshelves, take photographs and shoot video. He also said the series is helping to strengthen the warm relations between the two countries.
The interest in Azerbaijan is showing in Japan's travel market as well, where special tours of the series' filming locations in Azerbaijan have been launched. Waiting lists have already formed for some departure dates between late November 2026 and October 2027, and the possibility of opening additional slots for booking is being considered.
The Japan Times notes that in Azerbaijan, too, the project's positive effect on the country's appeal to tourists is being noted.
Rashad Azizov, director general of the Azerbaijan Film Agency, says the Japanese series is opening up new opportunities to strengthen ties between the two countries and is becoming a kind of bridge between Azerbaijan and Japan. He expressed the hope that thanks to the project more and more Japanese tourists will want to visit Azerbaijan and discover its historical monuments, its architecture and its national cuisine.
