Alice in Borderland empties out Tokyo – a deserted Shibuya Crossing, silent skyscrapers, an abandoned city turned deadly game board. The eerie trick is that you can’t just switch off Shibuya, so the production built its own. Much of that empty Tokyo is a full-scale set and a string of real locations across Japan.
Where was Alice in Borderland filmed?
The series was shot across Japan, centred on Tokyo but ranging out to Nara, Kobe, Osaka and Shiga. Its signature image – the deserted Shibuya Crossing – was recreated on a purpose-built set at the Ashikaga Scramble City Studio in Tochigi, because closing the real crossing was impossible.
The rest of the empty metropolis blends real Tokyo landmarks with locations dressed to look abandoned, giving the show its unsettling “city with no people” atmosphere.
Every Alice in Borderland location, explained
The Shibuya Crossing set – Ashikaga, Tochigi
The abandoned Shibuya Scramble Crossing that opens the series is not the real one – it’s a full-scale replica built at the Ashikaga Scramble City Studio north of Tokyo, one of Japan’s largest outdoor sets, allowing the crew to empty and control the famous intersection.
Tokyo International Forum
The striking glass-and-steel Tokyo International Forum in Marunouchi, central Tokyo, provides one of the show’s memorable game arenas.
Nara – the prison
Scenes for the Teio prison and other set-pieces were shot out in Nara Prefecture, around the village of Kurotaki, using its dramatic mountain scenery.
Osaka, Kobe and Shiga
The production ranged across western Japan too, from a botanical garden in Osaka (the Sakuya Konohana Kan) and Nagai Stadium to locations in Kobe and a lakeside spot in Shiga for the beachside hotel.
Planning a visit
The real Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo is a must-see even if the on-screen version is a set – it’s the world’s busiest pedestrian scramble, the living opposite of the show’s empty version. The Tokyo International Forum is free to walk through, and Nara makes a classic day trip from Osaka or Kyoto for its temples and deer park.
