Urban fantasy is everywhere in Japanese pop culture, showing up in books, manga, anime, and games. These stories take modern Japan and weave in the supernatural, blending everyday life with magic in a seamless fashion. Sometimes, it’s just a touch of magical realism or surrealism—genres that thrive in Japan’s hyper-modern, round-the-clock cities. With all the neon lights, towering skyscrapers, and the constant bustle of big city life, it’s easy to imagine a hidden world just beneath the surface. Even the efficiency of high-tech society can feel like magic—how convenience stores always seem stocked with exactly what you need or how trains run with near-perfect precision.

Japan’s culture makes urban fantasy even richer. There’s a constant mix of old and new—temples standing beside glass towers, ancient traditions still alive in a country racing toward the future. Shinto and Buddhist practices remain woven into daily life, and folklore about spirits, yokai, and gods are everywhere, influencing everything from local festivals to modern media. It’s no wonder so many stories explore a version of Japan where these mystical elements linger in the shadows of busy streets.

And urban fantasy here isn’t just recycling the same ideas—it keeps evolving. Writers and artists build on previous works, pulling in myths from other cultures and adding fresh perspectives. These stories are not just about action as some dive into real-world concerns, too, tackling themes like loneliness, the tension between tradition and modern life, and how technology shapes society. There’s something timeless about the idea of hidden worlds coexisting with modernity, where forgotten gods, restless spirits, and ordinary people collide in unexpected ways.

When I visit Tokyo, I'm always a bit wowed by the intense urban landscape and seeing places that I first saw or read about in anime, games, or novels. It's kind of like an adult Disney, with all the things to see, eat, and do. There's always a bit of magic to the place when you come as an anime fan, as it's fun to see the aspects of the imagined world brought to life.

In this article, I'm going to list a number of Japanese urban fantasy creative works to get anyone going on the fantastical, creative side of Japanese pop culture. I'm leaving out vampires (Hellsing, Akiba's Trip, Blood+, etc.), cat girls, gangster maids in Akihabara, time travel (Erased, Stein's Gate, Tokyo Revengers, etc.), and many others, so it is a starter list.

Please check out Kumotawa Confluence, my urban fantasy novel set in Japan, at the end of the article!

Tokyo Excess

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