A Japanese comic could be partly to blame for the crowds of tourists in the Cotswolds‘ “most beautiful” village.
Bibury – known as one of the world’s prettiest villages – in Gloucestershire has long battled coachloads of visitors keen to see its famous line of 17th-century weavers’ cottages along Arlington Row.
Now, a fanbase from Japan is flocking to the village, a setting of a Japanese schoolgirl manga and anime series called Kin-iro Mosaicor “Golden Mosaic”, reports Oxford Mail.
The popular series features settings in Bibury while showing the friendship between a group of Japanese girls and a British exchange student.
Originally a manga comic strip by Yui Hara, Kin-iro Mosaicran from 2010 to 2020 in Japanese magazine Manga Time Kirara Max.
A 12-episode anime television adaptation then aired in 2013, followed by a second season, titled Hello!! Kin-iro Mosaicin 2015. Two films on the animated franchise followed in 2016 and 2021.
Bibury features heavily in the series during flashback episodes when Japanese protagonist, Shinobu Omiya, travelled to the UK for a homestay.
Arlington Row, a stone bridge crossing the River Coln, Bibury Trout Farm and an ice cream stall all backdrop the animated characters’ outings.
The village of just 627 residents can see up to 20,000 visitors in a single weekend.
Councillors in theBibury parish have recently raised fears over the environmental impactof tourists entering the River Coln, a shallow waterway that runs through the heart of the village.
According to council minutes, members said that over the summer tourists were not only paddling in the water but also putting up chairs to sit in it. The council said this could impact the wildlife, including swans and ducks that live in the area.
Thevillage’s appeal goes back to the 19th century, when textile designer and writer William Morris described it as the “most beautiful village in England”, while Japanese emperor Hirohito later called it a “sacred place” following a stay in 1921.
